Twin Cities Marathon Recap!

Saying I adore the Twin Cities Marathon is an understatement. There is something about the setting, runners, and crowd that make it an experience like no other.

Leading up to this marathon, during the past week, I have been a wreck. Absolute wreck. I kept doubting myself, my training, my abilities. It was awful. I was emailing my dear friend Kaci on Thursday, telling her "I'm never going to make it! I am a failure!" Kaci, like the awesome friend she is, responded in just the way I needed to hear it, "Shut it, Sara. You are going to rock."

By Friday, at packet pick up, I was sick to my stomach. (Fine, not to sick to shop around.) Saturday? Same deal. I'm not sure why I felt this way, or why it was worse than other races, but hey, that's me!

My goal going into the race was to try and stay under a 10 minute mile. My last marathon, I was at a 10:01 pace, and I wanted to break it. Unfortunately, I got into the corral a bit late, so I couldn't make it up to the race pace group I wanted, and was back in the 5:30 group.

Here we are at the start...I'm, um, well probably not in this picture.

Or this one, as we round the corner, headed through downtown Minneapolis. The first few miles were a bit chilly, but I had on a long sleeve top and gloves, so it wasn't too bad. I threw them off by mile 3, and felt comfortable the rest of the way. It was unbelievably perfect weather- clear sky, slight breeze, low 50's- amazing!

One thing about the Twin Cities Marathon is that it flies by. It seems like the miles tick away at an unreal pace. I was back with the 5:00ish hour crowd for the first few miles. I wanted to get up somewhere between the 4:30 and 4:15 crowd, but didn't want to push it too hard at the start.

Finally, at mile 7, I saw a pacer's balloons. I was *hoping* I'd caught the 4:30 group, so I could get a bit past them. As I got closer, I saw it was actually the 4:15 group! I don't even remember passing the 4:30 pacer. I stuck with them for a bit, and moved past them around mile 10. I figured with 16 miles to go, what could go wrong!?

Ahem.

However? Nothing did! I felt great, and the miles kept ticking by. I spent time watching the crowd, watching runners and just enjoying the run. (Shout out to RunMommyRun for the great cheering!) My longest miles (you know, where the evil race directors say the mile markers are a mile apart, but they are more like 12), were 21-23. I concentrated on the crowd/runners, looking for the couple wearing lego heads, the dude in way short shorts, and the really cute boots some spectators were wearing. (Who says you can't multitask- shop and run- at the same time?)

Here I am at mile 25.5

The view coming into the final stretch:

The last .2 mile
Finished!

Final Tally:

4 gels

- 2 chocolate outrage

- 1 jet blackberry

- 1 orange

4 Tootsie Rolls (yum)

2 Jolly Ranchers

2 banana sections

1 slightly sick stomach during mile 24 &25

and the chaffing? Owwwwwwwwwwwwww.....

Final Time? 4:09:07, a 9:31 pace! Whoo hoo!

(If you are keeping track, all, um, none of you that was my 4th marathon, and all under 17 months! I am officially a marathon junkie.)