I Did It!

What an incredible race! I'm still soaring high above cloud nine. If someone told me how amazing my body would feel after this race I would have called them crazy. Last year I started feeling soreness in my body at the 15 mile mark and by 20 I wanted to curl up in a ball. I finished last year but am pretty sure I was crying from mile 25 til the end because I was in so much pain. I called my parents as soon as I crossed the finish line and told then I couldn't walk another step never mind stand up straight. The image of me trying to put on my sweat pants after I received my bags is forever seared into my memory. But that was last year.

Fast forward to this past Sunday and I again called my parents the moment I crossed the finish line. I hadn't even taken my finisher picture and I was already telling my mom I could jog to meet them and that they shouldn't wait for me on the corner as planned but instead find a nearby sports bar to watch the Patriots game and I'd meet them there. I was feeling amazing and wanted to celebrate! Sitting at the bar, while enjoying nachos and a beer, I kept thinking that as soon as we got up to leave the stiffness would set in. That tomorrow would morning I'd struggle to straighten my legs and that walking would be tough. Here I am three days later and I never had even an ounce of tenderness.

The entrance to the Marathon Monday Store at Tavern on the Green.

Monday morning we walked the 20 blocks to Tavern on the Green to get my medal engraved and took some pictures at the finish line. We had breakfast at Alice's Tea Cup which has an amazing omelet with a side of baked pears, fabulous. After that my parents packed up and started their drive back to Maine.

I was cleaned up around the apartment but by 11am I was regretting taking the day off from work as I was already bored and didn't need the rest day.

I ended up heading to Central Park for a quick jog to pass the time.  After the first half mile I sent this text to my brother: Holy Jesus, my legs weigh a million pounds! To which he replied: You think! You ran a marathon yesterday. Are you suppose to be running?


After the first mile my legs loosened up and by the end on my second mile I was running a 9:20 pace which is fast for me.

My body has felt invincible all week but unfortunately my eating has been out of control. I wasn't hungry after the race on Sunday so I just picked at the nachos at the bar. Monday I ate everything in sight and I haven't stopped since! I was so careful about my pre-race nutrition but I just can't seem to find that motivation/self control. Tomorrow is 11/11/11 so let's use it as a start over. I had a week to relax and now its time to get back on track. Maybe I'll register for another race to keep me on target.