Challenge

Last June I signed up to run the Barcelona Marathon.
The Zurich in the name refers to the insurance company that sponsors the event.

The route goes by a lot of tourist spots, which was fun for the runners
and maybe entertaining for tourists.  Or maybe a big pain in the neck.

I enjoyed being part of the pre-race expo and 

seeing where I would be on Sunday.

Bonus picture of scooters for my younger sister.

This is part of my loot. The women had orange shirts with a picture
of women and the men had grey shirts with an orange picture of a man.

I also received a magazine with all sorts of details and a bit
about mental preparation, like letting go of worries about weather
and "the shape of rivals".  It was like they read my mind.

And then came the big day! I had been training with a long-distance coach and felt prepared (nervous, scared).  I was grateful to have already achieved my first goal, which was to come through the training without an injury.

D. took his bike to Barcelona and found me on different parts of the route.
He brought socks, drinks, food, and sunglasses in case I wanted them.

I am glad there was entertainment for him along the way,
like this group running with the rolling giants.
I like that the giants' shirts match the runners' shirts!

Was this more entertaining for us than for the runner?

The energy from the drumming groups on the route was fantastic.

A. came to town to cheer for me and R. made dinner tonight.
It's great to have a supportive family!

This is now mine!
Finishing was my second goal.

The first half was exactly the pace I wanted and the second half was not. I did not meet my third goal (going faster than I did in Denmark six years ago). I was happy to finish strong and pass a few people who had passed me.

Now it is onto recovery.  Walking to the train was slow and going up and down the stairs was awful. It was nice to stretch my legs on the train instead of having to drive home. Cycling from the station was also slow, but better than walking.

I am trying to decide whether to train for a half-marathon so I can run for the cycle over the course of a year (almost).  I ran a 10K on New Year's Eve, a marathon today, and I am guessing I will run a 5K on Thanksgiving. Something to look forward to!