Tuesday, November 30, 2010

what barbies want for christmas.

i feel like an adult. i really do not want anything but money for christmas and with that money i do not want to buy anything but put it into savings because i really want a 4runner.  but if i had to ask santa for things for christmas my list would be...

1. a pair of nike free running shoes.  i am not interested in vibram 5 fingers but i do want to give the minimalist shoe thing a whirl and i have heard great things about the nike frees. size 10. color: while/pale blue-gray. on zappos for $85.00 picture. see right.

2. a personalized wedding dress hanger to hang my wedding dress on [when i get one]. It will make the wedding pictures so much cuter and i am all about personalization and i l-o-v-e this idea.  and i think i would want it to be personalized with barbie + kyle rather than mrs. shanahan since i won't quite be mrs. shanahan yet. [yikes that sounds crazy weird!!] and of course this was discovered on my favorite place ever... Etsy.  Go here to order/check it out.  I would also need a wooden hanger to hang it on.

3. a new RoadID. I somehow, somewhere lost mine. This go around I want the one that attaches to your shoe. (the shoe id).   Therefore I won't take it off and throw it somewhere... it will just stay put on my shoe. I do not care the color, but I want my blood type on this one. After almost being hit by a car this year I just really want as much info crammed on there as possible if my life needs to be saved.  Sounds logical right?!

4. a quesadilla maker. because i love quesadillas and i love easy dinners even more. [when did i become an old lady asking for kitchen items?!]

5.  speaking of being old and wanting household things... i also want an iRobot vacuum or a romba. and I want a NICE vacuum. I think I want the Hoover WindTunnel Pet Rewind Upright ... but those 2 things will end up on my wedding registry.

6. Nike long sleeve running shirts (size medium). This one to be exact. In any of the colors except white.  I also would not mind more Nike running tights (size medium).

7. Do not judge me on this one... but I want Alabama Shoe Slippers. I find them to be hilarious and since my feet are always cold why the heck not?!  How awesome are these?!

8. Bath stuff. From anywhere as long as the bubbles that are made are HUGE. So big they overtake my bathtub and make it hard to read my book!!! I have also heard great things about Joyful Bath Co. as a substitute for Epsom Salt for baths post long runs and I would love a packet to try. I heard they're great for both ice baths and hot baths. I am attracted to the 'Nilla Buttermilk, Green Tea, Gingersnap and Oasty Floatsie. 

9. a weekend at a cabin in the north georgia mountains so kyle and i can escape for a weekend a REALLY take a vacation.

10. A super high tech cool pad for my lap top so it will stop overheating and shutting off.  I like this one and it got super good reviews.

I think that is it... it is weird that I cannot think of things I want for Christmas... I remember as a kid wanting pretty much everything in the Toys 'R Us catalog and now it is hard to make a list of 10 things.... oh growing up....

Thursday, November 25, 2010

thanksgiving style. three things thursday.

happy thanksgiving! i hope everyone is having a good holiday with their families and friends. and i hope everyone who ran a turkey trot this morning had a great race!!  and don't worry runners: you can eat all you want today... you'll run it off later.  ...and now onto the traditional 3 thing thursday.

1. since kyle and i are not married we do not do holidays together so we have to separate and take turns with the dog. i have him the first 2 days, kyle gets him the 2nd 2 days. in an attempt to wear the dog out before all 13 people gathered at my house to chow down i took mully on a "run". ok. i have not run more than 3 miles since marine corps marathon and man does it show... after 2 miles i was dead and i couldn't even run 1 mile without stopping to catch my breath. ...looks like i need to start cracking down and start running and working out again.
2. tomorrow is the Iron Bowl.  this is the match up between Alabama and Auburn. This year it is being hosted in the most beautiful stadium in the country on the most beautiful campus - Bryant Denny.  I would be a liar if I said I was not nervous... I sure hope Saban has some tricks under his sleeves to stop mr. cam newton... our young little team makes me nervous.  BUT I am firm believer that you never know what will happen in Bryant Denny. There is something magical and wonderful about that stadium.  Kyle is convinced that Alabama is going to win for 1 reason and that reason is: It has been 19 games since Alabama has lost in Bryant Denny; therefore, Alabama has to win.  Please Alabama, please. I need a win. I would rather have an earned W than a given to us W when the NCAA makes Auburn vacate all their wins when they rule $cam Newton (sorry had to do it) ineligible.  ...and with that Roll Tide Roll :o)
3.  Have you ever looked at the STATS section of your blog.  I just spent like 10 minutes looking at it and it is crazy to see how people are led to my blog... the #1 google search that leads people to me is "girl with the 13 minute mile" ... and even cooler, I found blogs that I had never discovered before but have me linked on their blogroll (thanks!!) and like I really need any more blogs to read, I followed like 10 more today and feel like I need to catch up.  One that I found is inthegym.net and it has everything from playlists to treadmill work outs to race reviews to product reviews... long story short, I am a fan [and will be adding it to my blogroll].  The stats also tracks your peak months (I had A LOT of readers in October) and where people are reading from (the Netherlands... say whaa?).  Crazy cool feature. If you have blogger lose yourself in it... I know you will.

