Long run

From start to finish, my morning race was 26.2 miles, and after months of training, I was more than ready to get this day started. Because those months piled on crusty, icy sidewalks, and even though my running partner and I managed to keep to a schedule, this mean-old winter worked her hardest to inconvenience us. She tested and taunted us with the occasional sunny day, and then, bam! we'd find ourselves digging out after yet another storm. Good for putting our feet up with some marshmallowy hot chocolate. Bad for training for a marathon. 

I have great memories from the course like running up the Rock Creek Parkway and down Capitol Hill with no cars allowed. There were some long stretches of boredom when aches took advantage of my sole attention, but I loved to see familiar faces among the spectators and overjoyed that we found a mid-race port-a-potty station with NO LINE.  My running buddy and I held hands through the finish, resulting in identical time--fitting for the journey we've shared--and my family was so proud that they danced with me to celebrate. 

Now I'm all done, and now that my feet are up (water, not hot chocolate) I'd say I'm feeling pretty great. Okay, it appears that I've lost a couple of toenails...don't worry they're small ones.