Race Report: Carolina Marathon

Well, I did it.

10 Marathons. 10 States.

I can officially apply for the 50 States Marathon Club.

like woah.

It went off without a hitch. Everyone slept the night before. No one got sick. The weather was PERFECT.

The course starts in downtown Greenville, S.C. and winds its way into Cleveland Park and the Swamp Rabbit Trail. This trail, also known as the SRT, is one of the coolest things about Greenville. It is a paved path that travels all over the city. It is popular with runners, walkers, and cyclists. It is free from traffic and in most cases surrounded by trees, leaving you with this wonderful "I love nature!" feeling.

The majority of the race is run on this trail so course support was minimal. However, the volunteers and the supporters that were out there were very encouraging. There were adequate water stops but definitely lacking in the porta potty department. There was one bathroom on the beautiful campus at Furman University. It was clean, and there were no lines so that was a win.

My running partner and I chatted, enjoyed our surroundings, and marveled about how good we felt. Then, of course, my body decided that it was no longer a fan of this let's run two marathons in 1 month thing, and decided to rebel. I developed this knot in my right shoulder that made it hard to turn my head. Then the muscle in my right thigh that I strained during my last marathon decided it had had enough. Annoyingly enough, its a muscle that's part of the let's help your leg lift and move you forward team. I wasn't going to quit. Or give in. So I just kept moving. I had to keep moving.

Crossing that finish line was like that last bite of the most perfect piece of chocolate cake. It was fullfilling. Satisfying. but I'm done. Well, at least until January when I run the Mississippi Blues Marathon. But then after that I'm taking a break from full marathons. I think I might chase after a half marathon PR :)

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