ok - so i have to start out with my usual enthusiasm because in all honesty this was an AMAZING DAY!! my gf and i hooked up in the parking lot at hampton and boarded the bus to kittery, maine and ended up sitting with 2 of my fellow MVStriders!! so cool!! the bus put us at the academy before 8:30 and they weren't quite ready to hand out bib numbers, chips or shirts yet, but that was ok - time for bathroom breaks and to good conversation with fellow runners!! right before we headed out to the start i spotted CNYrunner and her family!! so awesome and so glad i did because i'm sure she was long gone before i finished!! so great to meet you Karin!! my gf told me she was going to run with me most of the time because it was her first 20 miler ever and she said it would be fun to do it together for my birthday - well, i told her to pull ahead any time she wanted cuz she is truly much faster than i am!! we stayed together for the first 11 miles which was soooooooo FUN!! probably way too fast for me but fun anyway!! the good - unofficially i ran 13.1 miles in 1:57 so i have my unofficial sub2hour 1/2 marathon - the bad - probably too fast for me considering i had 7 miles to go...............but, it was in my head to push really hard for those 13.1 miles and then just take it easy for the next 7 - didn't realize just HOW EASY i was going to have to take it!! by mile 15 i was slowing down - by mile 17 i was HURTING!! BUT at 17.25 right in front of the ashworth hotel was the best site EVER!! my dh, and 4 of my friends all standing there, holding a sign for me and singing happy birthday - now how cool is that - that was the best present at the most needed time!! unfortunately, mile 18 brought some horrible calf and toe cramps - can't believe it - really felt like i ate right and hydrated properly but at that point i had serious doubts about my ability to finish - i was in agony - but i just told myself walk when you have to jog when you can and that's what i did .......... really tough way to finish tho and the calf and toe cramps after were crazy - bummer!! but that's the ugly and i finished to i'm still happy!! the only other disappointment which i won't let bother me is the race times afterward were WAY off - when i crossed the finish the 20miler clock said 3:17 and my garmin said 3:17 (there was a 2nd clock but that was for the 1/2 marathoners and was 3:09 so knew that wasn't my time) ......... well, the posted times at the post-race party had me at 3:25 and my gf's time was 8 minutes slower than her garmin as well!! so strange - how could that be???? i don't know but i'm going by my garmin and what i know i saw on the finish clock!! so - all in all - I AM HAPPY!! it was a glorious day - sunny, dry and a slight chill in the air!! i dressed right for me and ditched the gloves party way thru - 2 running shirts, MVS singlet, long pants, headband for the ears and boston marathon cap for the sun!! the race is beautiful - i love seeing the ocean altho i could have done without some of the highway running (1A south) oh - NO STOMACH cramps this week - YEAH!! AND i met Henry and Marj as they were leaving the Ashworth and I was arriving!! so fun!! my dh and friends were inside and i grabbed some post-race food they sat with them for a couple of beers!! now i'm home, happy to be done and waiting to have birthday cake with my dh and boys!! thank you for reading!! LIFE IS TRULY GOOD!!!!

Happy Birthday! What a great way to celebrate! Great race and RR. I bet it was really great to see your support section at mile 17.25! Congratulations! Steve

How wonderful to read a RR where the writer runs a great race, does it well, has a good time, enjoys her birthday, and meets new friends. What an enthusiastic and happy report this was. Very well done. Spareribs

thanks everyone!! you are all my inspiration!!

This IS the only way to spend a BD...with a great ...challenging LR, friends.....what more can there be... You did awesome....time to sit back with a big smile...

Happy Birthday, and congrats on the race. It sounds like you had fun, despite the cramps. Are ya ready for your next one??

First HAPPY BIRTHDAY! Second WAY TO GO! You gutted it out when it got tough! That has to be soooo satisfying. Nicely done!

Congratulations on persevering on for those last 7 very tough ones, getting your sub-2 hour half in the process, and most of all for feeling so good about your great day.