There Goes My Life...

Firecracker Chase Rewind

For years I have wished for the Firecracker Chase to return to Fayetteville.  It was my very first race. A race before I was a runner.  I have in recent years tried to put the bug in the ear of local organizations.  There are lots of local 5k runs.  Pretty much every Saturday of the year, you can find a 5k within 45 minutes of Fayetteville.  What Fayetteville needed was a longer race.  So when I received a message to come by the city recreation center to talk to Rickey, our recreation department director, I was thrilled to find that he was on the same page as me.  We chatted, and I put him in cotact with Steve, a friend and fellow runner and local race organizer.  The ball started rolling and after 20-years the Firecracker Chase will be run again on the streets of Fayetteville, Tennessee on Saturday, June 29.

The Firecraker Chase was the 10 mile race that was held in my town on or around July 4th.  When I was in the 4th grade I decided I was going to run it.  Had I ever run a race before?  No, not other than on field day at my school.  Field Day was a big event every year.  It was our school's version of the Olympics. All the classes competed against each other to see who could win the most 1st, 2nd and 3rd place ribbons.  This wasn't like the field days that our schools have today.  Those races like the sack race and 3-legged race.  Those were fun races and didn't count in the ribbon count. This was serious business!  We would have tryouts.  You had to be the best in your class to represent your class on field day. 100 yard dash, softball throw, broad jump, and the main event - the endurance race.

I can still remember that Glenda Norris was the fastest girl in my grade. No matter how hard I ran, I could never beat her.  Never.

I don't know what made me decide that I was going to run the Firecracker Chase.  I mean it was a whole lot different than the endurace race...like 9.5 miles different.  For whatever reason, I began my training. My training consisted of running from my grandparents' house down the road to my cousin's house and back.  Probably 1/2 mile round trip.  I did it day after day though. 

I can remember the day I decided I was going to do my first long run.  My cousin was in from Indiana.  She wanted to run with me, so I said let's go.  We met my mom on her way home when we were about 2 miles into this long run.  I was doing fine.  My cousin not so much.  She had fallen and skinned her knees.  A runner's got to be tough, huh?  So we kept going. My mom stopped and made us get in the car.  That would be my one long run.

Well, all my training helped. That year on field day, I found my pace in the endurance race.  I was right behind Glenda.  As we approached the home stretch, I made my move.  No longer drafting, I shot out from behind Glenda and sprinted to the finish line.  I was the first across.  My first blue running ribbon!

Fast forward to summer, and it was race day.  I have no idea why, but my parents weren't there that day.  My cousin, Scotty, who was in 6th grade was also running, so I rode to the race with my aunt and uncle. We started out, and I was doing good.  After a while, probably a mile in, Scotty left me because he had to if he was going to win the race, right?  I knew he was a lot fast than me, and at this point the police car was behind me.  For those who might not know, there is a  police car in front of the runner in first place, and there is a police car behind the runner in last place.  

I kept going.  I ran and ran and ran.  I ran farther than I had ever run before. I remember crossing the downtown square and people cheering for me.  I'm not sure how much further I went after that. Being an adult runner who runs all over the streets of our town,  I am guessing that I ran 3 or 4 miles. Pretty far for a 9 year-old.  I remember seeing my aunt and uncle parked on the side of the street, and I decided I had gone far enough.  I got in the car, and we went to find my cousin. I remember seeing him on the last stretch before returning to the finish line at the recreation center.  He did it.  10 miles.

Fastforward 30 years, and I am going to get the chance to finish the race that I started as a 4th grader.   This time I hope to not see the police car behind me.  But you know what?  He's got to be behind someone.  And that person, well...they're doing more than most.  And as someone who has had the police car behind them, I can testify that there are worse things in life. This time, I'm just going to try to be one of the first 100 and get my finisher's medal.   I'm just wishing that I still had that baby blue t-shirt to go with it. ;-)

Found his sport?

