Fitness Friday || Memories of A Marathon

USAF Half Marathon

What I will remember...

Packet pick-up and the Expo with Alec.

Alec's 5K PR the night before my race. He went straight for the pizza afterwards.

Dinner with friends.

The military details. The flags. Fly overs. Running through 2 rows of aircraft to the finish line.

Their excitement about eating pizza and cheesy bread for breakfast :)

Feeling stronger than ever. 

Feeling like I was on top of the world!

Remembering how right after I crossed the finish line I thought to myself "This moment. This is why I do what I do. This is why I love to run."

Friends!

I will also remember...

• the singing of the national anthem gives me goose bumps
• I can't even think about eating pizza and drinking beer afterwards
• loved running with the pace group most of the way
• perfect weather
• next year I want to run the 5k and the half 
• miles seemed to go by fast
• I'm getting better at drinking on the run (wearing less!)
• this was one of the most efficient and best organized races I've ever run

I ran a 5K trail race at 9:00 that night and this is all I have to show for it. A bib. My Nike cap. A head lamp. I was too tired to get my camera out of the car. What I will remember...the stretches throughout the course that it was just me. The silence of the night except for my foot falls. Oh and wearing a head lamp was very cool :)

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I'd love to know, if you write race recaps on your blog (or plan to), how do you remember so many very specific details of a race? How do you remember mile by mile details?

Now the link up. Share your Fitness Friday!

Comments

[Dina]

Love the pictures, you look so happy!

A lot of times my races are just a blur and I have a hard time remembering anything other than the start and finish. I try to take pictures, which helps jog my memory but usually need to wait a day or two for a race to really sink in to do a race report.

Racing a 15K tomorrow which is my longest race to date, so it will be interesting to see if the longer distance makes it easier or harder for me to remember.

[jillconyers]

Hi Dina. Good luck tomorrow! I'm looking forward to your race report to make note of the details your remembered! Maybe that will help me with my next race report :)

[MonicaB]

Great pictures of your event!! I can tell you feel great. You are a huge inspiration.

[Fancy Nancy]

Great pics of your event!!! I do put race reports on my blog. I am more of a remember moments person than a mile by mile. I tend to remember the overall experience! I love how you said when you crossed the finish line you thought to yourself...that is why you run! I love that feeling!!!

[Tina]

Such an amazing post, such an amazing race! So excited AND nervous for Chicago - glad we are all doing it together!

[ren]

My son asked me the other day how I remembered what mile this or that happened. How could I not?

[Athletes4life]

Oh wow...congratulations...what an accomplishment!

[[email protected]]

Those are fantastic pictures! What a wonderful moment to capture. Congratulations. I find that I remember more the more I tell the story. Race recaps go on my blog for sure, but I've probably told the story multiple times by then. Congrats on the two races in one day, too.

[Claire Omara]

Great post and photo's,Well done :)

I have done a few blog post but I don't get much time for many races,I always remember most bits as I'm writing them down in draft but it's hard to remember most bits.

Thanks for hosting :)

[Kyria]

For me there is not a lot to remember. I follow a pair of feet most of the time and I think about nothing, or the feet, or the next person I may pass, or the sunny day...but it's usually not very exciting, recap wise. I usually do mine in bullet form! What gets me is these people who take photos WHILE THEY ARE RACING!! How do they do that? Where do they put the camera? And do they stop to take the photo or take it while running?

Thanks again for hosting! I really enjoy FF and all the support and people involved!

[Rhonna Farrer]

Jill!!! This is soo great. I LOVE your pics...you got a lot...so cool to remember! WTG, girl! xo
R

[Elle]

Nice pics, and a great time for you and your family.

The sleeves look gooood. Cannot wait till mine arrive in the mail.

[Kenda]

Great pictures! Looks like you had a great time! I currently don't run :( I wrote about the reason in my fitness friday post today. But when I start back, I would like to do race re-cap posts and I also came across a cool raceday book that I want to get. You can find here: http://www.racedaybooks.com. My husband is in the Air Force so I will have to look up that run and see if they will be coming close to me so I can run in it!

[Lisa J]

ah you got a photo of the guy parachuting! Its hard to remember detail by detail- sometimes I just break it up into segments like miles 1-4 etc. Also for me when I'm running it keeps my mind occupied when I'm paying attention to details of how i'm feeling or anything interesting / out of the ordinary going around. Occasionally I'll think to myself "oh remember to blog that" haha.

[Lanae (@Hungrigyrl)]

I really enjoyed this post!! Looks like such a great race, and sounds like you had a fantastic time!

[Jennifer]

great job...you got some great photos too!! I still can't believe you ran a marathon and a trail race on the same day!

[Jane]

Hi Jill, I have been following you for a while now and I just wanted to let you know that you are a huge role model for me. your determination and drive helps to keep me going on my long and slow journey, thank you. Congratulations on your race, it is an amazing accomplishment!

[Amy]

I don't do a very good job of mile by mile recaps unless it is a 5k... I do much better with just the highlights - and they never seem to be in any order - just what I remember that stuck out somehow. I love all of your photos. I love your kid's excitement at pizza for breakfast, and I love your expression at the end. Yes, it really is all worth it. So glad you had such a great time!

[jillconyers]

Thank you MonicaB! I have my husband to thank for the photos : )

[jillconyers]

Thank you! I'm running the Susan G Komen 5K today and want to see if I can remember details to recap mile by mile. I'm running with my daughter and she remembers everything! That will help :)