As long as someone else is doing it too...

.....that makes it socially acceptable....unless you are both certifiably crazy!!

Horray! I did it......no I didn't win...darn Ethiopians.....gotta come over here and show us up.....i mean really....I was this close to beating out 33,000 other people.....right....stop asking me if i won....really i was just attempting to not slither across the finish line. It was awesome weather 50's to 60's while it was snowing back in N'ville. Gorgeous blue skies, perfectly flat-except for that slight upward incline on mile 26 against a very strong wind (thanks race planners). Phoenix was beautiful with mtns surrounding all sides of the city, palm trees and cacti everywhere. Very different from the south. The last 6 miles were the longest six miles I've ever done in my entire life (thanx for the warning carla-one i could have done without)....i swear each mile got longer and longer...and my dumb mp3 player took the most opportune time to completely freeze on me...mile 20...as if i needed you the first 20..the last 6 were unbearable without it.....i was still smiling at 17....that left me with time to hear all the cusswords people were using around me and i actually noticed that everyone near me was just kinda limpin and very slowling crawling to the finish (kinda looked like zombies slowly creeping through the city streets, but slightly less scary since no one had the energy to be any kind of a threat at that pt)...thanks tnt for all those super cold, early mornings loaded with hills....i definatley faired a lot better......although...i'm definately appreciative that katie met me at mile 24 and did the last 2 with me, cause i was in need of some good encouragement. Would I do it again? That night I was not even considering it, but the next day when I was hardly sore and walking some good hills out in sedona...then hiked a mile down into the grand canyon on tues, and 1.2 miles straight up the side of a mountain over only boulders on wed plus several other hiking trails...the answer is....probably, but not till next yr....gotta give those ethiopians time to recover and train a little more so i can give them a true run for the money! for now, i'll stick to training for the country music half in april! go team erin! (currently recruiting for runners to train under my direction and official cheerleaders for race day)