Like I said before, have a rocking thanksgiving!! We all have SO much to be thankful for!!

Wednesday, November 24, 2010

woah nike. deals deals deals.

i love nike.
i love their tempo shorts. their tanks. their capris and tights. their running jackets. their sports bras. and i REALLY love the crazy good deals they have going on.  if you're a nike fan like me you do not want to miss these deals soooo head on over to www.nike.com and stock up.

you can get capris [and they're the good ones] for $26 rather than $45. Tempo shorts are as low as $16 as are the sports bras.

COUPON CODES
25% off a clearance item - NIKEAIR
free shipping on any order - JUSTDOIT

...too bad there isn't an awesome coupon code for the Nike Frees --- I really want to try a pair!!

happy shopping if you take part! =)

Friday, November 19, 2010

foto friday

i do not normally share unrelated photos with you on Fridays (actually i do not normally share photos on Fridays), but I had a client of mine send this to me on Monday when I emailed him to say congrats and that his team better beat Auburn this go round (my client is a South Carolina grad).  I thought this was super funny so I had to share! =)  Look closely at the contestants playing... have a good laugh, I did!

*I promise. At some point I will try to stop making jabs at Auburn. Can't promise that I will though*

Thursday, November 18, 2010

three things thursday.

when thursday comes around i sometimes wonder where the week has gone. but then i realize that it is thursday and i am ony 1 day from the weekend and i am okay with it being thursday.  ....this week has kind of been an obnoxious one and i have been seriously drained... needless to say, i cannot wait for the weekend.

{one} earlier this week (or late last week) i discovered a super cute designer Judith March.  she designs the cutest dresses. i am someone who tends to save money rather than spend money. but every now and then i go through this "must buy clothes" phases and right now i am in that phase. i do not discriminate - i stock up on work clothes and every day (but can wear on "jeans friday" day) clothes.  Not only am I a big fan of Judith March right now... my obesession with anthropologie is still going strong and i l-o-v-e karlie and free people. honestly, i would love it if i had a personal shopper who created outfits for me and asks "do you like this" and i would tell her yes or no and then i would take the things i love. would make shopping & my life so easy. long story short. thank goodness Christmas is around the corner... barbie needs some clothes.
{two} DID YOU SEE THE AUBURN GEORGIA GAME THIS WEEKEND?!  Did you see that the Auburn players forgot they were on the football field and thought they were in a boxing ring?! What was Auburn fighting for? They were winning!  So, Georgia you may have not been able to pull out a win but you did manage to royally piss the Auburn players off somehow. You got them so heated that they started throwing punches and now 2 of their playes have to sit out the 1st half of the Iron Bowl.  I guess that works too.  Well played Georgia well played. And people wonder why I dislike Auburn [some of their fans are just as classy as those boys on the field repping the orange and blue] ... I am pretty sure they moved up in the ranks of most hated SEC school ... move over Florida, Auburn is chasing after that title.  ...i can't wait to cheer those Gamecocks on on December 5th. :o)
{three} i am heading back home to DC for thanksgiving on Tuesday. the 9 hour car ride is always eventful with the dog, kyle, and me. kyle likes me to read to him the whole time and it is not as fun as it seems... this go around i am reading "me talk pretty one day" to him.  It will be a short trip home with lots of moving around Northern VA to see Kyle's family, get my hair done, watching the iron bowl and hoping that alabama pulls off a big win (!!!!) and I want to get in some runs/work outs since I have been slacking this month.  ...3 miles total run so far.   I am for sure ready for the vacation from work and life as I live it in Atlanta... but what I really want is a REAL vacation!! 

have a great thursday. friday. and weekend.

Sunday, November 14, 2010

Blast900 - killer workout in Atlanta.

