Never in my life have I experienced such a wide range of emotions in such a short period of time. From pain and emotional despair, to elation and an overwhelming sense of achievement, all within a few minutes of each other. This is how I would describe the last few miles of my very first marathon.
I set two alarm clocks for 4am, but neither were needed, as I awoke at 3:30 ready to get started. I walked out on the balcony of the hotel, to check out the weather. As expected it was perfect. Except for a little wind, that would be a huge factor during the race. I then prepared a bowl of instant oatmeal and drank a sport drink. I had everything laid out from the night before. I covered myself with bodyglide, taped my left foot and I was ready to go.
I made my way to the front of the hotel to catch the shuttle for the one mile ride to the starting line. To my amazement there were runners everywhere. I was really getting excited. The wait for the shuttle and the ride, took a lot longer than I expected. Therefore I arrived a little later than I expected. I was in line at the portajohns as the "National Anthem" was played. I then rushed to the starting line, found a starting spot around the 4:30 pace. In hindsight, I wished I had moved a little closer to the front.
I will break down the actual race into sections in post to follow.
