I was super pleased with this run. I was hoping to get under 5 hours, but also knew I hadn't put in the training time to feel that I deserved a time like that. I had ultimately decided I would be happy with whatever I got. The weather was just perfect - barely warm enough for shorts and a tank top, and cool enough that I sweated very little.

I was kicking butt the first few miles, rockin in the 10 minute mile range. I knew I couldn't sustain that pace the whole way but I felt good and just went with it. I tried to stop at every aid station (which you can see on my pace/hr data - the low points are where i was walking). I drank and/or ate at every station, just didn't want to run out of gas.

Around mile 10 my right IT band started cramping really badly. I'd stop, stretch, walk for a bit, then it would go away and I'd start running again...then it would come back. I really considered throwing in the towel and calling it a day - it seriously hurt so bad. A few points I was running and all of a sudden WHAM, huge pain in my IT band, and I'd literally hop on the other leg to a walking pace because I didn't even want to put my foot down. Tears were in my eyes and I felt totally defeated.

At that point I prayed to God to please take this away and let me finish the race. And I know it sounds crazy for those of you that aren't believers, but He did answer my prayer. After about mile 13 I was able to run pretty much continuously, and after about mile 15 it didn't hurt at all anymore. Also as a strange sidenote, even with these issues I was having I think I hit a 1/2 marathon PR for the first half of the race.

I was feeling so good when I was looking at my watch. I knew that as long as the wheels didn't fall off terribly I should be able to break 5 miles easy. At some points I even thought I might be able to get close to 4:45, which obviously that didn't happen but I am OK with that.

My Dad ran his first 5K at this race, and my friend Lana ran the 1/2 marathon. I had expected to see Brian and my Dad about 1/2 way through the race (after my Dad finished his 5K), but they weren't there. I thought that maybe since I was ahead of schedule they might not know where to find me. Finally at mile 18 or so they showed up, and they gave me so food. I was feeling really good at that point and super optimistic. They said they'd see me again at mile 24.

When mile 24 came I was near tears. Everything hurt, and I was ready to be done. I was exhausted to say the least. We were running in to the wind, and the overall elevation increases for the second half of the race. It's not terrible, but at that point any uphill just makes you want to jab your eyes out! Brian ran with me for about 1/2 mile and jabbered about all kinds of stuff (I can't even remember what he said) and I was super thankful for the distraction from my misery.

The last couple miles I just dug in and gutted it out. I think that I was pretty much expecting that to happen, it's just that I think I had forgotten how badly it hurt. That's the beauty of waiting a year between marathons I guess. :)

I wouldn't really do anything differently. I stuck to my training plan really well. I guess one thing I would change was the 24 mile bike ride that I did 2 weeks ago. I hadn't been riding at all, and then when I did that ride is when my IT band started hurting. I have to wonder if I hadn't done that ride if I wouldn't have had the IT band issues today.

Sat down on the closest bench I could find and my husband got me some red gatorade. That's pretty much it.

We went to the cafeteria so I could eat some food, but the food sucked. I took a few bites but that was all I could manage. Then we went and showered, and went to eat at BozWells, a local joint my Dad found on the net. The food rocked the hizzouse but I couldn't eat that much. I ate plenty of cake for dessert though. I was hungry but the thought of eating just kind of made me feel sick I guess. I still haven't eaten all that much (it's 8 p.m. right now) but I'm sure my appetite will be back tomorrow.


Just my IT band. I think I could have probably done some more long runs or something - I stuck to my training plan but I think I could have picked a different one and done better. But my plan was fine for where I was at when I started the plan - better to race slow than to get injured from over-training!


I really like this race. Good volunteers, very calm route, flat overall...just a good race. :)