Mission Accomplished

I did it. I brought months of training to bear on the Denver Marathon and finished. I was a bit of an emotional and physical wreck after crossing the finish line. I felt lightheaded and dehydrated, but managed to find some water and shade. I drank three bottles of water in about five minutes. It was just so hard and my body and mind were pushed into places they don't often go. There was solidarity in looking around me and seeing people in exactly the same condition; physically spent, but elated at the same time. My hat was encrusted with a white layer of salt that brought no end of fascination to some friends who I met up with after getting back from the race.

The best part of the race was seeing Catherine and Aiden at the finish line screaming and ringing their cowbells. It made me find one last bit of something to crank into the finish line gates. The race went well from a technical point of view. My splits were not perfect, but not wildly out of balance either, and I did not have anything left at the end. I hydrated properly along the way and did not have to make any unexpected bathroom stops, which means I ate right coming into the race (TMI, I know, I know). I gave it my all, and that, in the end, is all I can ask of myself.

I waited quite a while for a friend of mine to round the last corner coming into the finish, and when he came around he looked to be in pretty bad shape. I got out there, put his arm over my shoulder and told him over and over that he only had half a block and was going to do it. I told him to dig deep, and he did. He made it to the finish line, and when they announced his name I was so proud of him.

A great and emotional experience. I told someone this might be my last one. But as I write about it, I find myself re-evaluating. Disney is in January, I think...

I have to thank a lot of people who made this whole deal possible. First and foremost, my family, who put up with me leaving the house at 4:00am to go run or go out on Saturdays for hours on end. Also, to my friends in the Lifetime Fitness Endurance Club, especially Sandy, who challenges me to keep pushing and is still pestering me about doing a triathalon. I also want to thank Tammy, Will, Luke, and Clayton, who opened their home to us while we were in Denver and who always make us feel like family.