Ahhhhh!!! I finished the marathon!! All that training worked out awesome for me, I ran so strong and felt so good the entire race and even sprinted my heart out the last 0.2 miles to the finish line! I finished my first marathon with a time of 4:04:03 which was 1238/ 3558 overall 274/ 1257 females 55/ 236 age division Jenny and I got to the starting area just after 5am and dropped off our bags and talked to a few other runners while we waited to be lined up. All Jenny kept talking about was how she couldn't wait for it to be over, but I was psyched for the whole experience so I tried not to let her get to me. We started the race and because we started with the 1/2 marathoners and there were supposed to be 20,000 runners, it took us about 10 minutes to get through the start line and our first few miles were 11:29, 10:47, and another one or two miles in the 10 minute pace which I knew was too slow but there was no where to go with all the people so I tried to take in the sights of the cruise ships all lit up as we ran over the causeway before the sun came up. It seemed like the blink of an eye and we were already at the 6 mile marker (half of a half of the way done!! haha) so I was still feeling really good. We ran through and got water at this stop for the first time since the earlier ones were so crowded. We ran up Miami Beach and then back across the Venetian Causeway (that we did a little run on two days before) and before I knew it we were running through the loud and totally crazy "fan zone" at mile 11.... wow almost halfway and I felt like I was just starting! I couldn't wait to hit the split where the 1/2 marathoners finished so that it would clear out a bit and we would be able to get water better. I noticed Jenny start to fall back a bit but then she caught back up as we rounded toward the half. I checked my watch when I hit the half and saw that it was 2:01:47 and even with the slow start killing some time, I realized that a sub 4 hour was in reach if I could keep my pace. I planned on trying for something between 4:15:00 and 4:30:00 based on training but once I figured I had 4:00:00 in my sight and I was still feeling really good, I found my perfect pace and lost Jenny by mile 14 and kicked it into cruise control and held that pace all the way through the Coconut Grove stretch and back up to the causeway... Mile 15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20, 21 done and still feeling fantastic. Everyone around me seemed to be slowing down and struggling and just not looking good, but I felt great, I was still holding my pace, I wasn't tired at all and I knew I only had a few short miles left. I was going to do it! I was passing people left and right coming over the causeway heading to mile 23 and even had fellow runners telling me how good I looked and to keep going strong....I was cruising! Coming off the causeway I hit mile 24 and looked at my watch to see that I to finish sub 4 I would need to finish in 15 minutes.... at that point I knew I couldn't push for 7:30s so I held on and ran my heart out putting every bit I had into every step. Heading to the 26 mile marker I was flying past people and still running straight up and feeling good. I ran like a clydesdale horse lifting my legs up high going up the hill on the grated bridge so I wouldn't trip and fall like the bloody lady I had seen earlier and then there it was, the mile marker for mile 26!!! From there I could see the crowd get really thick and could make out the balloon arch by the finish line, it was now or never, I knew I wanted to finish strong and I kicked it into a full sprint just like I was running the 100 meters back in high school for the last 0.2 miles and the crowd was screaming when they saw me coming in like a bat out of hell! I crossed the finish line and instantly got the chills and couldn't get the grin off my face, I JUST FINISHED A MARATHON and I DON'T FEEL LIKE I WANT TO DIE!!! In fact, I felt really freakin' good!! I wanted to do it again! I found Jenne at the finish line and collected all kinds of food and water and waited for Jenny, who finished about 15 minutes behind me to get done. She did not look happy and the first words out of her mouth were "I am never doing that again".... that sucks because I had such a great experience and feel bad that it wasn't good for her. I got my gigantic medal and wore it proudly as I walked back to the hotel and then decided to go back down to the race and walk around a bit. I am really baffled by how amazing it went from starting line all the way to the finish...I couldn't have asked for a better experience, I am amazed at how well I did both with time and staying so mentally focused and just doing it. I can't wait to do it again!!!! Thanks so much to everyone (especially my bro-in-law Benn) for keeping me motivated and informed through training and being psyched with and for me!
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