I'm not sure how to blog this race. I guess I'll just say that I didn't get first which was my goal all along. It's going to be a while before I wrap my head around everything. I had also hoped to run under 3:00. So I didn't accomplish two of my goals. With that being said, I am happy that I didn't give up because I wanted to...REALLY BAD. Mile 21, I seriously thought about stopping after my blister popped. I'm very proud of myself for not giving up.
Here are a few thoughts:
I led the race from mile 1-20. It's hard to lead a race with no one else to run with. There weren't any guys around me either. At mile 14, my legs started to feel heavy. I panicked a little but still was able to keep pace. After I was passed at mile 20, I was devastated. The girl who won (Nicole) looked so strong. She blew right by me. Come to find out she is an exBYU runner and this was her first marathon...Impressive.
I think my 23 miler I did three weeks ago was too fast. I don't think my body recovered fully from that. I felt SO good during that run. I know that some runners can recover from a run like that fairly quickly. I think I should have taken it easier than I did.
Thanks to everyone who sent me texts, messages, etc of support. I love this running community. I'm proud of Emily for her race today too. She ran strong with less than optimal training. She's still one of my running heroes.
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