One down

It took me a while to figure out what I was going to post for my race report. Two weeks out from the race, and I am ready.
The day started out great. I woke up in time, had my bags packed and walked to the bus that was to take me to the starting line. Everyone on the bus was excited and nervous and talking about their experiences with marathons. This being my first one, I had very little to contribute, but I was a good listener! We got off the bus and it was FREEZING. I am from Hawaii people!! 40 degrees is C-O-L-D! Anyway, I met two of my friends who came in from Houston and were running the race. We sat huddled up until it was time to get into the corral. I started to tear up and get really excited and then we were off!
Miles 1-2
I crossed the starting line and ran up the bridge. I felt great, like better than great. The sun was up, the weather was perfect and I was loving every minute of this. I was running a little too fast, but I always start out fast until I get my nerves in check.
Miles 2-13 - Brooklyn. I LOVE BROOKLYN! I have watched this race many times from Manhattan and the crowds were amazing, but nothing compared to what I experienced in Brooklyn. Everyone was out high 5ing, handing out food and drinks, cheering and making this whole event exciting. I was having a blast. I was still just under my pace, but I was feeling great and was almost halfway there, so I thought maybe I can keep this up.
Mile 13 - Bridge to Queens. Uh-oh, something really bad was happening. My hip and knee hurt so bad I can barely stand it. I ran/walked a mile to see if I could go on. When I got into Queens I stopped at a med tent. I got checked on and apparently my IT band was tight. What??? I have been running for ages and have never had this dreaded piece of tissue ever bother me. I guess it is now my time.
Mile 14-15 - I was in PAIN, i was doing the walk/jog thing and hating it. But I knew my family and friends were at mile 18, so I had to keep going. To make matters worse, we were inside the Queensboro bridge with no crowds and nothing to keep you going but your own thoughts.
Mile 16 - coming out of the bridge into Manhattan was amazing. There were tons of people there and the transition from the silence in the bridge to the noise on the streets just gave me a huge pump of adrenaline. This is where I usually watch the race and it is such a great feeling as a runner to see all these people cheering you on.
Mile 18 - I saw the family. I was hurting, but their cheers kept me going. I was still running a little bit and walking more than a little bit and visiting every other med tent. At mile 19 they asked me if I wanted to stop. Um, I am at mile 19 of the New York marathon, and I traveled thousands of miles to get here, and my family is waiting for me at the finish. NO I AM NOT STOPPING! This med stop was my last because I thought if they asked me to quit again I wouldnt be as strong.
Mile 20-23 - The Bronx and Harlem - I was told this part would be the hardest as there were fewer crowds and it was towards the end, but I thought it was the easiest. I knew that I could finish and I knew that if I ever thought about pulling out I was still going to have to walk back to Central Park, so I might as well run it and finish. I was in pain, but the crowd really kept me going.
Mile 24-26.2 - Central Park. I dont remember a lot of this. I was hungry and in pain. I realized about this time that I had not eaten anything other than water - BIG MISTAKE (I fainted about 10 minutes after crossing the finish line and ended up in a med tent for an hour). But I knew I could finish. I saw my family and stopped to talk to them. By this time my finish time didnt matter, all I cared about was finishing. I savored the crowds and the fact that I was completing my first marathon. I was still walking a lot and in a ton of pain, but I couldnt have been happier. Crossing that finish line I forgot about all of my fears and pain and just enjoyed the moment. I didnt finish near the time I was hoping, but I finished and with the amounts of time I wanted to pull out and have an DNF because of an injury just finishing is a huge accomplishment. And I cant wait to go back and do this marathon next year the way I know I can!

I learned a lot during this first marathon - I have to take in calories, I cant start out too fast, etc, but most importantly I learned that I can do anything when I set my mind to it. I have always heard that you sometimes learn more from races you dont do well in vs races you excel in and after this painful marathon, I am starting to believe that.

After two weeks recuperating, I am back at the training for round 2 in Honolulu with the boyfriend. But before that we have some turkey trotting to do in Houston!