Five months. That's all the time I had to go from a 13-year running hiatus to tackling my first marathon. The result? A surprising 2:33 finish on my hometown streets of Little Rock. This is the chaotic, exhilarating, and ultimately rewarding race day recap.

From a last-minute registration to a freezing start line, and a wardrobe mishap, this race was anything but ordinary. But despite the chaos, it delivered a huge confidence boost for my marathon training.