Just like the Marine Corps Marathon, this race had a Beat The Bridge. It was a lot more liberal than the MCM, but you still had to get to the Washington Baum Bridge before like six or seven hours. Unlike the MCM, this bridge is very late in the race. Mile marker 23 is almost on the middle of the bridge.

I had mixed emotions getting to the bridge. On the one hand, I had just run about 22 miles, so I was all kinds of messed up emotionally. On the other had I had just run about 22 miles, so I was really happy to be getting close to the finish. On the third hand, the bridge has to let boats pass under it. It isn't a drawbridge. It's a hill bridge. At mile 23. Not fun.

I think the bridge is the biggest hill in the race. When we started I thought it was the only hill, but that assumption was shattered in the Nature Preserve.

I was hurting when we got to the bridge. I was starting to feel a little dehydrated, which means my body was significantly dehydrated and was just getting around to letting me know. It felt like the water stops were fewer and farther between than in the beginning of the race. I don't know if that was just my mind playing tricks on me or what.

It was pretty fun running across the bridge. I like running races over roads that I've driven on. It's just a cool feeling.

This race I broke with the Cohoon Bridge tradition. Previous to this race, every time a Cohoon had to Beat The Bridge, he celebrated by walking over the bridge. Since I was trying to push myself a little harder than usual, I didn't force Olga and her friend to walk. So we ran to the base of the hill, walked up, then ran back down. I was tired, but it worked.