Charleston Marathon!

I don't even know where to begin with this post... Running a marathon was by far my biggest accomplishment. I still can't believe I actually did it. It feels like a dream! For the past six months, this race has been on my mind. It had it's highs and lows, but I made it. We made it, and I am so glad it's over! 

The race started at 8:00 am. It was chilly, but the sun was out. Perfect running conditions! 

We started out running through The Battery and up King Street which was my favorite part. Here we are around mile six feeling great!

Around mile 10, I separated from Ginna and Christen. I wanted to stay with them, but needed to keep going at my own pace. I was feeling great, enjoying the beautiful Charleston scenery until around mile 13... I had stomach cramps and lower back pain that forced me to slow down. It was so painful at times that I wondered if it felt anything like being in labor! I pushed through, focused on Harry Potter (I was listening to the third book during this run), and kept focusing on the finish line. 

The greatest thing happened at mile 16. I was just running along, when all of a sudden, I saw a group of familiar looking people! It was Dorothy, Marshall, Lucy, Carrie and Andrew! They were all there cheering! I couldn't believe it!! I saw them before they saw me! I gave a few quick hugs and went on my way. That was exactly what I needed. I couldn't stop smiling after that and had chills through out my body that took my mind off the run completely. Brian, Jimmy, Toby and Poncho were at mile 18. Toby saw me before the guys did! He started wagging his tail faster and faster the closer I got. Look at that sweet face. 

It was so fun to see them. I saw everyone again around mile 22, and then it was on to the finish line! Those last four miles were the hardest. I switched to music for the last two miles to give me a boost. I was done with Harry. I kept visualizing what two miles looks like on my typical runs in our neighborhood, telling myself that it was no big deal at all. It was SO hard though!! A woman on the side of the road shouted out that there were only two more turns until the finish line, and that was exactly what I needed to hear. My pandora station started playing Rihanna's song "take a bow," and I started to tear up as I listened to the lines "and it's over now..." It was almost over! I had been running for HOURS! As I crossed the finish line, I started to CRY. My mom was on the phone with Dorothy, and they were all taking pictures and giving hugs. Hooray!! It was over! 

 I wanted that hydration belt OFF! Brian held all of my stuff. :)

A little while later, Ginna and Christen crossed the finish line!!

HOORAY!! WE DID IT!!!

The dogs looked so cute in their shirts. They got so much attention! 

And they gave Toby a medal! A guy stopped to ask me if he actually ran the race. :) 

I wish I had stopped to take a picture of everyone cheering during the actual race, but here they are at the end!

I'm not going to say that I'll never run another one, but I think it's safe to say that I'm not addicted... Maybe after my body recovers, I'll feel differently about it. Part of me wants to run another to improve my time, but we shall see... Thanks for all your encouragement, prayers, and support!! It's OVER! :)