Alex and I crossed the finish line yesterday - something I never dreamed I could do. It was an experience of a lifetime! The crowds were supportive; always cheering and giving us the extra push. Running with 27,000 other runners is an experience in and of itself. I can't stress how big of a role adrenaline plays when you are running with thousands and thousands of people. When we neared the finish line, the fans read our names off of our bibs and cheered us on individually.
I was fortunate to have my good friend Byron at the start line with me. Considering it took 28 minutes to reach the start, it was significant support. I guess that is what we get when we sign up to start in the last corral. Alex started significantly ahead of us so I never saw him until he finished.
The only down side to the run is that my knees gave out and were screaming in pain
by mile nine. I was very frustrated and disappointed because I didn't get the run the race I could. My finish time was 2:37 which is much slower than it could have been because I had to speed walk A LOT between miles 10 and 13.
After finishing, I had a medal placed around my neck. It was pretty neat. Byron was waiting for me at the finish line which was so sweet. We fueled ourselves with all of the food and drinks that were being handed out and then positioned ourselves to watch for Alex to cross the finish line. After a 30 minute wait, we saw him. I was so worried about his knee because of what I experienced. He did it!!! 26.2 miles in 4:02. Pretty impressive for an old man - 40 years old in just a few days.
Double click on the picture below and look for the guy in the white shirt and white glasses. That's my husband crossing the line.
DC here come!! March 26 is our next race. I can't wait to run MY race. Let's hope I can get my knee issue fixed before then.
Congratulations to both of you! Hope your knee is feeling better soon. Love the pics with the Philly skyline.
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