Fast forward to the real action:

A Chris Brown song is blasting over the sound system while we all wait for the race to start. I’m shaking my booty, jumping up and down, and bubbling over with cheerfulness. My alacrity seemed to be shared by everyone around me and we were all pumped and READY to run our best.

Inside the run, mile by mile.

Mile 1-6 : The first six miles were AMAZING! I can honestly say that I was on cloud nine… I felt like I was sailing from mile to mile… my Garmin showed me at 7:45 pace. I had NEVER trained at that speed and held it for more than 2 miles without stopping. Yet, somehow I ran a 7:45 minute mile for the first 5- 6 miles. I was truly experiencing the “runners high”- I had the BEST playlist on my shuffle and I was in my zone, feeling good!

Side note, at every mile they hand out water and Gatorade to the runners as the pace by. I like to grab one every other mile or so and ,without stopping, have just a swallow. At mile 3 my body was really heating up, so I grabbed a cup of what I thought to be water and splashed it on my face to cool off . Turns out that I splashed Gatorade all over myself. I literally laughed out loud at myself… and covered in stickiness, I kept running. Thankfully, at mile 4 I got water and was able to give myself a “bath” on the go.

Mile 7-9: Running is a tricky thing…one minute you are covering ground like a cheetah and the next you are trolling along like a slug. My pain-free, perfect run came to halt towards the beginning of mile 7 when I started to become VERY aware of my achilles heel. It, out of no where, tightened up and began to interfere with my stride, which really slowed me down. Crap. My Garmin goes up to a 8:30 min/mile. Oh no. The fairytale race is OVER.

I AM IN AGONY. And it pisses me off because everything else is fine… my lungs feel good, my legs feel strong, but my dang achilles is SCREAMING at me. I keep running though. I don’t ever walk. My pace is slowing and slowing…ahhhh. Then a funny thing happens.

I am next to a woman who raises her arms and starts praying towards the heavens…literally, while running, this lady is praying OUT LOUD thanking God for such a beautiful day! I turn to her and smile and jokingly suggest she pray for me!

God must have heard that ladies prayer, because within minutes my Achilles loosened up and I was able to pick up my pace a bit… then faster and faster and BAM!!! – I am back at 7:45 pace!

Miles 10-11 :

Even though my achilles didn’t hurt anymore, theses miles were HARD. My lungs started really working over time and I could feel my entire body heating up like a furnace. I could feel each glute contract with every step I took. My runs normally start to suffer at this mileage… everything starts to fatigue and my body longs for a break. My Garmin starts to make its way toward a 8:15 min/mile. I could have been a pansy and stopped or slowed down more, but I embraced the pain and made a conscious resolve to get back below an 8 minute mile. I slowly, with difficulty, got back to that 7:45 pace by the end of mile 11.

12-HALF MAR:

The crowds on the sidelines began to grow more and more dense and I could hear the roar of the supporters through my headphones. I look to my left and right and get inspired by my fellow racers. All of us, pushing ourselves to our limits… sweaty, stinky, and focused. I love the sense of comradery and certitude. My pace and pain both increase together, but so does my reward. The end was so close. Just .30 of a mile left and I start cranking it up more and more until I am in a full blown sprint. Looking down at my watch I see a 6:18min/mile… I started to get nauseous, and it felt like a fire was burning in my lungs, but I was too close to care… with all my guts and glory, I crossed the finish line.

THAT was a beautiful moment.

Joyfully stretching post race!

My amazing supporters! Thank you guys!!!

My dearest, sweetest mom. She is my number one cheerleader! I love her so much!

I got to meet Josh Cox, the US record holder for the 50K!!!

My inspiring friends Kayla and Tamara!

This Garmin watch is so great... I love how I can track my pace along the way and then instantly see my race results afterward.