If you're in Atlanta and want a killer workout in 1 hours I have just the thing for you. Holy Moly. Blast900 is structured to burn 900 calories in 1 hour and good grief does it make you work.  This past week they had a Groupon for 3 classes for $25.00 and normally 1 class is $28.00.  Of course, I slacked and missed the deal, but had been intrigued and read countless awesome reviews and wanted to give it a whirl.   I signed up for my 1st class and got up early Sunday morning for what I expected to be a total sweat fest.
Their website advertises on the front main page " Countless scientific studies prove that the most dramatic way to change your body is through interval training, alternating high and relatively low intensity exercise. BLAST900's unique interval-based workout "shocks" the body out of its comfort zone, and has you continually burning calories for the next 24 hours. BLAST is what you're not already getting, but everything you've ever wanted from a workout. It's circuit training meets bootcamp, all grown up. It's THE ULTIMATE WORKOUT. ....and honestly, they do not disappoint. 4 minutes in my body was already feeling it and i was wondering what i had gotten myself into. when on the treadmills they give you the option to work at 3 different levels {walker.jogger.runner. - i was a jogger. the runner was intense} and then for all the floor work they do offer modifications.  but seriously. you're pretty much MOVING for 1 hour straight.

about my killer work out: well. it is a mix of treadmill speed work and hill work and strength training and core work. i started on the floor with kettle ball push ups. i spent the first 10+ minutes working my arms with the kettle ball with a combo of lunges. we then swapped with the treadmills and did speed work, hill work, and endurance building.  i felt at home on the treadmill since i love running. then BAM back to the floor for hand weight work. by this point, my arms, yeah they wanted to fall off. my breathing. totally labored. then back to the treadmill for lots of hills. big long hills. lots of walking for me. then back to the floor for jumping jacks, squats, jumping jack/squat combos. more push ups. (has it been a hour yet!?) then back to the treadmill for running. then back to the floor for core work. and i finished on the treadmill with sprints. 

Just a preview of what it is like you can check out this video:


long story short: we moved around A LOT and it made the time fly by. my legs were shaking by 30 minutes in, 5 minutes in my arms wanted to quit. Christie worked us out. and without hesitation I will say I will be sore tomorrow. I thought being a marathoner meant I was in pretty good shape - ugh not so much.

if you're in Atlanta and looking for a way to change up your normal work out routine try it out.  ...or just try it out if you're not looking to change up your routine. The 1st class is free and well worth it.  I keep debating back and forth if I want to make 2011 another year full of racing or if i want to focus more on quality over quantity and focus on speed and building stamina and strength. but i have decided that i want to make blast900 part of my work out routines. every runner needs interval and strength training right?! :o)

it is kinda pricey at $28.00 per class, but remember your 1st one is free so why not just try it out?! I figure I will do it again. Once I condition my unused muscles it won't hurt as much and something like this and the different transitions can only help my running right?!

Thursday, November 11, 2010

three things thursday.

hi there! sometimes when thursday morning hits i wonder where the week went... but then i remember tomorrow = friday so the weekend is around the corner and i rejoice in it being thursday. :o) 

in common tradition, here are my 3 things for thursday.

{one} last Thursday we learned about a little shake up on the loveliest of the plains (that is auburn university for you non-southerners) dealing with their golden child Cam Newton.  I will say that I hope he is not suspended or whatever because I would like for Alabama to beat Auburn fair and square and I really cannot handle hearing "you only won because our QB was out" for a whole year (sounds like Texas).  but I will say the auburn people are a little sensitive around this matter, but when bama was being investigated about the textbook scandal they were quick to make their witty comments. So when I said "can the NCAA investigate? Yes the CAM" ... it was made as a joke but man did I get attacked. But I am a firm believer that if Alabama came under the same scrutiny over how lets say Ingram or Julio were recruited they would be quick to make sassy comments too.  So basically, if you can't take the heat... stay out of the kitchen. Oh well. Football in the south is a heated matter. but anyway. at this point it is just a rumor. we do not know how much truth is behind the accusations. but really, can cam just go pro after this year? he is kinda good and auburn would be nothing without him.
{two} on the day that i got engaged my friend karly from back home in DC texted me and told me that our mutual friend Amanda (aka Brady) had died in a really bad boating accident on the Rappahannock River (story here). The timing of finding out was kinda unfortunate, but I immediately began thinking about her family, her fiance, and Karly. Brady was part of our REALLY close knit "Logan's Roadhouse Family" and we spent the summers on Karly's boat, going to concerts, working together, and we would always meet up in Knoxville for fun weekends.  Kyle and I didn't trek back up for the funeral but our Logan's co-workers that went said it was a packed church.  Brady passed 4 weeks before her wedding and her family had her buried in her wedding dress.  There is a really popular country song on the radio right now by The Band Perry called "If I Die Young" and they played it at her funeral... I cannot hear the song without crying or getting really sad... and by her facebook wall it appears that I am not the only one.  I feel like that song is now played every hour on the hour and I am kind of ready for the band to release a new single... granted the band and radio have no idea about the feelings around the song, but i feel like it's about time... isn't 5 months too long to have just 1 single out?!
{three} over a quick lunch and pizza i gained another bridesmaid yesterday. crazy Chrissy who will byot (bring your own tequila) is the 2nd bridesmaid of the beautiful group of gals i have selected to be in my bridal party. so the count is officially at: 1 maid of honor, 2 bridesmaids ... 3 more bridesmaids to ask and the bridal party is official.  with the addition of Chrissy it appears that my bridal party is pretty much out of control, crazy wild and intensely awesome. Chrissy could be one of my favorite people in the world and i feel like our actions and phone calls should be recorded and rated on a scale from 1-10 on absurdity. 

