I really don't know what happened out there. It was a gorgeous day, and I felt great when I started. The pace was nice, and for the first two miles I was having a ball. I knew I was working pretty hard miles three through five, but I was still feeling very good. Then, around mile 6 I just started feeling like poop - I couldn't breathe, my stomach felt sick, and I gradually started feeling bad. I think I took my inhaler around mile 6 or 7... I just could not breathe. I'm not sure if it was the air quality or what, but my entire chest felt tight. I was finding it very difficult to maintain my posture, too. I had Gatorade in my hand bottle, and two Gus, and spaced them as I had been during my training (at 50 mins. and around 1.30). I walked through almost all of the water stations (and drank water) to conserve energy, but I still was feeling terrible and Mile 8 was seriously one of the toughest miles I've ever run. At Mile 9 I was mentally feeling better - but around Mile 10, my toes started cramping up, then my feet, and they never stopped cramping for the next 3 miles. I ran with my toes flexed, landing on my heels for the most part, practically in tears, the entire rest of the way. The only time I stopped was when I saw Brian at the side of the road at mile 12. I walked over, gave him a big hug, and said "MY FEET ARE CRAMPED!" but my throat was so tight I couldn't get any voice out and he didn't hear me. He just looked at me and said, "Keep going! I'll see you at the finish!" and so I did. I kept running with my feet cramped for the next mile. I actually managed to "sprint" down the chute - the crowd was so awesome and alive. I never have run in such a big race and I really loved running through all the spectators. They really kept my spirits going. I finished and it seemed like my feet uncramped for a minute as I walked through the finisher's lane.

I have no idea what went wrong. My training was strong, and mentally I was prepared for this. I don't even think 13 miles seems that daunting to me anymore, I just had a bad day out there. I think maybe I should have been drinking Gatorade the week before? I have no clue. This has never happened to me before. Even during my triathlon, which was longer, I never had cramping issues.

After I ate another banana and an orange slice, I exited the finisher's area and BAM! BOTH OF MY ENTIRE LOWER LEGS cramped up. From those little side muscles around your ankle, to the arches of my feet, to my toes, everything just cramped all at once. I was in so much pain, I squatted down on the ground and hobbled over to a tree, where a few people asked if I was OK and I basically told them to leave me alone. Then this one woman told me to sit in the dirt and put my legs up on a tree to elevate them, and to take off my leg compression socks (mine stopped at my ankle) and my knee brace. My shoes were off too. I knew I needed to find my family, so I walked in my socks over to our designated meeting point. Brian rubbed my feet while I stole his coffee. I could not get my shoes to go back on for the mile walk back to the hotel. Every time I tried, my feet cramped back up. So, once I finally got back up, I walked a mile in socks back to the hotel.


CRAMPS.


This was a very well-organized, well-run race. The volunteers were awesome, the course was clean and well-marked. My only complaint was that it was very confusing after the run in the finisher's area. They had us all stop to pose for a photo, and because of that I completely missed the medical tent, and an where there apparently was ice and massage - which I really could have used due to my extreme foot cramping. I didn't really see anything except the damn photographers, which caused a real back-up in the area and crowding. Other than that, it was a great race.