Im a Marathoner!!!

Well its official, I am now a Marathoner.

After 4 months of tough training and a sprained foot along the way I finally made it!

The day started off at 4:15 am yup super early! I had everything laid out the night before even my oatmeal and chia seeds in a bowl ready for hot water. I got ready ate my oatmeal, foam rolled a bit. Heather and her husband picked me up at 5 am and we headed for New Glasgow, about a hour and a 1/2 drive away. I was excited but stressing a bit in the car, my stomach had serious knots in it. I think I said "omg" 100 times. It was pouring rain our whole way there and I was praying it would stop.

We got to New Glasgow just before 7 am to pick up our race kits. Got out kits did a quick bathroom stop and sat in the car out of the rain until we were ready to head to the start line for a 8 am start.

Got our Swings on and we are ready to go!

 

Standing at the start line I was shaking and started to feel very emotional. I knew the next time I come back across this mat I was coming back a different person. A Marathoner & a bad ass strong women.

 

Off I go! I had pre planned to run the first 1/2 a bit slower and to pace myself, everyone I had asked said that they went out to fast their first time. So I planned to hit 21k at 2:00 hr.
I hit 21k at 2:06. Ten minutes slower then I ran the Bluenose 1/2 Marathon in May.
The full started out at 8 am with the 5k 10k and half marathon with a 9 am start. The course was 4 laps so the first 10k was just the full. The 2nd lap around a ton of people came out of no where and were running the opposite direction from us. They did not share the road very well Grr... I was still feeling strong but felt blisters forming.
3rd lap I was hitting all my long training run times. At 31km I spotted my Mom and Dad. I waved and yelled to them that I was at 31km and starting to "feel it" haha my mom yelled " Oh, Sam be safe, how's your hip/bum?" haha  I laughed and kept pushing through. My blisters felt like they were getting bad and at 33km I felt a pop and gush between my big toe and 2nd toe. I worried I possibly had a blood blister but I told myself to stop thinking of your feet and think about the finish line, the more u think about them the more they will hurt. As I was running up a hill for the 3rd time a older man with a long white bread came up behind me and said " don't let grandpa pass you up the hill" haha gave me a giggle.. he didn't pass me ;)
The last lap was a bit lonely  the 5k, 10k and most of the 1/2 marathoners were finished and I was pretty much alone. I still felt good cardio wise my legs were starting to get tired but I was so close. I saw the turn around point and the 40km marker. I started to pick up the pace I was so close I could taste it. I played with my iPod button a bit and skipped through to a good song to cross the finish line to haha I cant even remember now what song it was.
I crossed with my arms waving in the air at 4hr 20min.
My mom, dad, mother and father in law, Heather and Steve (who also ran his first full marathon in a amazing time) were all there at the finish cheering me in. I felt like I was on top of the world.

Here I come :)

 

My mom and Dad

In- Laws

 

Heather and I

Steve, Heather and Myself

 

My first thoughts were I cant wait to start training and do it again :)

 

Oh and incase you were wondering about me feet

ah yeah so that's what happens when u run 42.2km in the rain

 

 

Some shots that Heathers friend had taken of me during the run

 

I plan on taking the week off to recover. I can hardly walk down the stairs and it hurts to sit to pee. I'm going to run short 5-10k run for the next month and then start training for a fall marathon :)

 

Katie came over later on in the evening for a tea and to hear all about how it went. she brought me the sweetest card and look at my new Erica Sara designs charm eekk even has the date on the back!

 

Thanks for stopping by and reading about my first of many marathons ;)