I finished!

I have no clue what time I pulled off but I know it was sub-4:30:00. This is awesome. My legs feel like they should still be moving but I walk to a guy holding a lot of metals. Pause briefly and dip my head as he puts one around my neck. “Thank you”. I move on to a table full of cups with some kind of recovery drink. They are smaller than the ones we’ve been given throughout the race but anything will do at this point.

My face is covered in salt. Everything hurts. I continue on slowly and can hear people saying my name. It doesn’t matter. I turn onto the sidewalk as my parents come over. My mom has a big smile and wants to hug or something but I can’t stop moving. I tell them so.

As I start to walk down toward the port-o-poties I hear my name again. It’s Jon and he has my hoodie. I hadn’t realized that I was cold until I saw it. Man was I cold. After puting on the hoodie he sticks out a small jug of chocolate milk. It looks as good as salvation at this point to me. I open it as quickly as possible and begin to sip. Gotta keep walking. I can’t stop moving. Continuing down a wheelchair ramp because stairs seem rather daunting at this point, I find my way to the booths and notice that there is a Team Diabetes one. Not sure if I’m supposed to check in with them or not but I finally collapse near their tent anyways.

My feet are killing me. I get my shoes off and am able to relax. My clothes are soaking up all the water from the grass and I continue to get colder. I don’t care. After a while of just laying there I realize how much I need to change my clothes and make my way to the port-o-poties. Jon brought me a change of clothes. It hurts to walk. It hurts to move. Everything hurts.

After changing, my parents let us head back to Jon’s for rest. We stop on the way and pick up some fruit. I eat a banana on the way home. Once there I eat two apples, another banana and several ribs. I love meat at this point. Upon checking the Calgary Marathon website I find myself on it. My chip time was 4:22:53, still can’t believe I pulled that off. Not too long after I head to supper with my parents. I get the largest, juiciest, most bacon ridden burger that I can find. It is so good.

I continue to eat everything I can find for the next 24 hours.

Then I head back home for work the next day.

What a weekend.