day two

Well we made it. My rommates and I all finished. Of course I was rooming with ladies who had finished the 50 states 1x, 2x and were titanium manics long before everyone else started joining. I don't feel like I did two, but more like I did one. I walked again the first 13.1 with some of my roommates and then they told me to run on ahead. I obliged and trotted off up and down the small hills, but today the elevation was getting to me. We had started early. The first male runner passed me at mile 15.2 and looked super strong. He wasn't even breathing heavily, he made it look easy.

I kept on trucking along, finding half marathoners to encourage along and cheered on the marathoners who didn't do an early start. Toward the last 6 or so miles it was hot again, the sun blazing down on my already burnt skin from the day before. I'm toasty and can feel the burn right now. I'm definitely going to peel. :( I don't remember the last time I was sunburnt, but I feel like it was probably also from a marathon where I sweat my sunscreen off...

At the end I took a few more pictures and got some food before walking back down a mile or so to cheer everyone along who was still running. I saw my roomates I had started with early and jog/walked along side them to the finish and cheered them along. I hurried to get back to the hotel to get the car keys so I could pick them up and on my way back they were half way there already so I picked them up and we all took showers... well tried since it was quite disgusting and there was no more warm/hot water half way through my shower so the other two had no hot water. Sad times.

Before we left Garden City we stopped at the last gas station and all got raspberry milkshakes. Wow they were good, but SWEET! I had to eat mine super slow since I don't normally have stuff that sweet. (I like things like ice cream and make it myself... but wow, I don't put that much sugar in... just enough to taste, not to overpower.) I did however suck it up and finish it all. :) Haha. So much for lactose intolerance. It was quite a flatulent night... hehe!

All in all, Subway is by far the best, most consistent on the road, quick food to get (well, healthier option). We stayed at a hotel 5 minutes from the airport... this hotel was cheaper than the other one that was grosser at Bear Lake, fancy that? More food from Denny's and sleep were required before sleep and getting onto the airport shuttle.

Overall lessons learned: I need to run more regularly, or at least do cross training rather than sitting on my butt on planes and being lazy. I should train myself to get up early to run before work again. Staying up late isn't good for me anyway. Well, I've run 2 days this week so that's good. I put it into my calendar to run and get steps so I should be able to do it and check it off each day. We'll see how this works. Like I mentioned before this started... this is my kick in the pants get back in shape weekend. It definitely kicked me in the pants and reminded me I need to get back in shape. Here's to qualifying for Boston before I'm 30, wish me luck! They just changed the time cut offs too, now it's harder. I have to run sub 3:35 (before it was sub 3:40). 20 more states to go. Next weekend I won't be in shape yet when I do Michigan, but perhaps in the fall when I do Wisconsin, Illinois, Indiana and maybe Conneticut and Rhode Island. I doubt I'll be BQ by then, but hopefully have at least built up a good base to work on speed.

Here we go! -run for life