What I Will Remember...

Then where does the power come from, to see the race to its end? From within.- Eric Liddle


Numb toes and chattering lips in the 9 minute coral area with John. One hour of nervous laughs.

My confidence in the whole thing, as a first timer. I believe it was due simply to the hours I had put into training and trusting the process.

How the first mile was the fastest mile of my life.

How it didn't seem that crowded for some reason.

How much I loved running past Pasta Bowl, Lincoln Park Zoo, BoysTown, Wrigleyville, Miranda's old apartment, Harry Carey's, Armitage, and all the old places I had spent time in 1998.

That it was pretty quiet and smelled like Starbucks a lot of the time.

Singing Elvis, singing drag queens and dancing men with wooden guns and tight shorts.

Getting unusually sore legs at mile 12 and getting a little worried.

Getting really sore legs at mile 18 and trying to ignore it.

Seeing the Mile 20 sign and realizing, this is no joke. Here we go.

Separating from John at Mile 22 and feeling really alone but then realizing, this is how it should be. Perhaps all along, I was preparing to do this last stretch by myself.

Eminem, Coldplay and Black Eyed Peas, I could NOT have done it without you.

Seeing the Finish Line and feeling like I could barely move my body forward.

Feeling more stunned and shocked when it was over. The happy and accomplished feeling came the next day, for some reason.

Loving every painful minute of the whole thing...