.it's over.

i can't believe it's over! and i did it! i actually ran the marathon. i remember last year, watching archie, richie and rho run, i thought to myself - there's no way i can do it. and now 1 year later...i did it!

i was doing ok until around the 1/2 way marker. just before that i found lisa and paolo - the first people i saw in the crowd. after that, i was able to get to archie, mariza, brian, dad and the fam @ the 1/2 way mark, and then i was able to recharge. then thankfully, archie ran with me for a few miles and was able to take my mind off the running. then christine called and told me she was in chinatown @ mile 21, with the other groupies, so i concentrated on getting myself there. it was rough. i didn't know if i'd make it. i had to stop and walk more times in the miles from 17 to 21, than i had in the first 1/2 of the marathon. but somehow i made it. and then i saw the sign. it said in huge capital letters "MYRA". how could i not be motivated? i ran to the sign and the girls holding up the sign, cheered with them and then they all started running with me. rach kept tapping me on the shoulders with those blow up bats, ch carried the sign, and g kept yelling at the crowd to yell my name. then we saw christine and coco, and chris started running too. they kept yelling 'you're doing great!", "you look awesome!". the groupies stopped, but then g offered to run more with me. then seth caught up with us. and g and seth kept me going until mile 25. i can't image that i would have been able to finish if i didn't have g and seth with me. i wanted to walk so much more during those last 5 miles. but they kept encouraging me. then finally we hit mile 25. seth dropped and then g. i made the turn onto roosevelt, and there was my last challenge. that damn hill. it's just plain mean. a lot of people around me started walking. i kept pushin on. i saw the groupies 1 more time. then i turned the corner, and saw archie and richie in the stands. in the next stands were mari, lisa, paolo, and brian. and then....the finish line. i ran as hard as i could. and the next thing i knew...i was a marathoner. i did it!

i know that i couldn't have made it without all the support from my friends and fam, and also from the complete strangers who read the sign on my shirt, "myra. 1st time", and yelled out loud for me. that's what they mean when they say the crowd carries you thru the entire marathon.

so thanks to everyone and anyone who stood along the marathon path and cheered on all the runners. you'll never know how much it meant to all of us.

woohoo!

does this mean i'm athletic?