26.2...

17 miles... yeah family and I can ditch my water belt

(Kathleen, me, Layla)

The finish!

Around mile 17 first time to see lots of people and our family!

( I am awaiting more pics to come)

Okay so we did it, 26.2 miles! I can't believe I am saying this or about to write what I am about training for and running a marathon; it was amazing. Yes, it was down right hard and pushed every emotion, muscle & trigger in me. It was more than worth it. I realize that running the marathon is only part of the equation the other huge part is the training so I have to break it down into what I call my major training runs; 14 miler (farthest I had ever run) was in hills of Aberdeen & BD it was down right challenging my calves were on fire, I was in a lot of pain but beautiful, 15 miler in July heat of AZ desert with coyotes & lizards starting at 4:45 am, 3 miler in mountains of AZ where I could hardly catch my breath after living at sea level for 3.5 yrs, 13 miler of running in hills,through corn fields, around cemeteries, around the HS track (where my mom went to school) in Ogallala, NE; 17 miler: 10 done in AZ heat to finishing the last 7 the next day at the Golden Gate bridge with Kate (fastest 7 miles I have ever run), 18 miler of Aberdeen hills & BD (hardest run I have ever done, Kathleen pulling me and asking random people for water along the way), 19 miler in Aberdeen on the rail line, I didn't much care for this run, 21 miler running from Banchory to my home in Aberdeen along the rail road line, it was a good one, and left all 3 of us with great encouragement for the marathon in 3 weeks! I promised myself that if I was going to do this I was going to train hard and be ready for the big day. We did and it paid off...

The marathon was run along then entire length of Lochness (I have been told this alone gives me big brag-gin rights in itself) where the Lochness monster has been seen and then finishes in the city of Inverness. I can remember the emotions of the day, they were giddy to start I was laughing like a crazy person when we first got on the bus, it started going way downhill after sitting on a bus for 2.5 hours waiting to be transported to the start of the race (they ran out of buses and 200 people didn't have a ride so we all had to wait), major toilet issues I found in a marathon all sense of what they call 'socially acceptable' behavior in terms of using the toilet gets to go out the window for a bit kinda like child birth which is almost refreshing, a gps-watch intervention, arriving to the start of the race 15 minutes after the start should have taken place, running for the port-a-toilet, stretching in the line of the toilet, running to give the bus our bags so they could be transported back down to the finish, the bagpipers coming, the start of the race (an hour late)!

Even with all the craziness of the start I felt good. It was awesome to be standing with others who where about to run 26.2 miles... we drove the course the day before and HILLS were about the only word we could describe it, oh yeah and the gail force winds that had taken over the Loch (lake). Sunday morning the winds had died along with the rain, it was cold though. We warmed up fast after moving. I can remember the smells, the adrenaline, the amazing feeling of what I would call acing the hardest 2 miler hill at mile 18! It felt good... wow did it feel good. Camaraderie of all of us in this together, getting water and screaming 'I want a cap' and everyone rushing to get you a cap for your water (weird I know)! Kathleen, Layla and I running together, normally talking away but keeping quite quiet. Basking in His presence, feeling Him near and seeing Him in the gorgeous views of running along Lochness. Coming into mile 17 and seeing our family and our first major group of spectators thinking this is real. Making our way into Inverness around mile 22 and saying wow this is it, we are about done. The crazy lady around mile 23 who just wouldn't be quiet, she was American and talking about every drunk time she had ever had, what seriously yes... Mile 24.5 wow I need to get this over with I am starting to fade fast, okay I am going for it and I need some music, the music lasted say 3 min... I to need concentrate. woooo this is getting really hard, what another hill wait I just saw the finish; what is this loop, you are kidding me right, wait thats my family... hay okay I can do this, around the corner, you are kidding another corner where is this finish, ahhh there it is, onto the track and done..... all in all I felt a lot better then I thought I would, maybe could have pushed myself a bit harder but was so afraid of what everyone called 'the wall' and not being able to finish... but I am more then thrilled with our performance, it is a hard race with hills and hills and more hills so 26.2 miles of hills we kicked butt I think, we trained hard and it paid off and that feels like winning a million bucks!!!

It was awesome doing it with Layla and Kathleen, we trained together and have a lot of memories of all of our runs, we talked, laughed, worried together, watched out for each other, and pushed each other! Thank you ladies! I can't believe I am going to say this but I loved it!!! From basically starting out in late February doing not much at all to finishing a marathon in early October, I feel good! We finished in 4:30... and I am proud of that time. I have realized I really like the race it is fun, I like everything about it! We will see what is next!

Another major proud moment was having my family there. I love my husband for all his support and encouragement. I love my kids for loving to watch mommy race. I love that my dad and aunt could be there. I love all my friends and family who sent cards, emails, texts, calls and well wishes! I consider myself very thankful for it all!