Stewart has never been one for sports. Honestly, he had rather have a game controller in his hands than a ball or bat.  This is hard for a mom like me who loves sports.  It really shouldn’t surprise me that he doesn’t care for sports because his daddy doesn’t either.  I’m the one watching the football games in our house.

He had a pretty short soccer career.  Two seasons and honestly it probably should have been one. I’ve asked him over the years if he would like to try baseball or basketball.  One day out of the blue he told me that he thought he wanted to play baseball.  I told him that when it was time to register the next Spring we would sign up.  My friend Christy called me to tell me that it was time for sign-ups, and I asked Stewart if he was ready to play. He looked at me like I was from Mars.  He told me then, “I don’t play ball.”

His school has a wrestling team for boys his age.  Lots of his little friends are on the team.  I thought that would be perfect for him. I mean after all, he’s great at fighting with his sisters.  No dice.  He was not interested even though this sport didn’t involve a ball.

So I gave up my attempts to induct him into the sports world.  Maybe he would make a lot of money in game competitions. Then Chris and I registered for a 5k trail run a few weeks ago.  The girls were both at sleepovers, and we didn’t have anything for Stewart to do while we ran it.  Stewart was already planning to do the 1 Mile Fun Run, but he had never done a 5k.  It’s a fun, family event, so we talked him into running it with Chris.

He LOVED it!  He was so proud of himself for finishing! 

Elizabeth is on the middle school cross country team this year. When we went to the first meet of the season, we discovered that there were also races for children as young as Kindergarten. Our team’s head coach decided to give the younger siblings of our middle and high school team the opportunity to participate in the meets. So, this past Monday, Stewart ran in his first cross country meet. Our team had two runners in the K-2nd grade division. Stewart and Case lined up with all the other teams who had many more runners than us I might add.

And they were off!

The little guys run 1000 yards.  I couldn’t see him for most of the course, but when he came back into sight he was still smiling.  That was all that mattered to me.

He’s not the fastest one out there, but he’s having fun!  AND he’s participating in a sport.  MY sport.  You know I love that! 

We’re already looking forward to next week. :-)

For the joy of it.

I am a goal oriented person.  I need something to push me.  It’s just my personality.  If I don’t have a goal, I come up with one. At the first of the summer, I decided that I wanted to run another marathon. There is one very near to my home the first of October, and it fell where I could run it the first weekend of fall break.  That meant that I could recover at the beach.  Sounded pretty awesome. 

I think my training started out well.  I was getting in my short runs and was up to 10 miles on my long runs in June.  Then life just seemed to happen.  I started having some of the same shin pain I had while training for my marathon last December.  This time it seemed to come on earlier in my training.  More than that though, I just didn’t seem to be able to get my long runs in like I should. Maybe it was laziness on my part.  Whatever it was, I decided about 3 weeks ago that it just wasn’t going to happen. 

Sure, I could have kept trying to train and then end up having to walk a good part at the end.  That just wasn’t my goal.  If I was going to put my body through it, I wanted to be in better shape and be able to finish faster than I had in my first marathon. I didn’t think that was possible, so that is why I decided not to sign up. 

A part of me is disappointed a little, but for the past few weeks, I have been running for one reason and one reason alone. 

Because I like it.

My friend, Dawn, is training for her first half marathon, and I have been running with her.  I have a new No Boundaries group, and they are training for their first 5K.  I am helping them reach their goal.  And you know what?  Right now that is enough for me.  For the first time in a long time I am running just for the joy of it, and it seems to be all the goal I need.

What goes better with RC Cola and Moon Pies..

…than a 10 mile run through the rolling hills of Tennessee?  I can’t think of anything better!  This past weekend was the 17th annual RC Cola and Moon Pie 10 Mile Run in Bell Buckle, Tennessee.  It is part of the RC Cola & Moon Pie  Festival that is held there each year.  I ran it for the first time 3 years ago, and finally made it back this year.

Even though it was 4 miles longer, this race was a much better experience than the one the weekend before.  Lesson learned from the week before, Saturday’s race was my long run for the week.  Plus, for the first time ever before a race, I slept all night!  I felt so much better than I did the week before.

