And so I finished it! The most amazing experience. I completed the Rock and Roll Country Music Marathon in Nashville Tennessee on April 25th 2009. The entire ride home, and let me tell you it was a lonnng ass ride, I relived the experience in my life and if there’s any chance that I’ll be around next year I’m going back and running the half.

On race day we were awake at 4:45 am and we were flocking in with all of the 31,ooo other racers by 5:45am as we headed to the start. There were people everywhere it was so big. The excitement rang in the air as racers stretched and prepared for the race. I was so nervous I thought I was going to vomit and I had butterflies in my stomach three miles after the start.

When the race did start we were so far back that it took forty five minutes for us to cross the start because it was insanely packed and they only were letting a few thousand go at a time.

After the start of the race I was loving it. The spectator’s were awesome. The bands were okay and I was loving the entire vibe of the whole thing. When we ran over bridges that lead to the highway all of the cars below were honking at us and I was loving it.

At mile 14 though there were some difficulties and I started freaking out. At the split almost everyone went on the 1/2 marathon route and well that was kind of sad. I didn’t want everyone to leave and I didn’t want to take that route with only two other people at the time. So, I took the split and said a silent goodbye to everyone else as I continued on the journey,

As I said before mile 14 wasn’t a good one and this is what happened. As I was going down the hill right after the split, both of my legs completely cramped up and it was so bad I fell and was flopping around like a fish out of water. It was slightly embarassing but my thoughts only were I have to continue I can’t stop.

I would like to also note the fact that the weather was a high of 87 degrees and the entire race felt like 97 degrees.

So as it turns out when I went down it was very first to a first aid tent. I hobbled on over to them and they tried to fix me up. In my upsetness I freaked out and had an anxiety attack because there was no way I came all this way to not finish this race. I sucked it up, calmed down, wiped the tears away, felt better, and got on a way.

I was going to walk my way to that finish and I was determined to do it in under 7 hours. (the marathon time limit).

Never would I have believed you could walk a mile in less than fifteen minutes, but I surprised myself and I walked my way through the next 11 miles. The cramps were always there but I kept them at bay. I also made a whole butt load of friends because at this point it got kind of boring and i had a race to finish, i might as well entertain myself.

At mile 18 I ran into my cousin B which waas very surprising because I almost power walked right past him because he was stooped over and I didn’t see that it was him till he said my name. He didn’t look to good so I persuaded him to keep up with me and I made him walk fast!

We took off and I took ahold of the situation. I made him keep and told them that if we stopped in any way we were not going to make it and I think he started believing it because he definitely kept up. The last few miles were the worst. It was a stupid loop around a lake that took forever and was unbearable. When we reached mile twenty-five I felt worse and worse and I really was thinking o my gosh, all many more feet is it to the finish?!?

As we turned the last bend to the finish, my sister who had been waiting for us for some time came running up and she started screaming to run run run! At this point I couldn’t stop smiling and there were tears I won’t lie as I went the last few hundred feet to the finish. One of the best times of my life. I’ve got to do it later.

And there I am with my cousin B, as my sister cheers us to victory. We might have come in over 6 hours for the finish but for me I feel sooo dang good. I’ve accomplished something only 1% of the population as the guts to do. And I did it with cramping legs and 87 degree weather.

I can’t stop reliving this day in my head as I’m back at school going through my last week of classes. Because I had such a great time, I’ll be participating in more races in the future. I’m loving the marathon!

Confessions of a Writer<3