....it seems that i do EVERYTHING over food. I have grabbed 2 bridesmaids & a maid of honor over food and have exciting meetings over grub. man i guess it is good that i run because atlanta has some AWESOME places to eat. and with that. i am on to start my Thursday. Have a great day! =)

Monday, November 8, 2010

....for the fun of it.

i had my first run today since marine corps last sunday. 8 days of no running. and it felt so good to just get out and run and lose myself in my music, breathing, strides, etc... ...since deciding mid-marathon that i did not want to do anything disney (no full. no half) i have nothing on my calendar until Ragnar in June and I am thinking about keeping it that way. ...well i will do some local 5ks and 10ks... it just feels good to have no pressure. 2010 has been a crazy year of races.

...it feels good to just get out and run like a kid with no cares and no worries.  too bad the sun is setting early and i cannot out run the sun, so i had to settle for a short run. but it still feels great to get back out there and just run for the fun of it.

Saturday, November 6, 2010

MCM 2010 - official recap.

so. as you all know i ran the marine corps marathon. i have come back to this entry about 3 or 4 times. this race was really easy for me then it became work and then it turned into a challenge and a test of determination. i wish i could say this one was easier than disney but it was just as challenging {i guess that is why everyone doesn't do marathons right} and just as rewarding.

my morning started at 5:00 and i was at the metro by 6:00 and downtown pretty quickly. it was freezing outside so i hung out in the metro station for awhile, honestly probably too long. when my dad said it was a hike to the north lot from the metro he wasn't lying... it took about 15 or so minutes to walk over there. i then had to check my bag and hit the porta potty. it was 7:40 by the time i actually got a porta potty and i was freaking out that i would miss the start since i of course picked the slow line. needless to say, i was in my shoot in time to hear the cannons {or whatever they were} go off and 15 minutes later i was crossing the start.  it was super cool to talk with other runners and hear their excitement as we approached the start. and the cheering in the first tunnel only got you more excited.  the sights started early - we passed arlington cemetery pretty much at the start and were greeted by marines on horseback which was crazy cool.

pretty much everything from the start to the key bridge (about mile 5) was a blur. i was feeling really strong and really confident. i felt like i was keeping a great pace and my heart rate down. as soon as we hit the bridge and the water stop everything went chaotic. it was packed with the water and spectators and it was really just a cluster. i looked at my garmin to read 30 something in the pace area and thought goodness no, so i headed to one of the last water stops where it was clear and free. coming off the bridge we headed to Georgetown {which even growing up in the DC area i had never been to} and i liked it. we headed through some park and we could see runners passing us in the other direction which let me know (a) there is a turnaround somewhere and (b) once we get to said turnaround it's DOWNHILL! i ran by some auburn people and as a bama fan i so badly wanted to say "roll tide" but i didn't want to start a convo nor annoy people as they were trying to run a flipping marathon. =) after the turn around we headed downhill a bit, passed Georgetown (the school), and then headed down the main street in Georgetown.  Still feeling really strong at mile 9 I saw one of the girls on my Ragnar team, got really excited, and gave her a huge hug and then kept moving. Georgetown could have been my favorite spot in the race - the crowd support was rocking and it was so so so loud with cheers you just had to run.  We headed down some more and around some turns and some how (who knows how) looped back into familiar territory.  I looked up and thought oh that's watergate and that is the kennedy center and then i was back in running mode still feeling great.

