What a great experience!
I am back from Chicago, my legs are sore and I finished 26.2 miles. It wasn't pretty, but I crossed the finish line with a little spring in my step! Chicago had record breaking temperatures, the high hit 88 degrees! At one point we came around a corner and there was a sign on a bank that said 87, I figured it was wrong that the sign was in the sun and that was with the sun hitting it directly...I was wrong, that sign was RIGHT!
This marathon had 45,000 participants, it took us over 18 minutes to get to that start! The crowd support was amazing, at some cheer stations the crowd was 5-6 deep. There were people along the WHOLe route, never an area where no one was there cheering you on. There is an estimated number of 1.5 million spectators and felt as if each one were cheering just for me! We ran through the whole city so I got to see so many different areas I would not have been able to see otherwise.
The months and miles leading up to this event really is what was amazing, the training was such a great, special, cherished time for me. The girls I trained with are just awesome, Brenda, Beth & Lisa became my friends and a relationship I will cherish. Over 500 plus miles we had conversations, story telling, medical diagnosis, tear and amazing memories. I looked forward to waking up at 4:30 am and trekking out to Bay Village to begin our runs in the dark, cool, dewy air. When that weeks miles were complete I felt as if I had accomplished something, something good. Running each week has made me a better person. I am calmer, happier, think clearer, a better mom, wife & friend. These girls have made me a better person and I can never give them enough thanks for that. I look at things with a different perspective and I like that, and better yet feel much better. The training for this marathon was great, I followed Hal to a tee so that fact my time was 35 minutes behind where I wanted has me bummed out. It was the heat though I have decided, I walked water stops when I had usually not have, I hung back in fear that I would out run myself, a bunch of rookie mistakes I suppose, although the time is disappointing, the experience still amazing!!!
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