Obviously with all I had going on last week I didn’t have a ton of time for prepping blog posts. Good thing I have wonderful blog friends ready to share their inspirational selves with you all. I have a super inspiring guest post from my blog pal, Megan, this morning. She just ran her FIRST marathon. Reading through her thoughts and emotions reminded me of my first and gave me a good chuckle because I know I would have been thinking so many of the same things. Such a whirlwind of emotions and thoughts. I’m sure they will captivate you as well. Have a great day and happy reading!
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Mile 1 – My legs are ready. Let’s do this thing!
Mile 2 – I kind of like running in the dark. Ahh – look out for the bumps in the road!
Mile 3 – I may have drank too much water earlier. Hold it until we get to the real bathrooms!
Mile 4 – Just got a text from my husband that they are waiting for us around mile 6. I hope he figured out the settings for photos in the dark.
Mile 5 – Okay, it’s humid. What are the odds it will get cooler as the morning goes on?
Mile 6 – Probably should start fueling with my sports beans. Good news – they will not be frozen like they were during training!
Mile 7 – Would people think I was weird if I started singing along to the song I’m listening to? It would be fun to break out into a running flash mob!
Mile 8 – Disney races are so fun. Look at all the characters on the course! And the costumes – people are so creative.
Mile 9 – Okay, melted sport beans are just as difficult to chew as frozen ones. Good to know.
Mile 10 – Oh the sun is bright. Good thing I have my sunglasses and my visor. Perhaps I should have brought extra sunscreen too. I will have some awesome tan lines.
Mile 11 – Whose idea was it to have us run by a sewage treatment plant? I guess it makes us pick up the pace a bit!
Mile 12 – Is that a banana? Yes, that is what my stomach needs!
Mile 13 – Halfway there!!!
Mile 14 – You trained for this. You are physically and mentally ready for the challenge. Race and run smart, just like Bart Yasso told you to.
Mile 15 – Okay, it is just plain hot. Not ideal for the girl who trained in 30* weather. But in other news, my legs feel good!
Mile 16 – Another runner just gave me some of her sea salt! Thank you – it was just what I needed! I love the running community.
Mile 17 – Sponges soaked in water? BEST IDEA EVER!
Mile 18 – Okay, time goal is out the window, but that is okay. Focus on finishing in one piece and not suffer heat exhaustion.
Mile 19 – Smile for the camera!
Mile 20 – Only a 10K left! You aren’t going to hit a wall – you are going to bust right through it!
Mile 21 – My legs feel surprisingly strong! You actually paced yourself well in this race!
Mile 22 – Remember why you are doing this. Remember why you are doing this. Chocolate? How did they know I needed a sugar rush?!
Mile 23 – The 2:30 AM wake up call is definitely starting to make its presence known. Push through it, push through it.
Mile 24 – I seriously have 2 miles left? Can someone please run beside me with an umbrella to shade me from the heat?
Mile 25 – What should my next marathon be? Did my husband remember to get me something salty to eat when I’m done? Why are all the photographers at the end of the race when we look awful? Did my brother seriously just text me that if I die he wants my car? I hope these aren’t hallucinations.
Mile 26 – The finish line is in view – kick it into high gear!
Mile 26.2 – This was completely worth it!
And…I just got tears in my eyes remembering that feeling. I also now REALLY want to run a Disney race at some point in my life. Thanks Megan for sharing!
Megan ran her first marathon a few weeks ago in Walt Disney World! She is currently planning her next marathon, with a few other races in between. She blogs at Running Toward the Prize, and also is the co-author of Magical Miles: The Runner’s Guide to Walt Disney World.
Have you ever run a Disney race? Want to if you haven’t? Relate to any of Megan’s thoughts?
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{ 18 comments… read them below or add one }
I’ve never ran a marathon, not sure how my knee would handle it, but if I did find someone to train with and try to tackle one I’ve already decided that it would be Walt Disney World’s way before I even knew if I could! It just seemed so fun
If/when you ever attempt to run another marathon and decide to try that one let me know I’d love to train/run it with you!
btw I have ran a half marathon before, and a little past but never a full
Very entertaining and motivational! Thanks for posting!
Wow! That was so inspirational! I am training for my first full right now. I LOVE hearing some POSITIVE thoughts about training. So many people write these kinds of posts full of negative thoughts about bonking, going to the bathroom, throwing up, passing people who are passed out on the sidelines… I knew it wasn’t ALWAYS bad
Thanks for the GREAT post!
Ahhh! This post is making me want to run a second marathon. ack!
Congrats!! Marathons are so rewarding!
Congratulations! And what a fun way to recap the race.
haha i love the umbrella thought! great job!!
Totally got tears in my eyes, too! Oh, and P.S. I’ll run Disney with you!!!
Thank you so much for all the wonderful comments! It is funny what thoughts go through your head during a run
I definitely recommend a Disney race to everyone – SO MUCH FUN!
What a gret marathon recap!!!!
As of yet, I haven’t run a marathon, but this is a brilliant breakdown of what goes on! It’s also an inspiring story, I want to go out running now! Congratulations on the first marathon, have you got any more lined up??
Thank you for the inspiring story, when I get to that stage I’ll make sure to compare my thoughts to yours
I *LOVE* this!!!!! LOL I was waiting for a mile with athought of “WHY DID I SIGN UP FOR THIS!?!??!” so I applaud her optimism!!!! I’m about to training for my first, once I get medical clearance from my dr that my foot is okay to run on (knocking on wood that Thursday will be that day). This just gave me some pumping up!!!
congrats Megan!!! I remember my first marathon, it was tough!!!
This is great! I’m training for my first half, but I’m not so sure about going a full marathon! Congrats on finishing!
haha this was pretty fun to read~I can’t imagine just how much you get to THINK when you’re running that far. And blech, it’s the worst when you’re trying to breathe as much clean air and as deeply as possible, only to find out you’re breathing in sewage particles
I’m actually kind of surprised by this breakdown of thoughts during a first marathon, none of which included “Okay, I think my body is about to give out and I’m going to pass out” which I’m sure would run through my mind at least once during a marathon. She looked strong crossing the finish line too, what an awesome feeling and accomplishment!
I just want to thank everyone again for the wonderful comments! I never once felt like I wouldn’t finish, but there were a couple “how much longer?” thoughts from time to time
Marathon #2 is scheduled for the fall – stay tuned!
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