I must quote start with a few quotes.
I'll repeat this one about Eric Liddell, just because. "He runs because 'God made him fast for a reason'. His running is a reconciliation of his faith and his passion, which is running. He runs for the glory of God. His faith always remains constant and pre-eminent in his life...".
And now one from Meb Keflezighi (2004 Olympic Marathon silver medalist and today's New York City Marathon Champion) about fellow teammate Ryan Hall when asked, what makes Ryan run so fast? Meb said, "Ryan understands that God has blessed him with a talent. His strong faith and commitment let him conquer the ultimate distance - the marathon".
Although Hall placed 4th today at the NYC Marathon, and likely wanted a bit better time, I'm sure that he was thrilled to run for God.
I was.
And now for the results: a personal best time of 2:46:27, first female, and 8th overall. I think this makes me 5th overall in Canada.
I must thank:
1) God. Jonathan (my super husband), Micah and Seth (our 3 1/2 and 1 1/2 year old boys). Check out the pictures below. Micah was thrilled to finish my chocolate milk and Seth was proud to walk down the stairs, on his own, to greet me once he woke from his nap. Jonathan had signs all over the house for me when I returned, including one on the mailbox that I could see when I drove in the driveway.
2) Mitch and James - my amazing pacers. Wow, those guys were super! They paced me from 22-42 km and I WOULD NOT have run so fast if I didn't have them.
3) Deb Jones and Mike Hamilton with the Runner's Den for their great support.
4) Coach Nicole Stevenson. Supporters: Chariot Carriers, Eload, and adidas.
5) And numerous others - family (including my sister who listened to my crazy excitement 2 weeks ago when I came up with the idea to run two marathons 5 weeks apart) and friends.
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2nd Woman.