Where the Road Leads: My first 26.2

I sit here at a loss for words. It's hard to sum up this marathon experience or even put it in to words. It seemed to go on forever, but I can hardly believe that it's over. It was, by far, the hardest thing I have ever done. Now I can say that I have finished a marathon...a whole 26.2 miles.

I did not sleep very good at all the night before. I was up a few times during the night and then up for good at 3:30. I stayed in bed for about an hour and prayed off and on. I was missing my sister (who was supposed to run the full, but got pregnant - yay- and switched to the half. The day before they were supposed to leave to come stay with us, her whole family, minus one, got the stomach flu). I was also so nervous and having stomach issues because of it. Even though I didn't feel like eating, I managed to down a bagel with peanut butter and a half of a banana.

We got to the race and I had to pee really bad. We had ten minutes until starting time and I was still in line for the icky potties. Luckily, runners know how to get in a get out in record time and we all made it to the start just in time.

After the horn sounded and the race began, I felt really good. Mind games started around mile 10...I really don't know why other than reality had set in just what I was about to make my body do.

At mile 11, I saw my princess and my man standing there on the sidewalk and it gave me a little push to keep going. A little after mile 11, I got it in my head that I needed to stop and walk. Luckily, Jamie wasn't having it and she pushed me to keep going, reminding me that I said that I would not walk before mile 13. Up until mile 19 I felt pretty good...as good as you can feel after 19 miles. At mile 19 we turned around and headed back to the finish. And even though I wondered what all the hype was about the last 10K, I quickly found out that the last 10K is so tough...literally like a roller coaster ride.

At mile 23, I was having the worst stomach cramps and sat in the icky potty for a bit. A little bit down the road, we spotted our families again and this time our friends who completed the half were there to cheer us on too. It was so good to see everyone, but it made me want to just hop in the car and be done with it all. My best friend, came out with my princess to give me a pep talk and encourage me to keep going...I have never loved her so much in all my life. I kept going.

"The talk"

Mile 23-24 seemed to pass by pretty quickly. After, Jamie and I separated...I said a little prayer for her and kept her in my sights until she rounded a corner and I knew she was on her way to the finish. That last stretch seemed to be the longest 2.2 miles of my life. Ugh, they were so hard. Dani (another friend) met me and ran the last mile with me.

I found what little bit of speed I had left and gave it all I had in the home stretch. With a huge smile on my face and a big sigh of relief, I finished my first Marathon with the official time of 5:13:10.