BMO Vancouver 21.1K, I Got This

Wow. What a day.
What a long day. What a full day. How amazing. I feel incredible-ized.
I can't really explain it. I kept repeating, "Holy Fuck, Holy Fuck, Holy Fuck, Holy Fuck" along the whole last 100 metres. I couldn't believe I'd done this.
But I did. Strange things happened along the way. The weather was miserable Vancouver mist to full on rain. After all of the sun I've had in training! This!
It went great. I remember the start, there were almost 20 000 people in this! The fake start, surge forward, to we are really going now, to not knowing the route, and just following, to oh, yeah, I love running in the traffic lanes! Over the Georgia viaduct! Awesome. To, how far into east Van are we fucking going? To, back into Gastown, and , wow, that went quick, to Stanley Park!
I remember a high kick at the entrance to the park, Kenny Loggins brought me Footloose, and I got fancy free. I honestly turned into some demented cheerleader! I was yay-ing, and cheering. I was yelling out, "We are halfway home!", and, "We are doing awesome!" At Prospect Point, I was shouting at the hill, "Come on hill, I'm ready for you! What you got for me? I'm gonna fuck you up!" And the best part was that people around me were smiling and yeah-ing.
In my 10K last week, there was one grey haired old dude during the last 2k, when I was dying on my feet. He just was talking out loud, to everyone, or himself, "We've been working so hard! We are almost there! Just this one little hill left, we are going to get there! Here come's the finish line!" I stuck close to that guy, he gave me power. And today, I was that guy!
I sang songs out loud. I got really excited about the distance markers. I told myself everything out loud, and people near to me would smile and yeah man me. I booted up that big hill. I got choked up partway, since I was doing so well at kicking this hill's ass, I felt like I was done the hard part. Unexpected stuff started happening. A tear came out of my eye: expected. Suddenly my throat closed up and I couldn't breathe, I was making a heaving sound trying to breathe like I had asthma: unexpected! Emotional reaction during running: not allowed!
The downhill didn't hurt like before when I practice ran it a month ago, but I got a wicked cramp in my tummy in the last 5K stretch along Beach and Pacific. In the last 3k, the rain really came on, and I put my long sleeve back on, since I had slowed right down and was stumbling along with my tummy cramp, and cooling off bit. Once I was soaked through, there were only 2k. I kept taking little walks, but, the crowds cheering along the sidewalks were thickening, and I felt like if anyone had come out to see me, I would be letting them down if I passed them by walking! I kept running for the last 1.5k. One foot in front of the other, and repeat.
The finish line was amazing. I saw the sign up ahead. I was looking at my heavy t-shirt sleeves. I was smiling. I had it in me to sprint. My legs felt longer, I took big steps, and got emotional again. My throat promptly closed up, the wheezing began, and I suddenly understood the people who collapsed at the line, to be carried across. I don't want to be that guy! I always just thought they weren't in good enough shape to do this, even though they looked it. Lightheaded, I had to button this up for a minute, focus, and not get emo. I looked up at the clock once more, put my head down, and booked it for the length of BC Place. I made it to the finish pads, and immediately slowed to a heaving, struggling stop walk. I went up to a lady, who decorated me with my medal, and then towards the plastic bag section, to get a blanket to keep my wet ass warm somewhat until we addied up at the meet spot to go. But first I grabbed the finish line photo guy, and made him take my portrait, "You have to get this! I just did this for the fist time ever!" Did I kiss my bicep!? What a geek...ha!
The finish line area was a mess. I got cramps in my butt and thighs just waiting in a crush to get out and over to the meeting spot, I was saying fuck alot...shuffling, wanting to push everybody out of the way. Eventually funneled through into the spot, and got set to walk home to Paula's to get the celebrating on with.
Peeled off the wet clothes, sat in a cold bath, then grabbed the champagne and tuna dip and shuffled out to the hot tub, which felt amazing, except for the chafe spots! Popped the cork and cheersed, passing the magnum all around and reliving our experience of the race to each other for about fifteen minutes. Awesome.
Showered, dressed, and sat at the food table, eating, eating, eating, and drinking more champagne. Went for a celebratory mani-pedi at the new hot-spot, nearly passed out in the chair as I was massaged and attended to by two ladies after downing a bowl of ginger chicken.
Haha, I was getting tipsy! And I couldn't seem to get enough to eat!
I was trying really hard to get tropical, and really celebrate the day, but I folded at around nine, before anything out of hand could go down.

So happy! I feel like I accomplished something. Which I did. I set a big, crazy goal, and went all in for it. You will not see me moving fast for a few days. My thighs feel flayed and scraped today, I can't wait for the massage. But I feel like a champ. And I've got a medal to prove it!

Shouts out:
Paula, Carrie, and Amy, my race compadres! My thanks to the Johnson family for all of their support. I couldn't/wouldn't have done it with out you guys behind me! And to my bro and his fam, who came out in the rain to cheer me on! Sorry, I couldn't look up at the finish, and sorry about the "Fuck Them" written on my hat and shoes, but your babies don't know what that's about yet. I'll be happy to show them all about it when they are ready:) Thanks Luker, for putting up with all my whining through training, and telling me to just get it over with on the rainy day practice runs when I didn't want to go. And Michael, for reminding me to FUCK THEM!!, and generally boosting my ego to raise me up from struggling trying, to champing out.
And to everybody else, who rolled over at eight a.m., or was having coffee, and thought, "Holy Shit, Emma's running right now!" I got every one of those good thoughts, and they got me through this!

I'll keep you posted on the recovery...and now I will continue eating.