Not dead!

Well, I kept intending to write a really good race report on the marathon. You know how that goes... So here we are, over a month later and I still haven't posted one. Things got a little crazy after the race, including a move overseas for work.

In a nutshell, the race went well. The weather was better than last year, giving more overcast skies to shield us from the sun. It was misting at the start, but we didn't have any other rain during the time I was on the course. It started pouring rain soon after I got back to the hotel from the finish area.

My knee didn't bother me too much during the race. I did have problems with blisters on the inside edge of my big toes. One of them ripped while I was running at about Mile 16. That was painful, but I kept going and the pain subsided. I was doing pretty well until the dreaded Mile 19 stretch with the few hills on the course. My quads were really starting to bug me by the time I passed the Upstate NY Team in Training support crew at Mile 22. I was about ready to break down in tears. Looking at the Nike+ record, this was the low point in my pace. However, after making it through Disney Studios and seeing my mom and another friend at the exit I resolved to pick up the pace a bit. I had pretty much negative splits from the Mile 22 to the finish. Just as I was making my way around the World Showcase at Epcot, I got a calf cramp! I kept going though and it subsided. There was no way I was stopping at that point. My final chip time was just over 5:34, nearly 30 minutes off my time from last year. I was pretty happy with that.

Here's a photo of me and my mom at the TNT victory party. I'll upload some race pictures soon (hopefully!).

Mickeyminniemeandmom