measuring my life in 26.2 miles...

so now i think i can appropriately look back on the race and share it with everybody. a lot of these pix from the little disposable digital cam are pretty blurry (i wasn't going to stop just to have a kodak moment), but at least the most important things are still discernable. :) i'll do my best to explain everything.


me and mom at ohmygosh oclock (not really, just 7AM) in unitas plaza. it didn't feel all that early in the morning, but it still helps to have your mama around when you're going to do something this big!

val is a gal i met in Terprunners, and she's a veteran marathoner. she gave me priceless advice while i was training. yay val!

this is priceless. don't tell anybody i told you, but mom was a cheerleader for a short time in high school, so her inner rah-rah busted out while she was near me at the start line. THAT'S THE WAY WE SPELL ROW-DY!








here i am at the start. for some reason, i'm self-conscious...












a man after my own heart. :)











out of the gates!






this guy is 73 years old. this was his 20-something-ish marathon. so if you feel like you can't get off your ass and can't do anything, smack yourself silly and get out there. :)










i think this was my favorite space on the course. as pissed as i was that they took hampden out of it, this was a nice substitute. the water was glinting off of the harbor, and the sea breeze was so refreshing--i needed that so much at mile 10!!! anyway, i just like how this photo is semi-artistic, which is a feat, considering that i didn't stop running to take it. i just love how relaxed this scene is.





so mile 20 is where you hit the ubiquitous "wall." except i didn't. awesome.












this is mile 20 on hillen road, so named because of its bastard hill. like i said, i didn't bonk. i own hillen.










if you can't read the shirts, it's Focker (L) and I'm With Stupid (R). :) these were cool dudes. i eventually did bonk near mile 22, and these guys really helped me out. we ran together for about a mile and a half, and they were hilarious. awesome.








this is a pic for dad, since he couldn't make it down to see me. Look Dad! I Really Did Run!





the finish line is only a mile away... i'm getting closer!!!












it's a bit blurry, but the finish is just around the bend! 5 hours and 3 minutes after the start, i complete the biggest thing in my life!!!

so that's basically it. that's the visual reflection. maybe i'll be able to put words on it sooner or later. maybe not. but i'm so proud of this. that i'll be able to keep for a long time.