The New Walker: The Morning After The Day Before

Days to Go: -1!!!
Money Raised: $18 463.70 ($2311.00 off line)

There is SO much to process post-marathon but a quick update for those who have not heard - I completed the marathon in 6:44:53. Slooooooooow but completed nonetheless!! Hoorah! (And yes, you probably could have walked it faster than that :) )

I feel better than I thought I might today. I'd anticipated needing to be wheeled around in a bathchair but I actually feel quite ok. I woke up a bit sore and headache-y but after breakfast with colleague and sub 3:30 marathoner(!!!) Tony at world-famous Carnegie Deli, followed by a quick spot of shopping along Fifth Avenue, I am feeling pretty good. I suspect the fact that I spent birthday money from my parents on a post-marathon reward at Tiffany's helped my perception of pain quite significantly.

*Sigh*. Isn't this pretty? Thanks Mum and Dad!!

The marathon itself was physically hard. No surprises there. On Saturday, I was genuinely wondering whether I would make it but that night (where I slept quite fitfully) I had a dream in which I was running a marathon at my usual ponderous pace. In my dream, I knew I just had to get to the 25km mark and that if I could do that, I would finish. That, of course, makes ABSOLUTELY NO sense whatsoever. The first 25km are the easy ones - it's the last 5km, according to Rob de Castella, that can undo you. And yet, when I woke up, that dream was stuck in my head. So when I got to the Queensboro Bridge that takes you into Manhattan (the 25km point) I felt sure that I would get to the end. Strange. But whatever works, n'est pas?

The marathon was also an unexpectedly joyous experience. The crowds that line the streets (and there were heaps of people still there, even for me and the rest of the plodders at the back of the pack) were wonderful, calling out my name and yelling 'Go girl!', 'You can do it, Kate!!' and 'It's yours, girlfriend!'. I, the show-poniest of show-ponies, lapped it up and high-fived everyone who wanted to high-five me the entire route. It was awesome and has totally spoiled me for any other marathon.

Any other marathon? I've been telling people all year that I am strictly a one-marathon girl and lots of people told me to wait until afterwards, as apparently lots of people say that and then find themselves wanting to do another. Guess what? I am strictly a one-marathon girl. This whole year has been life-changing but I don't feel any need to do it again. What I do feel the need to do, though, is maintain my fitness but I am looking forward to incorporating variety into my regime; swimming (and not just as a recovery tool), pilates and bike-riding. And yes, running. But I think I'll stick to the 5km and 10km distances. And maybe work on my speed a bit.

There are more posts to come, more thoughts about what this marathon has meant but that's for later when my brain has made sense of what has happened. For now, there are some thanks that must be given to a few very important people.

As always, my Assistant Coach and children get a nod. Tom stayed up all night tracking me on the TV that had been turned into a computer for the event. Being able to talk to him a few times as I was on the course was wonderful. And the pride I heard in the voices of him and my babies when I rang them post-finish was very special indeed.

I've also got to thank my fellow journey men; Holly Ord (3:51:37!! The 'Bus of Shame' hadn't even got out of the garage by then!), Jane McCormack (6:47:10) and Mike Edyejones (5:57:36). I'm lucky I've made such cool new friends and shared this adventure with them. Thanks guys!!

There is so much more to say but for now, I'll let some photos do the talking ...