Marathon Day

My blog has been silent this last week and I'm sorry about that, but really, truly, I'm a zillion % positive you didn't want to read the stress induced self absorbed palather I would have written about.

It was marathon week, and frankly, I wasn't pleasant to be around much.  A little too self absorbed - "did you leave that hand weight there on purpose for me to walk into - I could have broken a toe", a little too ranty (Husband to me) "why don't you go for a nice drive to give us a break have some time on your own" and a whole lot of stressed.  It was my first road marathon, and when you tell the world, well the world wants to know if you actually made it over the finish line.

But I won't bore you with the details, because there is only a limited number of 42kms that a person is interested in hearing about.
But I will tell you some highlights, because there were many...

• Marathon Expo day - with my two marathon buddies Kayte and Jenny - a happy bonding time over expo shopping, nerves and a carb rich lunch
• My fellas writing there names on my arm the night before the race.
• My husband getting up with me at 5am on Race Day and watching The Hills with me as I forced down breakfast and put my blister plasters on
• The start line, waiting with the girls, and loving the atmosphere (and there even was loo paper in the portaloos)
• Running over the bridge and feeling the excitement as I start to realise I'm actually doing this.
• Being focused and staying focused, even through the long boring bits
• Staying happy inside me, not stressing and batting away any negative thoughts with my mental flyswat, even when the 4.30 "Bus" swept passed me and I knew that pipe dream was over.
• Passing walking runners, and feeling strong.
• The lead wheelchair guy, Kurt Fearnley cheering us on as we cheered him on
• Heading back into the city knowing I was on my last 12kms
• Seeing my boys and my friends and stopping to hug them with with 8kms to go.
• Having only light moments, not dark ones.
• Calling out to the crowd at 41km "I can run 1km right?" and having them all cheer back at me.
• High fiving my family and friends on the last 400m.
• Seeing I was coming in a respectable time for me 4.46 on the race clock and feeling ok about it
• Flinging my arms in the air for the last 50 m as the loud speaker guy called out my name.
• Crossing the line and completing my first marathon

..and then meeting my friends and hearing their amazing times, and be surrounded by everyone as we enjoyed the moment.

I couldn't have done this without my lovely and brilliant coach/friend Andy, nor without the support of my friends, my family, my physio, and my online buddies who have supported and encouraged me through this long journey.

My goal for doing the marathon was for my little guys to see their mum cross the finish line and hopefully remember this is in years to come as they take on their own challenges.  Goal achieved.

Find a thing and do it folks, it feels bloody brilliant when you do.

Righto, time for me to get back to the real world.....

I know all my Facebook friends have seen this, but it's a doozy.  That's one of my besties to the left and my eldest boy in the blue tshirt chasing me up the side. Happy?  Me???