i hit 13.1 at 2:38 (about a 12:03 pace) and that when I knew I was for sure going to get over that bridge. i was still feeling good. and i was given a great boost of confidence and i kept just trucking along. at that point i was really thinking hey this marathon thing is right. i think i will do disney again this year. ....we ran by some monuments... i know Lincoln was one of them but what the others were, I was not really paying attention.

i was feeling good till about mile 17. i wasn't feeling like death, but it was definitely becoming work. i was taking more and more walk breaks and having to tell myself "ok, just run to that traffic light" we were running by the national monument (or the pencil as i like to call it) and i had to tell myself "barbie, you ran this this summer, you can do this part" (granted this summer, it was mile 1 not mile 17).  as we rounded the road by the capital there were marathonfoto people EVERYWHERE and i made myself run because you can't walk for pictures {the posted pictures of me at this point in the race = death}. I passed them and starting walking again and that is when i saw my parents. DOH! I was walking a marathon when they saw me, but it perked me up a bit and i made myself run past them, wave, and run out of sight... but i actually ran for awhile because i knew the bridge was coming. we then ran past the holocaust museum and then i saw it.
 
i knew the bridge was there because of the crowds. and they were so excited for everyone.  when i got on the bridge it took everything in me not to cry since i was just so happy to be on it. at that point it became real that i would finish and that i would have my 2nd marathon under my belt.  that bridge was so long, it felt like it went on forever and i saw people just pulling to the side for breathers and to stretch. i told myself that i never wanted to run on 395 again.

around mile 20 or 21 is where the marathon really became a challenge for me. my legs hurt. my hips hurt. i was tired. this was the point where i could tell that i had not prepared enough. but i wanted to finish so all i could think was zone into the music, stop and stretch if you need to, and just go. i probably stopped to stretch once or twice every mile and i felt like crystal city would never end. I had a heads up that mile 23 was the turn around, but i felt as if that turn around would never come.  i had my slowest miles in that last 10k but looking back and thinking about it, i don't care. I could have quit, I could have cried, but I didn't.  Though I walked most of that last 10k and lost minutes by stretching, I still completed that last 10k.
 
what was truly inspiring was that i ran much of the course with a man in a wheelchair. i watched him push and get up some grueling hills (one of which was at the very end). it was amazing to me how many runners who were unrelated to him would run ahead and clear a path for him. those runners could have focused on their own race & keeping their own pace but they chose to help another runner.  I am just in awe of the wheelchair marathoners - that was a tough course with some crazy hills and to gut it out is so awesome. kudos to all of them.  

i would really prefer to not finish a race up a hill again, let alone a marathon. climbing that slow but long hill to the monument was both painful but joyous at the same time {wait is that possible?!} i knew the end was in sight and they were going to make me work for that shiny medal. i would lie if i said i ran up the whole hill because i gutted up it in front of all the marines {had to be tough} walked around the curve and then ran to the finish, slowly, but running. finishing time of 5:41 which is a 12 minute PR and my medal was given to me by a marine who said "congratulations ma'am".  i read somewhere that about 19,000 people did not finish so I am super happy I did and everyone else did as well.

looking back - it was not a great race but it was a great race. i did not finish as fast as i hoped to (but that could be in part with my lack of long runs) but i did finish and PRd.  Despite the pain and exhaustion I had a good time and loved the course & the sites that I did pay attention to. Nothing is cooler than running by The Capital.  Overall, I am happy with how I did and that I finished. Whether or not I will do another one is up in the air.... but I did realize that I want to volunteer at a race and be a spectator at a race.  Those 2 types of people are awesome & make the race more enjoyable. 

my splits:
5k: 34:49 (11:10 pace)
10k: 1:12:46 (11:44 pace)
15k: 1:50:30 (11:52 pace)
20k: 2:29:42 (12:04 pace)
Half: 2:38:53 (12:03 pace)
25k: 3:10:49 (12:18 pace)
30k: 3:53:39 (12:33 pace)
35k: 4:36:35 (12:41 pace)
40k: 5:22:54 (13:01 pace)
*you can definitely see how i slowed down near the end, but honestly now that i see the breakdown of each 5k split i am happy with my performance* looking back, i think my 5:10 goal was quite possibly a stretch for me - that would have had me doing 11:27 miles consistently... but all in all I am happy with my performance.
"In running, it doesn't matter whether you come in first, in the middle of the pack, or last. You can say, 'I have finished.' There is a lot of satisfaction in that." {Fred Lebow, New York City Marathon co-founder}

Thursday, November 4, 2010

three things thursday.

