I LOVE LOVE LOVE LOVE LOVE sleeping right outside the start of the marathon. With an 8:15 start time, it was a wonderful morning to sleep in! Met 30 min early to line up as pacers and get our crowd ready to run. It was supposed to rain all day off and on and not get more than 70...HA! Had a good crowd to start with and a few newbies in the crowd. Had a moment of silence, Prayer, Canadian National Anthem, US National Anthem and then we were off! Flat, flat and a little more flat...Stuff my body isn't used to, but I was pacing 4:20 so nothing is really a big deal for me at that pace now. Anyway, we chatted and picked up more groupies, had a good time, got the crowd involved and just enjoyed the miles. The runners loved it when I told them that this was a 20 mile warm-up for our 10K race. I had a few of them laughing multiple times with my crazy antics! They had great bands along the way (some in garages in the neighborhoods) and the crowd support was really fun too! A great marathon if you're ever in the area. I'd recommend it hands down. The shirts was great the medal was nice and the organization was good as well. There was a few stretches down these beautiful tree lined streets...a beautiful tunnel of trees!! It was breathtaking. I guess it was the best scenery in Fargo :) I did get tired of the turning and the out and backs...I swear nearly every mile after 8 there were people headed back towards you. I got tired of it. I loved it at first, but the flat flat flat and having to wonder where the turn around ahead was and to have to see all the people in front of you...man alive, it just got to me after a while. Then around mile 10 the sun came out...and stayed out. It got HOT and HUMID! Two things I am NOT used to! I'd decided to ditch my undershirt and just do the thin tank and I was SO glad I had. What I wasn't so happy about was that I had neglected sun screen...still paying for that one. Anyway, people had hoses and ice out for us and it was SO nice. Man, it was hot. I'd drench myself to cool off, but it never dried...darn humidity! I kept drinking because I was hot and thirsty and that was a mistake I paid for as well. The pace was fine for me because it was a lot slower than I'm used to, so I was able to still keep up and pace people along, but man alive...I was getting drained! Just exhausted. Not sore or anything, no cramping, I just was fatigued. I lost and picked up some of the crowd here and there, but I was unhappy to see Lindsay (Rachelle's friend) drop off around 17...then my crazy companion (that did a side of the road pee stop) drop at around 21...then her friend we'd caught up to a few miles before fell at mile 22ish over a cone! Road rash on her shoulder :( I helped her up and got her brushed off and she went over to a hose to wash off. I'd now lost them all. Then, Becca was coming back on one of those out and backs with Rachelle! YAY! First thing I did was hand Becca the sign. I was SO sick of that thing. After I handed it to her people kept commenting on the awesome pacer (spectators) I decided I needed my sign back :) So, just before mile 25 I took it back. I was really struggling. SO hot at this point and with the late start it was after noon and between the heat and humidity and miles I was spent. I was really happy to have Becca there to help me keep pace so that I could encourage people I passed and that were walking! I let her do the numbers (just keep running at a steady pace I could follow) and then tried to encourage anyone I passed. Just before mile 26 as we turned in front of the Fargo Dome my stomach seized. Maybe it was seeing the grim reaper with the sign "The End Is Near"? I threw up. I didn't feel sick, my body just had too much liquid. I started running again...I felt it come on again. I saw a sewer grate in the gutter. I made it there and threw up a nice generous quantity of liquid :) Then, jumped back on course and finished. Just in time! Pacer Jim likes a perfect finish for a full at 30 seconds under pace, so I was a little 'slow' but acceptable times are anywhere a minute under time. Anything over time is death for a full pacer :) So, despite chucking my guts, I still had a pretty perfect pacing day. Oh, and I hate flat and humidity...yup, that is what I learned. But, I'd do this one again! I had perfect splits on the mats through the race and my crazy runner came up to me and gave me a big kiss on the cheek and thanked me for 22 miles! She was only 4 or so minutes behind me, but that heat and humidity killed a lot of goal times. I also got to watch the girl that had fallen finish and Lindsay - who ended up with a 25+ minute PR! YAY! What a great pacing day. Walked back across the street, got out of my soaking wet clothes...I could still wring out my shorts!...and laid on my bed. No one to answer to. No where to go. I could just sit and do whatever I wanted :) That was kind of nice after a marathon too! No family or anything, just me and my bed and a shower when I was finally ready. Finished off the night with dinner at Rhombus Guys with Rachelle and Becca. A GREAT place I would certainly go back to again if I'm in Fargo! Then went to the HUB for the "Mile 27 party" a concert with Pop Rocks (a cover band) and Firehouse. Oh, what fun Becca and I had dancing and making fools of ourselves. If you want to stick out in a crowd, go to the bar at a club and order water.... Cindy that roomed with Rachelle, Becca and I was a wonderful lady that has a daughter that lives here in SLC. I think we shall be running soon, and seeing Cindy again soon as well! I really just had a great time and met some wonderful people. Totally worth the 2 day drive to get there and the humid flat race I endured! Back to the dorms to pack up and sleep a few hours before driving again....
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