has it already been 2.5 weeks since the marathon? my goodness. that silly thing called life has kept me busier than i expected so i apologize for the late post. i'm sure somewhere deep down, subconsciously i have been dragging my feet to post this too. how do i put this experience into words? i'm at a loss. the best i've got right now is a quick race recap.
here's the outfit (i'm sensing a theme here, no?):
-started on the steps of the capitol...overlooking gorgeous downtown austin.
-miles 1-15 were easy breezy. hills but nothing i hadn't run before. ran through downtown and Christina & Matt's neighborhood which was cool b/c our cheerleaders could sit outside the condo and wait for us.
feelin' groovy:
-mile 9 was the "yellow mile" sponsored by team livestrong so everyone along that mile was decked out in yellow, cheering us on, high-fiving, etc. they had chalked the road w/ inspirational messages and it was just so good to feel the amazing support. loved it.
-miles 15-23 started to feel crappy (as to be expected). there were less hills on this stretch but it got HOT. and it got hot FAST. wow. at mile 15 my (new) ipod decided to stop out of nowhere leaving me with nothing to listen to except my (increasingly ragged)breath. my feet hurt. every joint hurt. it wasn't pretty...hit the proverbial wall, felt sorry for myself, remembered why i was running, then brushed myself off and pushed through.
-miles 23-26 made up for it all. as usual, these last few miles were amazing. i had passed the wall and knew it wouldn't be long before we were crossing that finish line. i loved and cherished every footfall during these miles because i knew this was it - this journey would be over soon. these miles also took us through the streets of my old college campus which created a wonderful "home stretch". we finished strong and i will never forget the "holy crap, we just did that" look on christina's face right before we crossed the finish line. what a special, special day.
God bless you, liveSTRONG. it has been a blessing and an honor to run for such a wonderful foundation that truly changes lives on a daily basis.
so what now? i'm not sure to be perfectly honest. all i know is that i got a big ol' soft spot in this heart of mine for anything related to the work that liveSTRONG does. at the end of the month, the movie My Run will be showing in theaters across the nation. check it out. a portion of the proceeds will be donated to liveSTRONG.
thank you guys SO MUCH for your encouragement and support along the way. i am grateful for and humbled by you.
Live Strong,
Kerith
