MISSION Accomplished!!

WE DID IT! 7 or so months of hilly preparation and I couldn't be happier with the results or the experience. It's ass cold today but luckily the rain held off and we kicked some ass-phalt. 5 hours - 5 SCMHOURS! We finished in 4:53 - 4:54 (my watch time was 4:54:18 which included getting a finisher's medal, which was tangled up with a few others and then dropped on the ground, so I'm not sure what our time was when we crossed.)

The whole thing was awesome. And no, that was NOT beer Brent was drinking. The parks strictly forbid beverages of that sort and everyone was there to have fun and no rules were broken. The volunteers were GREAT - esp the lady in the cowboy hat and the Mile 21 water stop crew (pictured in one of the posts below). And the popsicles afterwards - OMG! I was freezing but that banana choc chip popsicle was worth 26 miles of hilly torture.

The winning guy was around 2:50 or something - RIDICULOUS!! Well, I am going to take a WARMMMMMM shower and then a nap. I have SO earned it. I'm really not that sore - yet. My left foot - always my weakness - has taken a massive beating. I've got a large bruise that I felt pretty badly from Mile 12 on.

Lots and lots of pics to follow tomorrow!!! Congrats to everyone else who conquered the Monkey today, as well as all the Philly finishers. Shore Turtle - you are my freakin' hero!!! You're a rock star!!!

Oh, and Brent - sorry I lied to you about what our time was up to those last few miles. See, I knew we were going to break 5 hours for a while, but then I knew we could REALLY beat it if I had a few extra cushion minutes in there. You know I just like to push you. It wouldn't have been the same without you. How about a 50K in January??? We could be ultrarunners...... =)