My Fastest Marathon Ever

So, yeah, yesterday … big day for me. As is my custom, I spent most of the week complaining about how un-ready I was to run a marathon. In the hours leading up to the race, I was convinced that I was going to do poorly in the Detroit International Marathon. I’m not sure what happened … maybe someone put the voodoo on me, maybe I was caught up in the beauty of running the streets of a city I love so much but I managed to beat my previous personal best marathon time by 40 minutes! I felt really good for much of the race and was pacing about an hour faster than my previous best time but I knew that I would have to slow down a bit near the end so I didn’t want to get ahead of myself. I just kept looking forward toward the finish line and was completely overwhelmed by emotion when I crossed the line. It was a great, great day for me :D

The race starts in Detroit but then heads into Canada over the Ambassador Bridge … we run a few miles along the riverfront in Windsor, Ontario before we run back to the US underneath the Detroit River thru the tunnel connecting the countries. The rest of the race takes place entirely in Detroit and I have to say … I started getting teary eyed as I ran thru the streets of Detroit. There are parts of Detroit that are so beautiful, I dare you not to weep at the beauty. We runners were met on the streets with high fives, cheers, free beer (yes really, a lot of beer, actually), smiles and friendly love. The weather was perfect, the atmosphere in the city was so electric … I think a little bit of all of these things in sum helped me run my fastest marathon yet. I had hoped that I’d get a sub 5 hour marathon under my belt before I retire but I didn’t think I’d be able to get near 4:30 so quickly (my official time was 4:33). Now my new goal is to get a sub 4 hour marathon under my belt so I can qualify for the Boston Marathon. Maybe my retirement will have to be delayed a bit.

Thru it all my BFFs Sarah and Mark … no, wait, they are more than BFFs … thru it all, my dear family Sarah and Mark were encouraging me thru my complaints and worries. They woke up at 5AM to brave the cold temps not only to drive me to the race but to be by my side at the race start and finish. They, too, are a huge part of my success yesterday:

When I crossed the finish line, I started crying … like, a lot. Emma saw me weep when I finished my first marathon in Hawaii last December but my fast time in the city I love was just too much. I got to hug Mark and Sarah and bawl into their necks. That’s family stuff, y’all. To keep from having my legs tighten up completely, we decided to not rest and just keep moving … so we made our way to a Cider Mill, the perfect way to end a great trip home to Michigan:



The flight home last night was painful, I can assure you but I’m feeling much, much better today. I want to thank all of you guys out there for YOUR support as well. On Facebook, on Instagram and here on the blog, you have constantly enriched my life in such a way that I can never express properly. I carry you guys in my heart, always. We have a bit of a family around here too. To see all the love you have heaped on Shannon and her family, it just makes me so proud to “know” you guys. Thank you.

I’m home in LA again and have a pretty full week ahead. No rest for the weary :) Have a great Monday! Love you all!!

Source: http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/pinkisthenewblog/~3/ytUSFuqHvcc/my-fastest-marathon-ever
Similar Articles: vikings   Tony Gonzalez   Tom Clancy   cnn   Prince George