(Waiting at the start line)

It was overcast when we started.  Thankful for that.  However, humidity was 100% at 7:00 am when the race started.  The humidity got better, but those first few miles were tough.  After the Mile 2 water stop, I pulled out my iPod Shuffle and settled in for the race. I think I had forgotten just how strong I was 3 years ago when I ran it for the first time.  I ran it in an even 100 minutes with no problem.  I had never run 10 miles before that day, and I know I could have run it faster than I did.  This year I ran it in 105 minutes.  I felt good afterward, so maybe that means I didn’t push myself hard enough.  I was a little disappointed in myself when I realized I wasn’t going to finish it in 100 minutes this year, but I put that behind me and just enjoyed my time.  I had totally forgotten about the hills at both mile 8 and mile 9.  I think they added those since last time. ;-)

I had told Chris to start looking for me at the finish 1:40 minutes after the start, so as I got close to downtown Bell Buckle I started looking for him.  I knew he would be looking for me because I was behind the time I wanted. All of a sudden I spotted him head and shoulders above the crowd.  He is a tall guy anyway, but he had found a wall or something to stand on, and I was so happy when I saw him.  I love that he wants to go to these races with me.  Knowing that he is at the finish line waiting for me, looking for me, keeps me running when otherwise I might walk or even quit.

Near the finish line and I was feeling strong. Like I said, maybe I should have pushed myself harder the entire way.  I was still able to smile.  After 10 miles a smile is really meant!

After the race, we headed to the breakfast tent.  Bell Buckle has the best post-race food.  Sausage and biscuit, fruit, popsicles and of course every runner gets an RC Cola and Moon Pie.!  We did a little shopping.  The kids had asked for us to bring home some Moon Pies, and we brought home a bag full.

This is such a fun run. It’s not an easy run.  There are hills and it is usually hot, but it is lots of fun.  I highly recommend it.  I have run a few races in the past few years, including one at Walt Disney World, and I think this would rate as my favorite. I’m already looking forward to it next year,  Maybe next year will be a new PR.  :-)

The good, the bad and the ugly.

As a runner I think I should share the bad as well as the good.  When someone asks me about running, I tell them how much I love it.  How it helps me keep my sanity.  How I feel so much better when I run consistently.  I usually only have good things to say; however,  I am going to go ahead and admit that running isn’t always rainbows and butterflies.   I have very little good to say about the past weekend.

Alabama A&M University 10k – Saturday, June 11, 2011 – 7:30 AM

My running buddy, Erin, said she was going to run it. She is in the Huntsville Track Club and needed to run it for their Grand Prix series. No one else I knew was running it, so I decided to ride down with her.  It was a cheap run.  Registration was just $10 on race day, and it would give me 25 miles for the week.  I don’t think I have mentioned it, but I have started training for my second marathon. So I thought it would be a good idea.

Rewind a couple days.  On Thursday of last week, I ran 5 miles alone.  I finished in 50 minutes flat which is what I like to do.  When I run alone 10 minute miles are my goal.  My first mile was just over 9 miles and then I slowed a bit for the remainder.  I felt good at the end. Friday morning I ran my long run of the week – 10 miles.  That my friends, was not the best idea I have ever had. 

So back to Saturday morning.  I had run 10 miles the morning before.  I did not sleep probably more than 3-4 hours Friday night.  I always have that problem when I have to meet someone early in the morning.  I am just so afraid that I am going to oversleep.  So I was tired.  I was tired, but I still had high hopes.  I had run strong on Thursday.  Race pace is always faster than a training run.  I was thinking I might could come home with a PR.  My PR for a 10k is 58:45.  I at least wanted to run it in under an hour.  That was totally doable.  Or so I thought.

The Good.

I ran my first 4 miles on pace to run my goal of under one hour. All 4 were under 10 minutes so that meant I should be able to reach my goal of under 60 minutes

• Mile 1 – 9:34
• Mile 2 – 9:45
• Mile 3 – 9:43
• Mile 4 – 9:51

The Bad.

