How it ends..

 Sometimes I think how races end are so special and so spectacular.  Have you ever been more "in the moment" than right there.  Your heart is so open, your body is so shelled.  You're running the last 4 miles of that marathon on nothing but pure guts and pure heart.

Your feet are burning, your hair hurts, and you've got nothing left.  You think about nothing, nothing other than getting to that line and crossing it so you can see those you love and well, eat something other than gels or bars.

Even though your body is failing you will it to make it those last miles.  For some reason, I really cherish those times when we are stripped down.  There's nothing left to hide behind and no ability to be anything that you're not.  You have very frank and simple conversations with yourself (or at least I do?  Anyone else?).  I say things like "it's only 30 more minutes of doing this, tops...get there  Kim" or "After this you can first of all, sit down, second of all, hug Kyle, eat an awesome meal after spending 20 mins in the shower"  I bargin and I reason and sometimes I just go blank and listen to my own breathing.

Sometimes I think about all those who have touched my life, everyone from my first cross country coach Fran Nesta to my college coach Beth Sullivan.  Sometimes I think about Ryan Ballou and our team and other times I think about Christina Schuliger, who is beautiful, funny, and smart and who had the courage to beat a brain tumor down with a big old stick.

I think about how all of these people are part of the puzzle and if I can just get that line it's like giving them my own high five, my own personal thank you for being who they are and for contributing to my life and believing in me, inspiring me and loving me.

I think about the people watching online and I know every time I cross a mat they are right there..

Hey.. it's a long time to be out there.. got to think of something right!!

 It's oh so rare that you have the opportunity to see the final moments after the finish captured.  As a very awesome & rare occurrence, this time, I had just that (but didn't know it at the time of course!).  I'm a executive committee member of the group SCAN and our executive director just happened to live in Cleveland and decided to come out to the race with a really nice camera and take a few shots and play support crew with Kyle which was really amazing.  I wouldn't have any of these shots if he didn't and these are definitely keepers!

So... want to know what happened right after I crossed that finish... well, I don't remember much.. but these are some good evidence and they made me smile all the way down to my toes!!  Thanks to Athan for taking these pictures and sharing them or I wouldn't remember this exact moments post-finish line.

 I don't know who she was.. but we had a moment!  Thank you to all the volunteers who came out and made our day possible!

Thank you Lord, for my friends, and for this chance, this one opportunity.. this gift that you gave me.  Even if I never do another race, I'll never forget this one day.  I know I didn't win, in fact, I know I was 20 minutes off the top three ladies but I know if you want me to get there.. then I will. Amen.