26.2

 On Saturday we did a hard thing.  A really hard thing.  On Saturday we ran a marathon.  A marathon!

A 'before' picture.  A 6am start time.  Light sources required.  Start line and finish line at a baseball field.  A great course!

The Swamp Rabbit Marathon on the Swamp Rabbit Trail.  I didn't even try to pose with my head perfectly positioned for rabbit ears but what a happy accident!! 

 

As per usual I loved the training - 4 months of training.  I loved it.  The discipline, the commitment, the repetition - that is where I find the most joy.  Race Day...eh.  I could give or take it, but having the end product of a race on the calendar is how I get the training done. Race day did not go like training.  It did not go as planned. But I am really proud of all the effort and hard work I put in. 

 

This is what training for a fall marathon looks like when you live in the south!  Ha!!  My early morning runs served two purposes...One - I was home before the temperatures rose and Two - with the exception of maybe 2 long runs I was home before Luke woke up and I was not taking away from anyone else's time.  And yes, I also went to bed many nights before 9pm. 

 

We did it! 

So thankful for L and his encouragement for the last 4 months!  He joined me on the longest training runs and I so loved our time together before the rest of the world woke up.  A shared goal is one of the greatest things.  We have always and will always make a great team!! 
 

This accomplishment means a lot to me. An understatement.  For the past couple of years I have had a lot of problems with my legs and feet.  I often say that they now feel like they belong more to the disease than they do to me.  But on Saturday...for 26.2 miles...I felt like they belonged to me again and I am SO grateful.  So very very grateful.   

We can do hard things.