Last Sunday, I ran the Philly Marathon. 26.2 miles, 13 months after surgery.

And it was awesome. For 100 hundred reasons, it was awesome. But mostly, because of you.

Because Katrina, having just run her first-ever race, painfully limped to cheer me on. Because Cathy, knowing that I would need support, ran the whole second half with me, shielding me from the 25 mph winds and giving me fuel. Because my teammates donated to my art fundraiser, and met me at the corrals. Because my Mom flew in, and my in-laws hosted everyone. Because my husband put his goals on hold to support mine. Because my Dad tracked me on every GPS app available. Because I got so many encouraging texts from family and friends that my phone died.

In short, because of you. Thanks for making this race, this year, so special.

And because you know me so well, you know my race reports are ahem always super scientific and in no way emotional ahem. So let's get to it, shall we?

Race Recap

As I may have mentioned a billion times, I have the greatest friends. I was lucky enough to find a couple of them before the start. We hunted down a hidden porta potty, and lined up. The fun conversation eased my jitters, allowing me to start slow, relaxed, and cheery.

Shortly after, I decided to make a go of it. I was unsure if I would make it to the end, so I wanted to get as far as I could. As we wound our way around Philly, my thoughts kept circling back to how lucky I was to be here, running this. I loved seeing my family and teammates cheering. Mysteriously, I never felt my injuries.

Sure, there was a random difficult hill section, and the crazy high winds almost knocked me off my feet more than once. But I was too busy enjoying the moment to give it too much thought.

At mile 14, Cathy joined me, and my legs started to slow. Turns out, I forgot to eat regularly. That's ok, I'll still finish, I said. Yes you will, she said. (Did I mention I have the greatest friends?)

When running against the wind became too much, I drafted off of Cathy while she coached my intervals. We cheered our friends on the out-and-back, and thanked volunteers. Or rather, Cathy thanked volunteers, since I was basically drooling at that stage.

And just like that, it was over. We didn't see the last mile marker, and thought the finish line was further away. From inside the crowd, I heard my family cheering, and knew we had made it.

And I felt all the feels. Lucky, loved, gushy, grateful.

It was really was that awesome. Not because I got a great time (far from it) or because conditions were perfect. But, once again, because of you guys.

You, my community of friends, family, teammates, and readers, are simply the best.

Feeling the love: Running the Philly Marathon

Race Recap