How NOT to run a marathon (Circular Logic Recap)

DON'T
1. Don't make your single longest run only 13.31 miles, with the other "long runs" more like 9. Or 8. Or 6.5... (I could blame this craptastic winter, but the fault lies with my own will. I choose not to run long in the brutal cold or on the treadmill).

2. Don't stay up late the night before. Even if it's the first time you've really had a good conversation with your husband in a while, he'll understand. Definitely don't stay up past midnight, and then get up at 4 am.

3. Don't forget to factor in wind when you get dressed. It's not going to warm up as much as you hope, you fool.

4. Don't quit. 8 miles in, when you have to put the extra shirt back on that you had just taken off a mile ago, and you are so cold and grumpy (but somehow still smiling), don't quit. Even when you run within 10 feet of your car. DO NOT QUIT. (taking extra bathroom breaks in the heated bathroom is perfectly acceptable, though)

DO
1. Do remember to smile.

See the ponytail? WIND. Stupid, stupid wind.

2. Keep smiling 6 miles later.

3. It's ok to tell a volunteer you're "full of four-letter words" when you are 23 miles in and so undertrained, especially if you're still smiling.

4. And when you finish, do remember why you run. For me, it's all about fun. And since every photo taken of me had at least half a smile that day, I can overlook being undertrained, miserable in the cold wind, and the fact that my legs are still swollen 2 days later. It's hard to explain to non-runners how I could be so miserable and still be having so much fun, but that's the magic of running.

Marathon #5 took 5 hours, 31 minutes and change. That's my second slowest time, but all things considered for the day, I feel like finishing is winning. 

That makes 7 races at marathon distance or longer. It will probably have to stay that way for at least the remainder of the year with all the moving coming up (and that silly promise I made to my husband about training for half marathons or less while he's gone). But, I am excited to run 2 half marathons coming up (Carmel and the Indy Mini). As the year reveals itself, I hope to add a few more.

What's your worst race experience? This was definitely my worst marathon. But if the worst marathon still had me grinning, I'd say a bad run beats a good day in office!

Have you ever DNF? DNS? I thought about quitting, more than I care to admit. I do not tolerate a cold wind at all. I couldn't get warm until I stopped by my car towards the end (and resisted temptation to get in and leave) and grabbed my winter fleece jacket to run the last 3 laps. 

I better get back to packing. Any moving tips? Seriously. Want to come help me pack? When I'm unsupervised, I tend to pack a box and then "oooooo, look at this, let's do something completely irrelevant for the rest of the day...."