It was HOT.  I mean H-O-T HOT. I can’t say it enough.  Alabama A&M’s campus is also built on a hill.  Part of the race course was a loop that you ran twice.  At mile 4 there was a hill.  When I say a hill I really mean a mountain.

Straight.  Up. 

If it had not been paved I would have needed hiking boots with spikes.   This is where my race fell apart.  I walked it.

• Mile 5 – 12:06

The Ugly.

That mountain I mentioned?  Well, the second time you went up it was just before you reached the 6 mile marker.  Yes, the race finished pretty much uphill.  Ugly is a nice word for it.  When I reached the top I thought I was going to vomit.  Seriously.  I walked for just another bit before I made myself start a slow jog for the remaining .20 of the race.  I felt as if I could barely pick up my feet. I might have walked if not for my little man, Stewart yelling, “Go Mommy!”

• Mile 6 – 10:45

To say the least I was disappointed with my time. My worst ever for a 10k. It’s hard to go into an event with high hopes but come away from an with a feeling of failure. 

Trying to look on the bright side I told myself, I did it.  I made it through without passing out or having to be attended to my paramedics.  That wasn’t the case for everyone that day. I did get to see my friend, Erin receive her 1st place award for her age division.  I have a story to tell about the worst race I ever run.  I’ve run it once, and I never have to run it again.

Erin and me post race. A smile to just have it behind me.

Where to start?

This just isn’t a good place.  Actually posting about everything that has been going on the Barnes household since my last post seems impossible.  Totally overwhelming!  I really need to do better about this blogging thing!

Well, for one thing, we no longer have any kindergarteners living in our house.

(Stewart and Mrs. Juli.  Oh how I wish I had one more kiddo to send her way.)

School has been out for a week and half and we are well into swim team.  The girls are doing to awesome.  They are both learning breast and butterfly stroke now.  Just amazes me.

Stewart is in the Advanced Tadpole group this year, and I think he will probably be able to move into the lanes by the end of the season.  Last night was his first practice and he did great.  He is much more focused than last year.

(photo courtesy of my friend Jennifer)

Monday I ran Cotton Row 10k and 5k races.  This was the first time I had ever run it, and I enjoyed it in spite of the hot temps.  Not a PR for me by any means, but I was happy with my time considering I had trained very little. I was proud of my No Boundaries team.  They came so far in their 10 weeks of training.  Cotton Row was the race they had trained for, and they did great.  Especially considering the heat!

We followed the morning run with our annual turkey hunter’s Memorial Day cookout.  Friends and lots of yummy food.  Turkey of course – barbequed, fried and smoked.  We also broke out the water slide for the first time this summer. Good times!

We’ve also done a few home projects and the kids and I also made a weekend trip that deserves a post all it’s own.  I’ll share those soon!

No Boundaries

I am so excited to be a mentor for the No Boundaries program!  I love sharing my love of running with others, and this is a great way for me to get to share it with new runners! Our nearest Fleet Feet store is about an hour away, but they saw the need for the program in our little town.  I’m so excited to be part of the inaugural group!  Last night we had our kick off party at the store where everyone got a bag filled with cool running goodies.

I even got to live my lifelong dream of being a model last night.  We coaches/mentors had a little fashion show with some of the latest spring running styles. :-)   I loved the top Erin modeled so much that it had to come home with me thanks to a gift card my sweet in-laws gave me for Christmas!

There is still time to register.  We won’t start meeting/running until Monday.  So if you are interested just go here to register.  Come join us as we train to run the Cotton Row on Memorial Day!  It’s going to be a blast!

Run a marathon – DONE.

So it’s been on my bucket list for a while to run a marathon. Even though I have run some half marathons a marathon just seemed so far out there.  I remember completing my first half marathon.  I can remember running across the finish line and actually thinking at that very moment that I could not imagine running another 13.1 miles. I was just so happy to be done at that point!

