The Colorado Marathon

So.....to make a long story short, the marathon was AWESOME!!!

I woke up very early and jumped on a bus which took me up Poudre Canyon in Fort Collins. A bugler played The Star Spangled Banner, then we were off! The weather was perfect, 30-40 degrees and around 50 at the finish. The course was so beautiful and quiet.

My goal when I began the race was to attempt to keep a 9:30 pace and try to save something for the last 6 miles that I knew were going to be tough. There was a 3 mile hill between mile 17 and 20 that slowed me down a little but ultimately, my strategy worked and I completed the race feeling strong and great. My official time was 4:28 which is a personal record and 46 minutes faster than my first marathon.

Pre-race at the hotel

I knew I would see Matt and my friends, Craig and Alice, around mile 16 so I was really looking forward to that when I was running. I kept telling myself, 3 more miles until...1 more mile until... I actually saw them around mile 19 and it was all I needed to compete the uphill trek and get to the finish line.

My reaction when I saw Matt, Koufax, Alice and Craig. So happy!

It tastes good!

Court family, minus Wendall

Victory Kisses!

Thank you to everyone for the support during my training and leading up to the race. Extra props go to Craig and Alice who made the trek to Fort Collins to support me. Of course, a big thank you goes to Matt who dealt with my nerves the days before and knew just how to make me feel better.

I loved this race and I can't wait to do it again.