What can you do in 4 hours and 14 minutes?

Four hours and 14 minutes is a good amount of time. I was contemplating what could be done in that amount of time yesterday morning. This is what I came up with.

I could:
-take a decent-sized nap
-watch two sessions of conference and a little mo-tab
-drive to St. George, with a bathroom stop
-be on a date, start to finish
-watch Anne of Green Gables and then be partially through Anne of Avonlea
-hike up and down the 'Y' 5-6 times
-drive to the airport, catch a plane, and land in Seattle
-study
-clean every room in my apartment, top to bottom
-start and finish two color clients
-watch 18 episodes of either Friends or The Office

Let me tell you what I did in four hours and 14 minutes yesterday morning.

I:
-drank five or so cups of gatorade
-choked down two packets of goo
-visited with a friend, while we both tried to catch our breath between sentences
-made two bathroom stops
-had my legs rubbed down twice with icy hot
-listened to most of the songs on my shuffle
-listened to some songs and a couple of episodes of The Office on my sister's ipod
-experienced the worst inner-thigh chafing
-had suicidal thoughts
-checked out a thousand or so sets of toned legs
-and CROSSED THE FINISH LINE AT THE END OF MY FIRST MARATHON--26.2 MILES!!!

I DID IT! Let me just tell you, that 6500 participants ran the entire thing in the pouring down rain!

No one told me that I would need to pack my Nike galoshes, a rain coat, a hat, and hand warmers. No one told me that goo tasted so disgusting. No one told me that this marathon would include a wet t-shirt contest (so I wore white, and it was completely see-through five minutes into the run). No one told me that 60 year old men would have nicer legs than me. No one told me I was going to be running this thing with 5 individuals over the age of 80, and 39 under the age of 14. No one told me that I would walk like I was 85 after I was through. No one told me that I would get sick twice during the run and have to book it to the bathroom. No one told me that the last .2 miles would be the longest. And, most importantly, NO ONE TOLD ME IT WOULD ALL BE WORTH IT!!!!

It was worth it to have a tummy ache for the remainder of the day. It was worth it to be dripping wet for four hours and 14 minutes. It was worth it to train for hours each week. It was worth the money. It was worth it to wake up at 4 o'clock on a Saturday morning. It was worth it to cross that line and receive a medal!

I think I found a new love! I am looking forward to training for my next one. First I need to be able to regain the use of my legs, but then I am off.

My brother-in-law, James, and I enjoyed the experience! Luckily, there was a picture of him crossing the finish line. He completed the run in three hours and 55 minutes. There wasn't a shot taken of me crossing the line, so I am posting a picture that was taken an hour and a half after the race was through.