It was still on my list though.  The first of this year I told Chris that I either wanted us to have another baby this year (I was really dreading the fact that Stewart would be starting Kindergarten) or I wanted to run a marathon.  He quickly agreed to help me train.  So I thought about it but really didn’t do much to reach my goal.  I did train and run a half marathon in April.  I set a new PR that I was pretty proud of, but after that my running was put on the backburner.  That was until I was invited in September to join a Saturday morning runner’s boot camp at my kiddos school.  I have always been in awe of Erin and her running accomplishments.  She is in the elite club of runners who have run a marathon in each of the 50 states.  She was training to try to qualify for Boston at the Rocket City Marathon in December.  Not until that first Saturday I joined the boot camp did I know that there were some other local runners planning to also run it.  They had been training for a few weeks, so they were ahead of me.  I had not run in months.  Erin took me under her wing and assured me that I had time.  She told me I could be ready.  I believed her and began my journey of training for my first ever marathon.

(Erin and I before the start of the 2010 Rocket City Marathon)

Erin has mentored/trained/coached so many runners through their first marathon. These are the ladies I have been training with.  Erin trained Beth for her first marathon a couple years ago.  She shared with her daughter, Jane, her love of running.  Jane is now an accomplished runner and was the 4:30 pacer for this year’s marathon.  Erin has now helped Emily and myself reach our goal of completing our first marathon.

(L to R: Beth, Emily, Erin, Jane, and me)

So Chris and I decided to stay the night at the hotel where the marathon started so that we could get a little extra sleep the night before.  We went out to dinner so I could get my carb load. :-) The next morning my running buddies came to our room to hang out and make one last visit to the bathroom.  Much better than a cold port-a-potty!  Then we headed out to meet a couple more ladies from Fayetteville who were running that morning.

(L to R: Me, Melissa, Helen, Emily, Erin and Beth)

It is so nice to have your own official race photographer.  Haha! Not really official, but Chris is wonderful! There will be more about that later.

I’ve talked about the trouble I have been having with my legs.  I was thrilled that by race day they were feeling much better!  Jane was the 4:30 pacer.  That was the time Erin had to cross the finish line in order to qualify for Boston.  I didn’t know if I could run the entire marathon at that pace, but I was going to try.  I knew that I was feeling good, would be high on adrenaline and decided to start with the 4:30 pacers along with Erin.

We started off great.  It was so nice to run with a group.  I had never done that before and everyone was really chatty.  That helped considering that headphones were prohibited in this race.  I don’t usually wear headphones in a race, but I had never run this distance either.

I didn’t know where I would be seeing Chris.  We had looked at the spectator map together, but it didn’t make a lot of sense to me.  Most of the time I was running I had no idea where I was.  I did know where I was on mile 5 and I was thrilled to spot him as we crossed the street. 

I threw him my headband I had taken off on mile one and would have thrown him my jacket if I didn’t have the pocket full of fuel. Erin and I were doing good and right on pace.  I hoped to see him again soon.

Times to this point:

•  
  • Mile 1 – 9:59
  • Mile 2 – 10:19
  • Mile 3 – 10:08
  • Mile 4 – 10:00
  • Mile 5 – 9:59

The next time he magically appeared was between miles 10 and 11. 

I was still on pace, but I think this was one probably the hardest stretch of the run.  It was flat, but was long, straight and windy.  I didn’t really enjoy this part of the run. I was a little behind most of my group, but still on pace. 

• Mile 6 – 10:02
• Mile 7 – 9:47
• Mile 8 – 10:05
• Mile 9 – 10:01
• Mile 10 – 10:19

This stretch I spent some time with a couple gentlemen who were experienced marathon runners.  I am so glad that Chris got this shot of Bill.  It’s not a very flattering shot of me, but I am glad to have it of Bill.  He started out with our pace group, and he and I ran the majority of the marathon in close proximity.  He was such an encouragement to me and knew just what to say and when to say it. 

I didn’t get the second gentleman’s name, but we talked for a long while.  He was from California and was on a quest to complete a marathon in each of the 50 states.  I told him this was my first marathon, and he thanked me for taking up the sport.  He said he started running marathons in 1984, and he estimated that there were 25% of the number marathons then that there is now.  We laughed about how some people had no idea how long a marathon was.  We laughed about the times we had been asked if a marathon was like a 5k.  He told me that when I finished my marathon I would be among the 1% of the population.  Pretty cool statistic, huh?!

