The Finish

My right leg is not so sure it wants to play the game any more. My quad is doing this funny thing, where I step on my right foot and the quad holds for a second and then gives way. I catch it before totally collapsing, so it looks pretty funny.

First thing after crossing the finish line:

MY MEDAL

There are numerous volunteers standing in the pathway that we get funneled to. I am just trying to stay upright and look like I am not going to collapse. I get to the volunteer and she attempts to hand me my medal. My little voice says to me "No freakin' way after running this am I gonna put my own medal around my own neck. NO FREAKIN" WAY." I also really appreciate volunteers, so I know they have probably been standing there for hours, dealing with runners who are in various moods. So, I look my volunteer in the eyes as she is holding my medal out and I just slightly bend at the waist and offer her my head.

God Bless this woman - SHE GOT IT!

The medal got placed around my neck and I heard congratulations from all of the medal distributing volunteers around. I was so proud of me. I didn't know my time for sure and I did know I finished in under 5 hours. Did you hear that? I finished in under 5 hours.

Let's be clear - I was going to be proud that I finished. My starting and finishing was not an "of course", given what my body went through. I was going to brag and be puffed up that I finished. That I finished in under 5 hours was "sky writing worthy" as far as I was concerned.

There was a smile on my face that would not stop.

Next stop, the post finish photo:



I Did It!

Then the mylar blanket thingie got put on me and then someone taped it on so I didn't have to hold it on. I was starting to get the shakes from being so sweaty and starting to get cold.

From there we inched, and I mean inched, our way to the UPS trucks. On the way, we got our post finish fuel and fluid bag. I drank the entire bottle of water and started on the pretzels. They stayed down very nicely.

I spoke with a woman from Finland. She came to NYC just for the marathon. Seems that is another way one can get a bib. She was so happy. She actually had fun....... tried to wrap my brain around having fun running the marathon, couldn't do it, but I got that she really had fun. She couldn't wrap her brain around that it was not fun for me. I loved doing it. I loved that parts that entertained me, I loved the parts I hated. I loved it all and, let me tell you, it was not fun.

Finally got my UPS bag and inched closer and closer to getting out of the park.

Steve called to find out where I was and where I would be exiting. I was still a bit 'out of it' and told him the signs I saw.