Almost felt like cheating

Here's an excerpt from a fascinating e-mail I got today from a friend of mine. Lots of drama in the first few sentences.

Many of you were probably more aware than you wanted to be... that I was scheduled to run White Rock Sunday, Dec 9. I will not be. Last Thursday, I decided that since it was getting cold, dark, and I had pretty much given up on training, I needed to do something quick or my plans to complete a marathon in 2007 would not be fulfulled. So I made hasty arrangements to fly to Tucson Saturday, run their marathon Sunday, get back on a plane and come home.

My goal was to finish with enough time to get back to the hotel and take a shower before I had to go to the airport...... approximately 4 1/2 hours. I am happy to report that I got on the plane clean, but not entirely dry, as there was no time to do my hair. I finished in 4:23... 10:03 minute miles which I am pretty pleased about. I was surprised by the following things: how much my back hurt, how much my toes hurt, how many people were walking in the last 4-5 miles (I was one of them so I had plenty of time to observe), and how I ran/walked fast for 26.2 miles but could barely limp the .1 mile to the shuttle bus from the finish line.

I was talking to this friend after getting the e-mail and she mentioned how the downhill course in Tucson made it almost feel like cheating in the beginning. However, not for those last four or five miles.

I think she'd been someone who planned on only doing one marathon but after talking to her today, I think she's been bitten with the desire to do more. It was strange how great it felt to talk to someone who had just achieved that goal.

The marathon is an amazing beast. It's fun when friends conquer it.