1. winter is coming in the south and i am unhappy about it. i am not a fan of cold weather. but it does mean that i get to pull out my scarves and my chunky sweaters and burberry earmuffs and boots. And i get to make lots of soups {clam chowder is on the menu tomorrow night}. but my dog is immune to the cold and still wants to go outside all the time.  thank goodness i love hooded sweatshirts and have about 10 of them so it makes it easy to go outside, but still.... Atlanta now only has two seasons: winter & summer. bummer.  i am making him wear the winter coat that he hates ....  i am a horrible mother.
2. i work in staffing. i am a recruiter. i find people jobs. it keeps me on my toes. i often wonder if i am on a hidden camera show. every day is different and i do really like it. but people never cease to amaze me. in the last 24 hrs i left a candidate 4 messages and emailed them 3 times in regards to setting up an interview with my client. when i FINALLY got him/her on the phone their answer was "oh sorry, i was at the unemployment office applying for jobs" ... hold on, back up, let me talk to your unemployment counselor and let them know that you've been DODGING MY PHONE CALLS and i am trying to get you gainfully employed.  I know there are plenty of unemployed people out there who are desperately trying to find a job, but I swear there are people out there that work harder to get unemployment than they do to find a job.
3. Over margaritas, cheese dip, guacamole, salsa, and tacos I gained a maid of honor last night.  I know her as Erin, you know her as From Fat 2 Fab.  Kyle still thinks she should be a "groomsman", but I told him that the early bird gets the worm and I snagged her first.  She is probably one of the realest people I have EVER met and she is a great friend to have.  I need to send a thank you note to the hamilton for introducing us at one of her infamous pool parties and then having us work together. thanks ham, thanks.

Monday, November 1, 2010

Marine Corps 2010 - real quick.

Everything you ever wanted to know about yourself you can learn in 26.2 miles


oh how true is that statement. marine corps. marine corps. marine corps. what a total experience. if you know anything about me you know that i was totally freaked out by the 14th street bridge, keeping my 14:00 pace to ensure that i would cross said bridge/getting there by 1:15 pm so I could get across it, and just the whole thing in general.  I think I looked at the marathon's webpage 54 million times to read about the bridge and what time it would be cut off. I even wrote the cut off time on my hand {and that i had to be at the bridge by 4:45}.  I knew I had to do at least 5 miles per hour.  When i signed up for marine corps I told myself that this was it. i was going to do this one right. i was going to train hard. put in the crazy miles and pretty much rock the race as best as i could. ...then life happened, my job got busy, and i found it almost impossible some days to even get in miles. at times during training i questioned if i should actually do it or if i could do it. i started tracking my runs against my garmin to see how many miles i was beating my mcm bridge competition by. ...i just wanted to give myself some confidence going in and by competing with my garmin i gave myself some much needed confidence...

i will say that when boarding the plane on Thursday i told myself that i just had to trust what training i had done and be confident that i would cross both the starting line, the bridge, get up the hills, and cross the finish line. there was no point in second guessing myself. i just had to enjoy the time with my family and then the time spent on my feet running around DC.

i am not ready to do the race recap yet. i am gonna do it. give me a few days. let me wrap my head around it. but i do want to say that i am a SECOND TIME MARATHONER and i PR'd by 12 minutes and through it all I had a pretty great time.
i had mentioned a few months back that i was once told to dedicate the last 6.2 miles to someone. and i so badly wanted to do that but the last 6.2 miles were so brutal and took everything in me to just keep going. {my slowest miles were in the last 10k} and i couldn't think of anything but one foot in front of the other, don't cry it will only get your heart rate up, there will be a turn around, just keep going.

after 26.44 miles {hi, mcm your course ran LONG} and being called ma'am about 5 million times and getting crazy sunburned i finished in 5:41 which is a 12 minute PR! and then trekked to find my bag and my parents.

I feel like the marathon is a test of patience, endurance, will to succeed, determination, and perseverance.  You have to be able to push the "can't do its" to the side and tell yourself "i can i can". It is telling yourself that yes this hurts but it is a good kind of hurt. A marathon takes a strong, determined, focused, person.  I am so so proud of every person that stood at the starting line and everyone who crossed the finish line.