Finally

My time finally was 3h51m59s, hardly 2 more minutes than my personal best.

I am happy to have finished the race (which this time around had turned out to be the number one concern again), and to have finished with no injuries. Of all three marathons I've run so far I think this is the one I've run best, tactically speaking. I wasn't particularly fast in the first half (about 1h53m - I had planned 1h52m) but that slow pace paid off in the second half. Today, I was finally able to enjoy the last quarter, from kilometer 35 to the finish line. I just felt great and strong in those last kilometers, and even managed to increase my pace. Believe me when I say I was secretly dumbfounded. (A big smile crossing my face must have betrayed me though.) Marathons are tough and to be able to 'enjoy' them through their toughest parts was news to me. And in this case news is definitely good news, terrific news. To sum it all up this one's been, by far, my most rewarding marathon experience.