NYC Marathon Highlights

Please excuse my language in advance.

5:30am alarm.
WHY IS THE BAGEL PLACE CLOSED I NEED A BAGEL THIS IS VITAL TO MY NUTRITION PLAN
The gate comes up - bagel procured.
Guy on a bike wishes me "good luck!" as I walk to the subway.
Waiting for the R train with a fellow marathoner from Johannesburg.
Arrive at Whitehall. Why is it raining?
Meet up with the most wonderful people, 2 of them in the best outfits ever seen.
Storm the Staten Island ferry with a billiondy-thousand other people. Lots of standing.
Snacks and laughter on the ferry.
What up, Lady Liberty?
First time setting foot on Staten Island.
Waiting for a shuttle bus.
Waiting for a shuttle bus.
Waiting for a shuttle bus.
Ate all my pretzels.
On the bus. Steph says, "The NYC marathon is just like NYC itself. Amazing, overwhelming, awesome, horrible, bitchy."
Finally at the starting village.
Cannons for the elite runners' start.
Someone should have warned the Boston 2013 runners about those cannons. Not cool, NYRR.
In our corral. Shit is getting real.
Rowdy Italian guys singing.
Crazy hilarious camera guy.
Cannons again.
Frank Sinatra sings us up to the bridge - "New York, New York"
Shooting the shit with other runners on the bridge.
A runner proposes to his girlfriend just after the 10k.
A kiss and a handful of pretzels from Ian.
Hilarious signs and great crowds along 4th Ave in Brooklyn.
Music blaring on Lafayette St.
Dancing with my running buddies.
Whoever was blasting "Roar" by Katy Perry in Greenpoint gave me chills and MADE MY LIFE.
"Welcome to Queens!"
Rocking the Queensboro. Feeding off the energy of the people pounding away in front of me and being so grateful to be there with Pat, Steph, and Ben.
Realizing I wasn't obsessing over how many miles had gone by or how many were left.
Starting to feel tired looking for my co-workers on 1st Ave.
Hitting mile 19 and starting to obsess over how many miles are left.
Trying to figure out if Pat is running faster or if I am just fading. Keeping up.
Hitting 20 and further obsessing over how many miles are left.
Welcome to the Bronx!
Naya!
Already back in Manhattan? 21. We got this.
Fuck Fifth Ave.
That long, long hill.
What mile are we even in?
Gatorade?
I hate this hill.
I think I'm dying.
Seeing my co-workers and Ian again.
The biggest, best hug from Charlotte.
ARE WE STILL ON THIS HILL?
I might pass out.
FINALLY, into Central Park. Where is mile 24?
I hate my life every step.
I might actually pass out.
People stopping to walk right in front of me and I have to elbow them out of the way because I physically can't step to the side (sorry walking people).
The spectators are awesome.
WHERE IS MILE 25?
WHERE THE FUCK IS MILE 25?!?
Ok, 25.
A teenaged girl yells, "Go Shelly" and we make eye contact. Somehow I feel like she really gets me. I am delirious.
800 meters to go? What the fuck does that even mean? I can't do math right now.
People all around me are yelling "Yeah, Sue! Go Sue!" for a runner that must have been around me but I'm reminded of the heart over my heart for MY Sue, and that keeps me from stopping to walk even though I want to SO badly.
Ok, this is the last hill. I knew this race was going to end on a hill and now I'm ready for it.
OH SHIT THIS IS ONLY MILE 26 WHYYYYYY?!?
Another hill?!? Are you shitting me?
I see the finish line!
Hill.
So.
Worst.
Ow.
Yelling every step.
Crossing the finish.
I DID NOT WALK IN THIS MARATHON.
Holy shit I am the most badass human alive.
Walking literally forever.
Crying the last block because it hurt so bad and I was so happy about the race and so happy it was over and all the feelings.
Ian. Friends.
Pizza.
Beer.
Cookie.
Mexican Food.
Bed.