October 29th has been a date that has been in my head and lingering in my future for the last 5 months. And here it was. It hit me the morning of like the batmoblie going at full speed and I wasn't sure if I was ready for it. I have been looking towards this date for so long and I knew no matter how long it took me to finish the marathon it would go by too fast. I was ready to run but I wasn't ready for this to be over, if that makes any sense at all. Tori and I got up and instead of being overly chatty we were eerily quiet. I think we both knew if we talked the nervous would set in and maybe if we didn't it wouldn't make this all so real. She jumped in the shower as I got ready. And before we knew it we were walking downstairs to met our team to go to breakfast. My mom and Ron were there waiting and the energy in the room was amazing. You could feel the buzzing of everyone around us. We were ready...this after all is what has consumed our thoughts, Saturday mornings and painful recover days for the last 5 months. This is what we came here to do.

We ate and took some pics and came up with a game plan to meet my parents along the course. I got my trash bag (runners wear this before runs to keep warm and so we can throw them away on the course) Jim wrote my name on my arm and we were off to the starting area. We got there and check our bags, stood in line for the porta potties, stretched, ate our first Gu of what would become too many. Talked and lined up. Tori and I bowed our heads and said a runners prayer for everyone to have a great and safe run. After that a clam swept over me and I knew in a way it was my grandma. Her name was on my back, I was running for her and I knew she was with me and I would get through this. I put in my Ipod and clicked it to my running play list that is in sync with my pace and miles. And I had yet another moment. I looked around and had to fight off the tears. I was here, I had done it. It was a long hard, bumpy road but I picked the one less traveled and I knew once I crossed the finish line it meant I made it down that road no matter what anyone else had said and no matter how many people have doubted me. This was my moment, my dream and I was going to soak it up. The good, the amazing, the painful and the power of all of this.

The gun went off and the elite runners started and a few mins later the huge mob of 12,000 runners waxed and waned and started to lurch forward. Soon Tori and went across the start line and as they say that was the beginning of the end. My first 3 miles where great I got everything on my belt situated and I started to get the feeling back in my toes because it was so cold I forgot I had them. I saw my coaches and mentors and they cheered as I went by. I hit my pace and rhythm as we pulled in to Phoenix Park. I hit Mile six and it hit me. I was doing this and I could finish this. All I had was 20 miles left to go and I had already made it through a 20 mile run before... that's when for the first time I could finally taste the finish line. It became real then. I knew no matter what I was going to finish. Before I knew I was at mile 13 meeting up with my mom. I changed socks, got some more Gu and put some more body gild on. My split time was great. I took off 22 mins from my half marathon time and I was stoaked. I felt good, calm and strong all things you want to feel on marathon morning. I was so happy that today was going to be a good run.

I kept my pace up and was doing 10:2 splits. Which means I run hard for 10 mins and then speed walk and stretch out for 2. I hit the aid stations and saw my coaches Jim and Sara. They ran with me through a mile and I told them how great I felt. At the time I had been on the course for about 2 hours 33 mins and it went by in a blink an eye.

I was counting down the miles to when I hit mile 20. I was running great and 17-19 I did amazing. At 19 it was time for another Gu and because of how strong and good I was feeling I took my GU way too fast and with not enough water and almost instantly went into stomach cramps. I slowed down my run but felt so sick to my stomach I was needing to stop ever 2-3 mins. I was in pain and not happy. This was for sure my bite me miles. I had hit my runners wall, the thing I had heard so much about and for the first time I got what all the talk was about. This sucked. I wanted to stop and was praying I wouldn't see my coaches because I knew the second I saw them I would lose it. Mile 19.5-22.5 I was dry heaving on the side of the course and barley even walking. Instead of my fast paced speed walking I was moseing down the course taking breaks and sitting alot! I either wanted to puke and get over this feeling or stop the marathon. Those 3 miles took me over 1:45 hours to complete and I was pissed...at myself.

Mile 23 came and I started to feel better. I went back into my speed walking and splits. By the time mile 24 came up I was getting hungry and tired I was ready to be done. I saw my coach and her husband. They ran me through to mile 24 and gave me a salt packet. Then passed me back to Jim and Sara and they got my to mile 25. As I parted ways with them they told me to live it up because I only get this once. The last 1.2 miles is the longest I think you will ever do. I stoped in at a starbucks to pee so that I could fully enjoy my experience and it took every ounce of strength I had to get out of that warm bathroom and back on the freezing course. I don't think you will ever understand how cold I was. Running 25 miles still hadn't even come close to warming me up and I had lost a lot of feeling.

During this time I started to go back to the part of the course where people were watching us run. I don't think the crowd realizes how much they get you through that. When you have hundreds of people cheering for you and telling you you can do it. You have to believe them because at that moment with 25 miles under your feet and behind you you truly can't muster the strength to believe in yourself any more. You have to believe in them. Every one I passed I looked in the eye and their smiles gave the strength to put on foot in front of the other. I was broke and I wanted to stop but that crowd wouldn't let me. I rounded the corner and saw one of my favorite coaches, Ellen from the walk team that helped me get through my knee injury and told me I could do this marathon when my doctors were telling me I couldn't. I saw her and the flood gates opened.

She came and put me in her arms and said that this whole time when everyone was telling me that I was almost there they were lying and she said "I will not lie to you, you know that. Katlyn, you are there. Right around that corner is your finish line. Everything you have worked for and fought to get to, it is right there baby and I will get you there." She grabbed my hand and ran me in so that I could finish strong. A few feet from the finish line she took my hat off and hugged and kissed me and said "Go make this your moment, go earn that medal and I will see you at the other end of the finish line. Remember head up and smile for that camera." I had no words at that time, I dried my eyes and ran across that finish line. And I lost it.

I looked over and saw my mom and stumbled the few feet to her and collapsed. I did it. In 6:40 hours. I was done. Ellen came up and picked me up and told me it wasn't over yet I had a medal to get. Through a blur of tears I walked over and got the medal placed around my neck. I was a Dublin Marathon Finisher.

I got my finishers goody bag, went to bag check and put on my warm clothes. I got some food to eat and made my way to the TNT booth and checked in and got my 26.2 pin I turned to go to my hotel. I saw my mom and Billy coming my way. I was soo happy to see them both but really happy to see Billy. To see someone who understood what I just went through. I had to fight back more tears. We took a few pictures and I went up to my hotel to shower and see how Tori did (My whole team did amazing, we a had a few problems but everyone finished)

After that was a blur of pain and hunger. I ate, b****ed and went back to my room to try to sleep through my throbbing legs. I wore my medal to bed.