So Happy!!!!!! My goal for the race was 3:15 and I would have accepted anything below 3:20. I am so happy with my time and so happy with my effort. I can't say much of the race was "easy" but I had so many miles that I felt strong! I PR'd by 10 min!:) It was very cold this morning. It took about 6 miles for my feet to defrost. I felt like I was running on bricks till they warmed up. 1-7 I was cold and the pace felt OK I got to the 10k averaging 7:18. My husband was at the bottom of veyo with water in squirt bottles. He ran alongside Jackie and I while we drank so we didn't have to stop. That was so helpful. I ate 5 stingers just before we saw him and used my inhaler just after. 7:26, 7:22, 7:19, 7:16, 7:20, 7:10, 7:13 8-12 We made it up veyo strong. My breathing wasn't too labored. My legs were tired but that is to be expected. I high fived jackie when we made it too the top. This was the first of a few mental markers I had set for myself to make it through. The next mental marker was to make it through to mile 12. Jackie dropped back a couple times through these miles but I would call back to her to "come on" and she would close the gap each time. I started feeling worried because these miles are hard with the uphill and I was just tired. 7:39, 7:46, 7:36, 7:55, 7:40 13-19 I lost Jackie at the 13 mile water stop. I was sad to not have her there and I hoped she would still have a strong race that she would be proud of. I took 5 more stingers just before the water stop at 13 and used my inhaler again. My lungs were getting tired. 14-16 are my favorite part of the race. They are beautiful miles and the down hill here feels so good because my legs were not too hammered yet. Courtney Meldrum met me at 16 to run with me. I started crying when I saw her. I was happy she was there to help. 16-19 were rough miles for me so no matter what Courtney said to me I felt mad at her. She made me stop at 18 too get a good puff on my inhaler. That helped sooooo much and then my knee on my right leg started tightening so I stopped at 19 to get icy hot rubbed on me. It felt soooo good when the young guy was rubbing it on my leg that I think I was a little emmbarrising the way I was holding onto his shoulders and groaning. Hehehe! Some where in here Courtney also gave me 2 ibuprophen which I didn't want to take but oh my gosh! They were magic!!!! I also ate 5 more stingers just before 18. 7:31, 7:28, 7:00, 7:02, 7:28, 8:03, 8:09 20-26.2 I felt so strong!!!!!! Courtney kept picking people in front of me to pick off. Everytime I would say I can't catch them and then I would follow it with "I can". I passed each person she told me too. :) I yelled her name several times through out these miles like it was a swear word. It felt so good to yell at her and she understood. My husband joined us at mile 22. It was so fun too have him there too. He said all the right things and I could see how proud of me he was. That kept me going more than anything else. 24-26 were so hard but I kept strong. I kept talking to myself out loud which is so nerdy. I kept saying "You are strong, your mind is in control of your body!" I realized that no matter how many times Courtney and Jon said that too me it wouldn't have matter if I didn't believe it myself. SOOO happy Courtney was there and so happy to have my husband there. Love them both!!!! 7:30, 7:26, 7:18, 7:28, 7:18, 7:34, 7:27, 1.36 Today was my 10th marathon. My first marathon was 4:51:??. I am so happy with how far I have come. I have learned so much through trial and error. Today was such a nice pay off!!!!! :) | 