OC Marathon Race Photos

Official race photos from the OC Marathon are here and they left me super teary eyed AGAIN for the 10th time this week.

Still can't believe that I ran a 3:26.

But I earned it, so I need to start believing it ASAP.

Thank you SO MUCH for the sweet comments on my race recap, I loved reading each and every one of them.

So here they are, my friends!  I've included the good, the bad and the VERY BAD :)

OK, let's start with a couple tame ones before we get to the really intense crazy ones.

Somewhere in the first half,
you can see my BFFs behind me at this point.

WORLD PEACE at the halfway mark

Feeling great at the half, hangin' near the 3:30 pacer group

And then.....the final homestretch, where this insane neon green bunny and I are running in the low 6's.

I thought my legs were going to explode!

As we cruised into the finish line, the announcer said the funniest
string of phrases I've ever heard (which I actually LOVE):

"Look at these smiles right here (they are smiling, unfortunately NOT me)
Three tall ladies running together, (ok random?!)
friends forever Alyssa, Adrianna and Katherine (I had never met them before)"

Ok, now wait for it....

Floating, exhausted, NOT able to hold my
hips in,
legs straight,
or shoulders up

Alllllmost there....

And we made it!!

RELIEF.
I actually had no idea what the clock said at this point,
I actually thought I'd finished in 3:28,
I had been too tired to look at numbers for the last mile or two.

"Ok orange weirdo, why are you grabbing onto me?"

....and DONE!
(and looking to be on the verge of a pale death)

My neon green rabbit girl was so nice, I thanked her big time afterward for allowing me to emotionally embrace her with my gross sweaty body.  She's only 19, it was her first marathon and she placed first in her age group!

Quick post-race update:
It's been four full days since the race and my quads are FINALLY starting to not be quite so angry when I go up stairs.

...Going down the stairs is another story.

And I'm signed up for a CENTURY (yes, 100 mile) bike ride on Saturday.  We'll see if that happens!

More post-race stuff to come after I have some more time to let all these thoughts marinate.

Thanks again for being so supportive of me!!