Day 2,548 —Running the Go St. Louis for the 11th time— (with pictures of a path in the woods and the sunrise)

It was weird seeing such a small gathering at the start of the marathon, but people were friendly, and I talked to a few runners as I waited. I got to start in the front, which was pretty awesome. I stayed in the top three for the first ten miles.

I spent the morning putting music on a mp3 player at the last minute, but I didn’t use it at all. I was too busy thinking about my current health making sure I wasn’t pushing myself too hard. 

It was cool going across the bridge. I wanted to stop and take a picture, but I was running. The wind started getting progressively worse, but for a big chunk of the run I just powered through. It wasn’t until mile 20 that I started really slowing down. I knew I had to. I was getting dehydrated because I only took one hydration pill, and my body was starting to notice. I tried to keep it together the best I could. I even drank some Gatorade near the end, but it was too late. 

When I finished, they gave me my finishers bag. I had the beer they promised and a fruit cup, which I was thankful for. My wife and daughter found me immediately, and it was fun talking to them after the race as I tried to recuperate. 

I tried to eat the Lays potato chips, but soon found them inedible. I probably shouldn’t have even tried the beer, but I thought it would be a nice treat, since I usually don’t drink. 

By the time I got home, I was sick and wasn’t feeling well, but I took a nap, and my cat Ulysses watched over