Really nice job. "Not as horrible as I feared", and "no death march" makes this a big win. Plus perfect pacing for nearly even splits - who does that in their first marathon (or in any)? I think all testament to a lot of running and half-racing experience before your first marathon, rather than rushing into it like some idiots who shall remain nameless. And 15 is as good a time as any to start dropping f-bombs. I think 15-16 was about the point in my first that I realized I was starting to wear down and still had a very, very long way to go.

I sort of like the out & back; it's kind of cool to see the leaders, and it makes me feel like I am close to the turnaround point, even though it turns out I am not.