Marathon #2 Complete!

A week has passed since I completed the marathon and the soreness has finally gone away. I did not make the time I wanted of 3hrs and 40min, but I did finish in 3hrs and 49mins, setting a new PR. The day was cool and rainy, but about 18 thousand people still hit the pavement running the Marathon, Half Marathon, and 10K. One thing I will say about running races is that people are incredibly inspiring. From the man who was pushing his friend in a wheel chair (and still beat us), to all of those who have overcome some sort of obstacle, we are one on the road, running for the same and very different reasons. I am thankful every day that I have the ability to run, not only for my health, but also for the enjoyment and freedom it allows. As I crossed the finish line hand in hand with my husband and had a chance to reflect on the enormity of what we had accomplished, I could not help but smile through the pain and bask in the glory of being a part of a group of people, a bit crazy I may add, who can say they have accomplished such a fete.
After a nice hot shower, we celebrated with ice cold beers and massive grilled cheese sandwiches, along with a lot of laughter with family and good friends. It was then that I decided that the hours of training and pain were well worth such an accomplishment. I will do it again, but for the time being, I plan on running for fun, and cooking as much as possible!