Yesterday I ran in the Mercedes (Half) Marathon. I had been training for a little over two weeks by running with Elizabeth, Ellen, and Riley. I felt I could complete the 13-mile run but expected to walk for several miles. The run up Greeenspring Highway was tough but Renie, Robb, Irene, and Lil Philip were waiting to cheer me on when I turned onto Valley Ave. After that there was only one more big hill before the run into the city with lots of down-hill runs. I was able to finish! Around mile 11 there was a beer stand giving away Michelob Ultra Amber. They had a sign that said sometime like "You know you want to quit. Have a beer" . Though I did have a beer I didn't quit. My official chip time was 2:17:04. I started running with Ellen but got separated in the crowd around mile 2. Her official time was 2:07:30. Elizabeth ran in the relay with some students in her OT class. The official results for the relays have not been posted but they finished the maraton in about 3:30.

My overall men's place was #821 out of 1140 runners. Also, there were also 520 women that came in at a faster time than me! I guess this means that I have a lot of room for improvement. I am taking the next few days off to let my swollen ankles rest then I am hitting the road again. Emily tells me that she is training for the Nashville Half Marathon so I may be joining her for that in April.