• Mile 11 – 10:11
• Mile 12 – 10:23
• Mile 13 – 10:30

Now just like on my long training runs when I reach that half marathon mark my pace starts to slow. 

• Mile 14 – 10:54
• Mile 15 – 10:43

My pace was starting to slow, but I was with a lot of the others who had also started with the 4:30 pace group.  Someone said at this point, “Where is that girl with the sign?!” On mile 16 I stopped for a bathroom break.  So this next mile includes standing in line at the port-a-potty.

• Mile 16 – 13:08

This would also be the next mile I would see Chris.  I was really surprised to see him because I had absolutely no idea where I was.  He told me after the race about how nice a police woman had been to him there.  He was looking for a place to park so he could get out and take pictures. She told him to park his truck in the middle of the street.  I have to say that all the policemen and women were so nice.  I tried to thank each one as I crossed a street where they had stopped traffic, and they were all so nice and so encouraging!

After taking my potty break, I could no longer see Erin and Jane.  I knew that I was not going to reach my goal of 4:30, and I was just praying that Erin would.

• Mile 17 – 11:54
• Mile 18 – 10:39
• Mile 19 – 11:36

Somewhere before mile 20 there were some spectators standing by the curb in front of their home.  They had a sign with on of my favorite scriptures:

…let us run with endurance the race that is set before us… Hebrews 12:1

I told them it was one of my scriptures and thanked them for being there. I needed it. 

Side note: There were some really great signs.  My favorite one read: Chuck Norris never ran a marathon!

Bill and I were once again running together.  I paused to walk and he encouraged me to run to the stop light at the top of the hill.  I told him I was tired.  He told me there were just 6 miles left and asked me how many times I had run 6 miles.  Just like he was my dad, I did what he said.  I ran to the stop light at the top of the hill and then ran all the way down and through the tunnel. 

• Mile 20 11:48

Somewhere between mile 20 and 21 Chris was standing on a corner waiting for me.  Once again I had no idea where I was, but he had found me.  At that point I was so tired.  I had just thought that I wished I could see him.  I didn’t know if I would see him again before the finish line, but I could really use a familiar face.

I didn’t see him until I was almost to him.  I looked up and there he was.  I remember telling him that I was so glad to see him.  I told him I was so tired and tears flooded my eyes.  He kissed me.  Told me I only had 6 miles to go, and he would see me at the finish line.  As I ran on, I couldn’t breath.  It was as if I was hyperventilating. I stopped, walked and caught my breath.  Bill caught up to me and asked me if I knew that fellow.  I told him I had been married to him for 17 years and had been with him since I was 17 years old.  He said that it didn’t sound like I was ready to trade him in yet.  We kept going.

• Mile 21 – 12:17
• Mile 22 – 12:09
• Mile 23 – 12:26

It was somewhere on mile 23 that I had a talk with God. I asked Him to help me get through these last 3 miles.  That I had run 3 miles many times, I had trained for this, and just to give me the strength to keep going. So much of running is mental.  At this point my legs were just exhausted.  It was going to take my mind to get me through.

• Mile 24 – 12:31

Bill asked me here how many times I had run 2 miles.  Many, many times.

• Mile 25 – 13:05

I had been walking/running with Bill.  When my watch hit mile 25 I told him I was going to have to run if there was anyway I was going to finish in 4:45.  He told me to go, and I did.  I was tired, but I am proud to say I ran mile 26 in 10:42.

Now, my watch was off from the actual course.  My watch was registering the miles about .25 mile before the official race mile marker.  I suppose this is because I may have weaved some from side to side getting through traffic.  Plus crossing streets for breaks.  So I wasn’t thinking about that when I set off to run that last mile.

As I made the last turn I could see the finish line. I started watching for Chris.  Never did I expect to see these two waiting for me at the finish line.

