Des Moines Marathon

...I rounded the corner, took out my headphones and soaked in the crowd cheering. I gave it my all in that last quarter of a mile. I crossed the finish line with my hands in the air and my head bowed in thanks...fighting back tears. I didn't start crying until I walked up to have my medal placed around my neck and the lady said, "This is what you have been waiting for". Yep, it really was...it meant that I had crossed that finish line. It meant that I conquered another 26.2 miles....



I worked all day on Saturday. Got out of work, headed home, and got in the car to make the five hour drive to Des Moines. Needless to say I was exhausted when we got there, but had trouble sleeping...like any night before a race. I was happy to have my husband there with me...and he surprised me by signing up to run. When I asked him if he was delusional, his response was oh so sweet: "I plan on staying with you as long as I can, but I just wanted to be a part of something you love to do." My man ran 26.2 miles because he is crazy about me...what more could a girl ask for?!



Anyway, I had no problem popping out of bed. My stomach was a little upset and I was trying to convince myself that this was no big deal, that I had done this before. After drinking a few glasses of water, I ate about a half cup of eggs, banana, and a bagel with cream cheese. I packed a half of bagel in my fuel belt along with peanut butter crackers, sport beans, and a few other things just in case (I was starving around mile 20 at my first marathon).

My race tat that Jamie picked up for me at the expo...pretty neat!


Ready to run!

The day was gorgeous...perfect running weather. Our group made our way to the starting line and found the pacer that we planned to run with. I honestly couldn't believe that I was there. I was pretty excited. We stood there waiting for a bit and then we were off. We ran the first two miles at a pretty fast pace and decided that the pace group wasn't for us...so Jamie and I chose to go it alone. We lost my hubby around mile 3...and that's when the crazy big hills started.

The scenery and houses were beautiful and really the hills seemed like no big deal. The next five miles were hilly, but felt pretty good. Just before mile 13, I saw my husband (he was around mile 11). He took a picture of me, gave me a kiss, and we kept on running. Crossing the half way point, I felt so much better than I did in Kenosha. I felt like I had a lot more in me, I was still smiling, and had no plans to walk.

It wasn't until around mile 18 that my legs started to cramp. Jamie kept on going and miles 18-20 would be rough for me...not only physically, but mentally too. I was trying really hard to push through, but I saw myself getting slower and slower. The thought of running six more miles seemed impossible. I kept praying, sometimes outloud and kept trucking.

The miles ticked down and before I knew it, I was at mile 25. The next mile would be an emotional one for me...and I wished I would have remembered my sunglasses. I fought back tears the whole way...so thankful. I was doing it, I was actually going to come in under five hours. I looked down seeing 4:49:12 on my watch. My Garmin tells me I did 26.4 miles...my chip time being 4:51:32. Either way, I am happy that I shaved so much time off from my last one!

Crossing the Finish Line!!

I found my running buddy Jamie after grabbing a few things to eat. We sat, walked, and stood around until everyone came in. I was so proud of my husband. He did not training at all, but ended up finishing in six hours...with a huge smile on his face and a heel kick in the air. We both had a great time, but a totally different experience that suited our personalities. It was a great time...and it was nice welcoming in to 2 percent.

Looking forward to my next marathon...I am hooked.