Miracles and Marathons (well, half at least!)

Ever since I ran my first marathon in 2004, I have dreamed of someday running a marathon with my husband and crossing the finish line together with hands clasped in shared victory.

Well, that didn't happen, but we came pretty darn close.

A couple of months ago, a few friends and I decided to run a half marathon in October to celebrate Oktoberfest in this little Bavarian town called Leavenworth. Thinking that I was being both understanding and magnanimous, I told Richard that he could come up and be my cheerleader. Little did I know how that comment would fester until RIchard would decide to run the half marathon himself and show me who was a cheerleader.

Leavenworth was really great! It only took two hours to be transported to Switzerland!
But Washington would not be Washington without its Starbucks coffee (but it is just so much cuter with flower boxes and European lettering).
this was the fish hatchery (the FISH HATCHERY) where we picked up our race packets and both started and ended the half marathon. We did not get a free fish with every entry.
But at least you get a sense of how gorgeous Washington can be (once the clouds move).

a picture taken along the half marathon route. (its a camera AND its a phone! and its also a mapmyrun thingy).Richard just before the race. At the fish hatchery. In Leavenworth. During Oktoberfest.

Anna and I made these posters for Richard. He went from total sedentary accountant to roadrunner! Every long run he would say "thats the longest I have ever run in my WHOLE life." And then he would compare it to me running 27 miles. The biggest dillema for me was whether we would run together or individually. On the one hand was my dream...on the other hand was my desire to beat the pants off of everyone! I asked Richard what his preference was, and he responded that the main factor was whichever choice produced the least amount of regret for me. In his own words: "I know that you always wanted to cross the finish line with your husband...are you going to make me run another race because you didn't get to live your fantasy?"

In my defense, my fantasy involved running a marathon together, not a half, and my fantasy also didn't involve my husband listening to his ipod with noise canceling headphones which negate any opportunity to converse and share the experience while we run together.

So the fantasy still lives.

One of the really cool parts of this race was having so many friends up there running it with us. In the picture above, Jared is demonstrating the absolute joy that comes with wearing Dora the Explorer bandaids for chafing protection.

These women were just two of the dozens of runners in full costume regalia celebrating Oktoberfest. I'm sad I didn't get a picture of the man in leiderhosen :(

Kari, my friend who just showed up spur of the moment to run the race with her friend. No big deal, just 13 miles when you haven't trained for it. She looks like she just won publishers clearing house.

Rose and Becky. Awesome awesome. They both made times that were well under their goals. Do I know how to make friends, or what!!!

My favorite part of the race, as always, is the grab bag afterward. I judge the strength of a race by the free goodies they give me afterward. THIS WAS THE BEST RACE EVER!!! There were candy bars, apples, bananas, muffins, granola bars, licorice, jelly bellys, nutella, cookies, and fruit leather. The other runners were mere amateurs, just trying to hold snacks in their hands. I asked for a bucket, and then filled it to the brim. My bucket makes me happy!

don't know why I am making this expression. I would like to think that I am just trying to pop my ears from the increased elevation, but I don't think that was it. I leave you to imagine.

Richard finished his half marathon in 2 hours 23 minutes.

Rachael finished her half marathon in 1 hour 41 minutes. Richard was right, your playlist is everything. I finished the race listening to Bonnie Tyler's "looking out for a hero" from the Footloose soundtrack. I am the hero!!

The miracle of the race was that Richard had our car key in his pocket when he started running t the race and at mile 7 realized that it was no longer there. A single black key, somewhere in 7 miles of trail. Two hours away from our home. The couple carpooling with us promptly decided they were going to go home with somebody else, and Richard and I both said some prayers. I had seen God work miracles in our lives before, but I honestly didn't know how HE was going to get us out of this one. However, when Richard was getting his race T-shirt from one of the volunteers after he finished, he just happened to mention that he had lost his car key somewhere on the race course and she said "oh, someone turned in a key about 10 minutes ago-- its right over here. Is this it?" and there was our single black key, turned in by some awesome, and compassionate runner."

Hallelujah! God does answer prayers! Happy Oktoberfest to everyone!

My inspiration!

Well, I did it. I signed up for the Seattle Rock n Roll half marathon! I am excited. It is my first race in more than two years. I definitely have the itch again (and I am not talking about athletes foot!).
However, it was a big concession for me in not signing up for the full marathon. In choosing the half, I recognized the limitations on both my time and ability to train in the next few months. I am usually not good at practicing "not running faster than I have strength" (in fact, my family would submit that I actually only have one speed, and run neither faster or slower...ever!) Someday I will do full marathons again, but until then, I will focus on these babies as my inspiration.

I am an Aasics girl. They have never given me blisters in 5 marathons. My goal is to turn my new pair of shoes in all their squeaky clean, impeccably white, untested glory...
...into a pair of shoes more closely resembling this proud specimen from my last marathon.
I am amazed at how attached I have become to my shoes. I have such a hard time throwing them away, even when they no longer have any shock absorbency and they become and indeterminate color of muddy grey. I look at them and I think about the literally hundreds of miles that I have run in them and how well they took care of me from the start of the race to the finish. Worn out shoes, to me, are the reward from a race well run-- better than any token medal.

The sad part is that I have been wearing my old racing shoes, which once crossed the finish line of the St. George marathon in dignity, to places like the grocery store and the library. They have definitely been put out to pasture! Time for a new pair of shoes to take its place!