2009 Nationwide Better Health Columbus Marathon

WHEW!!! A couple of weekends ago, I completed my third full marathon and I have to say, it may have been my favorite one so far. The San Diego Rock 'n' Roll Marathon was exciting because it was my first...and I was running in California and had ocean and palm tree views. The Flying Pig Marathon in Cincinnati was exciting because I was running with my brother in a city I grew up in (well, near, at least), and many of my family members were there to cheer me on. Nonetheless, the Nationwide Better Health Columbus Marathon was the most exciting of all because my dad and my little sister Ginny were running it as well. Let me tell you, there is something truly amazing (and quite emotional) about seeing your dad cross the finish line after running 26.2 miles. Ginny got a migraine and was only able to make it to mile 21, but that's a feat in and of itself. I couldn't be more proud of her - and it was especially rewarding to see that Ginny was also proud of herself. Here are some photos and videos* recapping the day:

Me & my dad with our signs (thanks Mom!) after the marathon

The three runners with Gin's sign

While it was a rather chilly day, my run went really well. I ran with the 4:00 pace team, and enjoyed hearing our leader share stories about running, his kids, and Ohio State football. The fall scenery was beautiful as well. We ran through a handful of neighborhoods where the trees were slowing shedding their red, orange, and yellow leaves. I saw my sisters Therese and Vicki and Seth multiple times, which was really encouraging! My mom was also waiting for me with a sign (see photo above), but somehow we ended up missing each other. Around mile 19, my stomach began to feel upset. Normally I get the "I-need-a-port-o-potty-right-NOW!!!" kind of stomach upset, but this one was different. This one was more of a "Oh-my-gosh-am-I-going-to-throw-up-with-7.2-miles-left-to-go?!?" upset. I struggled with slowing my pace because I didn't want to "reason" my way out of keeping a pace I knew I could handle. At the mile 20 water station, I decided to listen to my body and slow it down a bit. My stomach calmed down, but then I got a side stitch. I did my best to breathe through it, and I finished the marathon in 4:06. I am very pleased with my time (it was my PR!!!), and hope to shave off more minutes in the future! I'm not sure when my next race will be. I'm going to take it easy for a bit, and give my body a break. I will continue running each day, but more for myself and less for marathon preparation.

*The videos are in a .mov format, which Wordpress cannot upload. As soon as I figure out how to adjust that, I will upload the videos!