Oh, when I saw them I about lost it.  My eyes filled with tears.  I knew I was going to be emotional when I finished, but just having them there! It made it so much more special.  My sister had brought them down so that they could be there to see me finish.

I ran through the finish line, and a handler put a wrap around me, my finisher’s medal around neck and handed me my hat.   My official time was 4:49:42. Not my goal, but I have never been prouder of an accomplishment.

It was so sweeter having my girls there with me.  Such a wonderful surprise.  They and their daddy are so sneaky.  I really had no idea.  It wasn’t until Sunday that it hit me that I didn’t get a photo with Chris.  That makes me a little sad, but I will always remember him being there and supporting me the entire way.

 

The first thing I asked when I saw Jane after I had finished was if Erin qualified.  She didn’t.  She like me ran out of steam.  She finished about 5 minutes before I did.  I was disappointed for her, but she was OK.  I know she had to be disappointed, but just like so many others said that day I knew that she was just thankful to be able to be running. 

I may have not finished in the time I had hoped, but I finished. Just a short while ago I thought 26.2 miles was an impossible distance.   I did something that I never would have thought possible for me. 

My sweet husband said that he used to think the Marathon Runner was just a myth, but  he had seen 1,500 of them that morning.

He’s now married to one.

Marathon Eve.

Note to reader: I will admit right now that I have very little hope of this post making any sense whatsoever! I am so excited I can barely sit in my chair.

Seriously! 

I do not remember the last time I had this feeling.  How can I describe it?  Maybe day before wedding excitement? I know I probably felt like this the day before I was scheduled to go into the hospital to deliver our babies.  This is probably how my kids feel on Christmas Eve.  The same way I felt when I knew Santa was coming that night.  I’ve been a little (maybe a lot) nervous, but after our run Wednesday I felt better.  I was just excited then other then just some little pre-race jitters.  This morning after Chris and the kids left the house, it hit me that it’s really almost here!  When they left and I glanced at the clock it hit me that I would be getting ready to line up at the start line that time tomorrow! Since then there has just been this electricity running through me.  I’ve been in the office this morning trying my best to work, but it is just so hard to stay focused when I have a marathon to run tomorrow!!!!

I am just praying that the rain holds off until I am done.  I would appreciate any prayers you want to say on my behalf, too!

I’m excited that Chris is going to be there. Oh I just can’t wait! 

I had to laugh when I read Jane’s post today. Looks like I’m not the only one having trouble concentrating at work.  I’m so glad that she is going to be the pacer for the 4:30 group.  I really hope I can stay close to that pace.

Ack! It’s almost time!!!!! 

Running down the road…

…laughing all the way. 

OK, you probably have to be crazy to go running when it is 22 degrees outside!  I have never laughed as hard while running  as I did today.  We gals decided to get one more run in before the big day.  We were all a little goofy this morning, but Erin was in rare form today.   We started off running on the shoulder of a 4-lane bypass and quickly met the first of what would be many 18 wheelers over the course of the first 1.5 miles.  Erin started directing him to get over and believe it or not he did! She gave him a big wave (as she does everyone we meet), and he even honked his horn at us.  For the next 1.5 miles we were on the bypass she directed all 18-wheelers to move over and they did! How nice not to be blasted with an extra cold burst of arctic air as they passed by!

Oh what fun it is to run…

That would be Erin in the tree…

Yes, we had to get a photo of us all after we finished our last run before the marathon Saturday.  We finally got Erin out of the tree.

Emily’s hat doesn’t have a gray band around it – that would be FROST!  I told you it was cold.  Oh, I am still laughing! After our run we went to The Chuck Wagon for breakfast (local dive for you non-local readers) where we were loud and laughed some more.  Fun, fun morning!

So it’s almost here!  Tomorrow morning I have a massage scheduled. Yes! Then I will be checking into the hotel Friday night.  I can’t believe it’s almost time.  I’m a little nervous, but VERY excited! I’m so glad there are going to be lots of my running buddies there to cheer each other on! Wish us luck!