26.2

a marathon is 26.2 miles, and the last 2.2 are easily the longest. but i finished, and i jogged almost the entire time, save the walks through water stations and a short walk break on mile 23 to rub out the cramp in my left thigh.
commonly asked questions:
how was it? SO HARD. the first 16 miles were really enjoyable. after that, it got hot, and i had less drive to want to push myself to run (partly because my joints and muscles were starting to feel it). this is also the time where refueling is important. i hate refueling.
will you do it again? Right after the race, my answer was no. my friend's mom said that you cannot answer that question right after, though, because right after childbirth, not many people want to turn around and do it again. but they usually do, and its worth it. so, maybe i will do another one. but i would have to do it with someone that is my pace and have the time to really train and do well.

overall, i am extremely glad i did it. i was so blessed to train with friends, and i ran most of the marathon with the amazing girls, jenni and erica. i was only sore for two days, but i am still having trouble with the outer ligament on my left foot (the planter fascia, i think?). also, i completely understand why Paul parallels running with the Christian life. Running is much more successful when you have a community and accountability. It involves a great deal of discipline, mentally and physically. Also, you must refuel, which involves drinking water and eating food or energy supplements. In most cases, eating and drinking are enjoyable and desirable. But i had to train myself to chew, swallow and drink while running and breathing. Many times, we enjoy and desire to be in the Word and to worship Christ, but when circumstances are hard, we often do not desire or enjoy making time for those things. We have to remind ourselves that we need those to sustain us. Now, I understand that a life devoted to pursuing Christ is much more difficult and long term than a marathon, but my friends and I were able to have alot of great conversations about the metaphors while we were running.

I do not have many pictures, but this is jenni, me, and erica at mile 15.