A blog about embracing all that life has to offer: My First Marathon

Well, I survived my first marathon! Admittedly, it was more difficult than I expected - some of the challenges were out of my control and others I could have helped! It was extremely rewarding, and I am looking forward to doing my next one!

So, I saw one crazy guy running barefoot... yes, no shoes and no socks. I thought of him as the rain started to pour down (more on that later!). And then there were people cheering with signs along the way that made me laugh. Here is a list of my favorites:

1) Think Kenyan
2) Don't poop your pants
3) Keep Going, Keep Going (that's what she said)
4) Beat Oprah (she completed the Marine Corps Marathon in 1999)
5) Chuck Norris never ran a marathon
6) You're kind of a big deal (this sign was being held up by a woman dancing in the street wearing a ridiculous hat and purple boa)

The songs I put together for the race were perfect, especially the song that showed up at mile 13: Bon Jovi's "Living on a Prayer." The chorus goes like this: Oh, we're halfway there, ooooh-oh! Living on a Prayer. Seriously? Hearing those words at EXACTLY the halfway point? Amazing. I started to tear up. Don't judge!

My main motivation throughout the course was Aaron - he dropped me off in the morning and rode his bike around so that he could meet me every few miles along the route. It was SO wonderful to see him and hear him cheering me on!

Here were my biggest challenges:

Three days prior to the race, the weather forecast showed no chance of rain. I was a little surprised when the sky yielded freezing rain. At one point, frozen rain was bouncing off my face. With the temperatures dipping to about 35 degrees, my legs felt stiff, and my hands were tingling.

The night before the race, I went out to eat at an Italian restaurant called Sangiovese. Despite the reservation we made, it took them an hour to seat us. The last time I went to Sangiovese, their furnace was having issues, so we had to eat our food as quickly as possible before it went cold! Needless to say, I will probably never be back! As a result, I ended up losing an hour's sleep.

On Thursday, I played in a soccer game, and even though I told myself I would take it easy, I didn't. The soccer game left me with a sore muscle in my lower back that caused me issues during the race.

It was extremely challenging to say the least, but I am so happy I did it. I am already looking to sign up for another one for next year, and I can't wait! It is extremely rewarding and while the training is hard, there is nothing like the feeling of finishing!