It’s here!

I’m sitting here waiting for the start of the Amica Newport Marathon and I’m wrestling with a confusing heap of mixed emotions … Excitement, fear, anxiety … Dread. Music is blasting through the chilly morning air at Easton beach. Runners are milling about, going through their pre-race routines. Bathroom lines are long. For many, it’s still too early to start stretching or warming up, but nervous energy is beginning to boil over. It’s 41 degrees and mostly people are just trying to stay warm. Driving the course yesterday, I got so excited as we neared the finish, I got weepy. I’m gonna be a hot mess today! Accomplishing something of this magnitude for me is very emotional. As I sit here today, surrounded by 1,200 other marathon runners, I feel like I’m the only one here. This is mine to win, mine to lose. There is no more lonely and empowering feeling in the world. Just me against the road … Every bit of the 26.2 miles of it. But isn’t most of life like that? It’s you against the world. Go for it! And wish me luck.

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