Liz tells all...

I received this email from Liz recounting her marathon experience with Jodi. I asked her if I could share it with you and she said yes.

Jody and I had a blast I think we laughed and giggled our way through the whole 26.2 miles. We stayed together the whole time, really didn’t take any walk breaks only to quickly eat a power bars. We met people to talk to on the way. When we went through Camp Pendleton at about mile 6 there was only Jody and me at that time - there was a line of about 30+ troops standing in a line cheering us it was kind of embarrassing but really funny!. We met a guy in his late 60s who had run 50 marathons in 50 states so Jody asked him which one he liked the best, he said Colorado though the down hills were very tough on his knees. At about mile 10 we saw Jody's mom she took a photo and we went over to talk to her for a second and then ran on, only to find everyone behind us yelling, we thought they were cheering so we just waved back. Then Jody's mom yelled "you guys you are going the wrong way" so we doubled back and went on to the board walk, other runners caught us up and asked where we had been going. We laughed about this for the rest of the race. On the board walk running north a guy came up behind us said could we run closer together to be a wind break for him, he said "where is the 300 lb dude when you need him for a wind break".

The first 10k we took slow, the second we were talking and had picked up our pace, the third was the hardest, so we talked through that, we never let on to each other that we were having a hard time, I was so surprised when she said that part was hard. For me it was all mental especially when I hit 18 miles as I had never run further than that, but I guy caught up with us and said if you are strong now you will finish. The final 10K we kept eating jelly beans far more than we need cause they tasted so good. We said right at the beginning lets sprint at the end, and I wasn’t sure I would be able to, but once on the boardwalk we picked up our pace, after a couple of seconds I said I had to slow down our I would chuck up the beans, Jody said she felt the same. Then in the last 400 yards we went for it, we were the only ones at the finish line, I remember Mary and everyone yelling and the MC cheering us on also, and then strangers coming up to us and saying "awesome sprint, you two look so fresh". Wow it was awesome!!!

I am not sure which to do next I am thinking about the Outer banks, but I really want to do one with Jody again, MAN SHE ROCKS!!!

Thanks for sharing Liz! It gave me some major pangs that I wish I would have joined you guys! I love a good marathon!