Mission Accomplished

Twenty-Six Point Two....TWENTY-SIX POINT TWO!!! Holy smokes, I finally did a marathon and I am still in shock over it.  Did I really just do that?! This may be my longest post, hopefully I don't bore you. ;)

We arrived in DC on Friday and headed off to the the expo. I love race expos. Just the energy flowing thru just gets you pumped even more to run your race. Everyone is just super excited to pick up their bib. It's just an awesome feeling.

The only part that sucked about this expo was the HUGE line for the Brooks Store. Whew! It was insanely long. But it was worth picking up some gear. Well..Ray probably wouldn't agree. He was such a sport and stood in line for over 2 hours to check out while I looked around at some of the vendors.

Having fun at the Brooks Photo Booth

This isn't too much MCM stuff is it? ;)

How cool is this shirt?! And that patch?!

After the expo we headed to Chinatown and ate at Matchbox.
Their pizza was super yummy.  

Saturday was spent just lounging around. I planned to do a shake out run but ended up walking 10 miles on Friday so I just rested instead. And eating....lots.  I also got to meet up with my longtime college buddy, Lorra. I haven't seen here since 1997. We met up and ate at the Noodles & Co and chatted away. It was so great catching up. After eating some yummy carbs, we headed back to the hotel to chill before heading down to the pasta dinner with Team Fisher House. The next morning it was race day! 

I suprisingly slept pretty well and got up the next morning to see Fisher House had decorated all the team members rooms. 

I didn't think to get a photo of it on the
hotel door so I had to improvise ;) 

The morning of the race it was raining, I guess now I have the running jinx of it raining on race morning like Miranda does. ;) It wasn't a hard rain which I am totally cool with. It rained a little off and on during the first couple of miles but then was clear. We stood what seemed like forever in the line to go thru security. And I guess we did somewhat, by the time we got thru and up to the team tent a quick potty break and it was go time.  I barely got to my corral and honestly I still don't think I made it. By the time I got past the arches, the earlier corrals were already moving up to the start. I jumped in where I could and hoped I was somewhat near my goal time. I think I got in with the four hour finishers. Because it was was near mile 3 that I saw the 4:45 pacer come past me. Oops.
Ray would come follow and meet me at certain points (having the location turned on my phone helped a lot. ;)

Mile 4

At Mile 12 or as it is known with the Marine Corps Marathon, the Blue Mile. A mile in honor for the heroes we have lost. Each side of the has the photo of a hero. And then as you get further into the mile, you reach the families & friends of the fallen holding American Flags. I knew this mile was going to hit me hard in the gut. I would run by each photo and tap each one. I went around one runner to stop and walk and as soon as I did I recognized a face I knew. I immediately stopped to take a photo and send to his brother Franz.

*Please keep the Walkup's in thoughts and prayers. Franz's father passed away yesterday.

Mile 19

Taking a selfie with the Marine at Mile 20.
Beating the Bridge

Running the hill to reach the finish line.
Yes, a hill at .2 of the 26 ;)

I didn't run the race I wanted or had planned but when does that ever go right for me?! Maybe that's my problem. I keep setting the wrong type of goals. I had two goals for this race and both were not attained. First goal was to finish in 4:45 and backup goal was around 5:15. I finished the race in 6:39. Which still isn't bad, I mean this was my first marathon. But I rocked my 24 mile training run and finished it in 5:05 and then I bomb at the race. :(  I wasn't pleased with my time for the first few hours after finishing. I sprinted at the finish and I knew then I could have ran harder during the middle of the race. I was disappointed with myself but then Ray and a dear friend told me that I just did something that only 1% of the population ever do. RUN A MARATHON!  Soon after that I was feeling much better. Well all but the quads feeling like I drove them into a concrete wall. ;)

After crossing the finish line you're suppose to
get a finisher jacket. But they were already out of them.
A sweet fellow runner sent me hers since it was my first marathon. 

Since becoming a marathon finisher, I've been mentally going back over the race just to see what may have went wrong. And I think it has to do with my watch. After I missed my first goal, my mind started telling me "oh look you aren't hitting that finish time." And after missing the second missed goal I was like screw it. I'll walk it in. And I hate that I let my mind win. Win at telling me to quit. Win at telling me to walk. The mind can be so cruel at times. But it can also a motivator and push you to greatness.

Marathon training was something I thought I wouldn't survive. Heck I barely did with my house burning down right when some of the most important training runs were about to take place.  But I made it and I made it to the finish line. I beat the bridge and I ran with the Marines. I can finally say I ran a marathon.



And I'm already planning my next one........ Hey I gotta beat the mind next.