The marathon was on Sunday Oct. 16th. Mom came to Marshalltown on Saturday afternoon so Chris and I could head to Des Moines to stay the night at the Holiday Inn. (We are missing Joe and Rena being in Des Moines for a free night sleep!). Mom had a great time with the kids while we spent some time alone. We had a nice dinner followed by Cold Stone and did a little shopping at Jordan Creek. We went to bed early for a good night sleep before the big race. I actually slept really well, thanks to an Advil PM. The weather was perfect, cool but not too cold, and no rain thank goodness. Chris dropped me off downtown and eventually met up with Christina and Nate, and then Amy and Jacob. A big thank you to Jacob and Amy for supplying the photos!! Chris was overwhelmed by the course map and downtown Des Moines so Christina and Nate were a huge help to him navigating the course so he could see me multiple times. It was so neat to see my family and hear them cheer as I ran by. It was so cool to run on the track at Drake stadium, thinking of all the amazing runners who have run around that track. I felt really good until about mile 18. I had trained up until 22 but for some reason racing 18 miles feels different than training 18 miles. I hung in there until about mile 21. Then I calculated my time and realized I could still make my goal and walk a good chunk of the last few miles. It was just too tempting. So I did walk portions of those last five miles. I finished in 3:58, a very respectable time, my goal being of course to finish, and to finish in under four hours. I am happy I did it, and it was worth the training. I really took for granted all the time I had to enjoy exercise before having children. Now, working full time with two kiddos, exercise time is something you negotiate with your spouse, relish in when you have the energy, and never take for granted! I am happy I am healthy and have two working legs and two working arms so I can run. I am blessed with a healthy body and I never want to forget that.
Amy jogged about a mile and half with me. She told me stories about her adventures in cooking! Sounds delish Ames, thanks for your support!
Where Amy left me Chris took over. What a wonderful family I have!
Immediately post finish. I would have sat in a strangers lap if I had to. I just wanted to sit.
Gulping down the chocolate milk Greg and Rox had for me at the finish. I don’t even like chocolate milk. It was gone in 45 seconds, top. I didn’t even taste it. Thanks so much for the best recovery drink!!
Thank you to everyone who wished me good luck and supported me during my training. Thanks especially to Chris for all his love and encouragement. I can only do as much as you help me do Chris. Thank you for allowing me to do so many of the things I want and dream of doing. You are my favorite!!!
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