3:42 and HAPPY with that

I did the best I could on THIS particular day (thanks for that line Theresa).
The race started out very well today and I was easily on pace for a sub or at least a 3:30 up until the 25-27K mark. At this point I started to get cramps in both of my calves. They were so painful that I times I was literally limping instead of running. At the 30K mark I knew that my goal of 3:30 was out of reach because by now I was about 1:30 off my target pace. For the next 12.2 it was all about just finishing the race.
It was one of the hardest things to accept mentally as I had put in so much training to get to this point and now by body had let me down at the worst possible moment.
With 7K left to go, each step became more and more painful and yet I had to keep going. Looking back on this now, I can give myself credit for not giving up and even though I'm disappointed with the outcome, I will learn from this and figure out what I need to do to avoid these cramping issues in future races.
Seeing the finish line today is something that I usually sprint to but yesterday it was more like a relief than anything else.
Immediately after the race I couldn't walk and had to be helped to the medical tent where one of my friends (thanks Jen) helped take care of me. My hands were freezing, not a good sign right after a race, so I was taken from the physio tent to the medical tent.
Throughout the next 30 or so minutes (it felt more like an hour) I was on the table and couldn't get warm. At times I was shaking so bad that the table was moving. Another good friend (Kristin) was able to keep warm and more importantly, calm.
Eventually I was able to get some electrolytes into my system, got some massage for my calves, quads and hip flexors and was able to walk or limp out of the tent.
There are so many stories within a marathon, both good and bad, so instead of looking negatively on this experience I will look at the positives instead.
I finished the race!
I finished the race over 20 minutes faster than my last Mississauga Marathon. I realized how great it is to have amazing friends. I know that physically, once I figure out the cramping issues, I can reach my goal. My love for running, even with this setback, has never been greater. And finally, I can return to running for fun......for a month until my next marathon training program starts up!
Thanks for all the support I received from those of you read my blog. It means so much to me.