Marathon

The next day I woke up bright and early. I ate an English muffin with a lot or Peanut butter and headed to my friend Beth’s to get a ride to the start line. Since I was in the top 100 we had a nice heated tent to wait in until we were escorted to the start. I was so over whelmed with the amount of people. There is a bridge that goes over Columbus drive and the whole thing was stuffed with people watching the start of the race. When I looked behind me all I could see was a sea of humanity. I was also amazing at how people don’t have any manors when nervously waiting for the start of a marathon. A guy just squatted down next to me and took a dump. I was thinking- all those 40,000 people behind our start corral are going to trample through that! When the gun went off I stayed behind my friend Beth. I was told I was going to go out too fast so I thought I better stay behind her since she is experienced in the marathon. Our first mile was too slow- oh well- we have 25 more miles to make up the lost time : ). The whole race was exciting. We went through all different neighborhoods and I was so distracted by everything around me that the race went by so fast. At mile 20 I felt great. The last 6 were the best because I was passing people like crazy. However, once I crossed the finish line and started walking. It didn’t feel good at all. I dropped my banana that someone handed me and when I tried to bend down to pick it up I fell over. Everything just felt like it was cramping up. I then realized I was extremely cold. I was with my friend Lydia and she was freezing also. Lydia couldn’t handle the terrible cold feeling. The wind made it even worse. I lost her some how and found out latter that she was taken by the medical tent because they thought she was delirious. I didn’t stop shaking even with my clothes. Once I had said hi to everyone I walked to the train with Lynn and Anne with all 3 coats I had brought and was still shaking from the cold. I took a warm shower after that I was fine. We then went to a Japanese restaurant that I picked out and I felt like splurging-I got an appetizer, 3 different sushi’, 2 noodle dishes, and dessert. It hit the spot. I was one happy camper eating with my buddies after a great race in a great city with a great since of accomplishment hanging over me, and a great since of thankfulness that God had kept me safe when a lot of things could have gone wrong in a 26 mile race.

Later that evening I went over to Mel’s house and hung out with Jenny, Tyler, Lisa, Jesse, Lynn, Lydia, and Kyle.

I then went home and crashed. That was my in my top three favorite races of my life. My favorite race of my life was my Junior year cross country nationals running in the mud- yes I am weird but that race was awesome! That was so much fun sliding across it- being all American for the first time- Jeff surprising me (at that time my soon to be boyfriend)- my dad being there- putting on Diemer’s Olympian Leather Jacket (a tradition that he allows you to put on his special jacket given to him when he got the bronze when you become an all America)..ect. But this first marathon was right behind that cross country race. FUN TIMES