26.2 miles...DONE!

I'm so excited to have another thing to cross of my bucket list - a marathon! I can't wait to have an entire week off of exercising and eating healthy food! I know that sounds horrible, but you have to be so dedicated when training that I'm tired of being "good."

Here's a recap of my weekend. Friday afternoon, my friend Karen and I drove up to Denver. I'm so thankful to have a good friend that wanted to be there with/for me. It shows a true selflessness. Although I'm sad that Josh couldn't be there, I'm happy that I was able to share this experience with Karen (and Sarah, who showed up later). We checked into our surprisingly nice hotel in downtown Denver. We quickly put on some deodorant and lipgloss and walked a few blocks to the convention center where the packet pick up was. We then walked downtown and finally decided on dinner at the Cheesecake Factory. Here's a picture of me carb loading!

At Cheesecake Factory

We went to bed pretty early that night. I actually slept pretty well that night - apparently I wasn't as nervous as I thought. We got up the next morning at 5 a.m. and headed to grab some coffee, bagels, and fruit. After breakfast, we got ready and walked a few blocks to the starting line. I'm so thankful that it wasn't very cold that morning because I don't do well in cold weather. The weather was actually perfect. 

Beginning of the race

Re-adjusting my bib

Running with a picture of Josh

I'll cut out some of the boring details and just get to the actual run. The first 3 miles were a breeze and I was running at a 9.5 minute mile. I actually had to make myself slow down a few times so that I could avoid getting tired too quickly. The first 13 miles were pretty easy. I think this was because I've done a few half marathons and always know what to expect. Miles 13-16 were ok....but kind of boring. I was also feeling pretty sore and had to stop a few times to stretch. After mile 16 was when I had to talk myself into continue running. My hardest miles were 16-20. I think after 20, I realized that I only had 6 miles left. Those 6 miles were hard but not as bad as the previous miles had been.

I ran most of the way, but there were a few times where I did stop to walk for a minute. I got to the point where walking hurt worse than running. I guess my body was so used to running at that point that even walking hurt.

After mile 24, my speed picked up. It's funny how much more energy you have than you think you do. Crossing the finish line was a great feeling! I'm pretty sure this won't be the last time I do a marathon. As hard as it was, the outcome makes it all worth it.

 Finished!

Video of my finish