A Tribute to my Legs

I'd like to take this opportunity to thank my legs. On Saturday they got up bright and early and waited outside in the frigid temperatures, to start the longest race they have ever endured. Despite my nerves and their shivers they started running at 8 am and kept on going. They kept running at mile 7 when I was almost hit by a car. (It clipped the lady 2 feet in front of me. Scared the crap out of me.) And they kept moving at mile 9 when my ipod took a dump and stopped playing my audiobook. (I almost cried. I had to run 17 more miles without any music or audiobooks! It still won't turn on.) They continued on as I passed the 13.1 mile marker, marking the half way point. They weren't phased by being only half done, thought mentally I was a little. They continued at a surprisingly steady and swift pace through miles 15, 16, 17, 18, and 19 impressing the crap out of me since I have never run so far in my life. At mile 20 they started to falter but wouldn't quit. When at mile mile 21 my knee hurt so bad I thought I would cry and then started to give out, they slowed to a walk, but kept on moving. Despite all odds they started to pick up the pace and continued to carry me at a trot, albeit a slow one, until my knee gave out again. They continued this through miles 22, 23, 24, and 25. I must say that miles 22 through 25 may have been the hardest things I have ever done. I couldn't form any thoughts other than just simply repeating to myself, "put one foot in front of the other." Then unexplicably my legs just took over and at mile 25 my legs went into autopilot and trotted to the end of the race. Finishing at just over 5 hours, with a time of 5:07:57. I had hoped on running it in around 5:30, so I was pretty thrilled with this time.

So here's to my legs who may not be long,  skinny, or particularly nice looking, but gosh darn, it they took me harder and farther than I ever expected them to go. They amazed me with their stamina, their desire, and their unrelenting power. Who knew they had it in them!