Marathon update

The hard part of my training is over. Yesterday I ran 20 miles--my longest run of training. My running partner and good friend, Kristin, was kind enough to bring me Gatorade and Kleenex at mile 5. Then she met me at mile 8 to run the rest of the way with me. She's a great distraction! At mile 19.5 when I began making faint noises of discomfort, she was quick to encourage me, and it helped carry me through the last half mile which seemed to last FOREVER. It was a nice, cool, misty, rainy run. The sun peeked its way through the clouds about 14 miles in and warmed us up. Overall, it was a good run. My legs aren't too sore today, and I feel ready to tackle 26.2 miles in three weeks. I am thankful that my mileage begins to taper this week and will continue to diminish until race day: May 6th.

This year my husband, Nate, and his sister and younger brother will be running the half-marathon. This will be Nate's fourth half, Amy's second, and Scott's first. I'm excited to run the first half with them as they're a fun bunch of people. When Nate, Amy, and I ran our first 5k sometime around 2007, Scott cheered us on with a McDonald's breakfast burrito in hand. He's come a loooong way and has made some great lifestyle changes in the past few years. So though he may not see it as this, I look at it as a celebration of his accomplishments. I'm proud of him. I'm also proud of Amy for training for the half during the last stretch of her dissertation (a slightly time consuming process). And my dear husband despises running...so, I'm proud of him for coming back to it year after year.

This year our nieces (Denelle, who will soon be 6, and Alexis who is 7 going on 17) are running the kids mile around the state capital the day before the marathon. Alexis was a little hesitant to consent to such a feat, but Denelle proudly proclaimed that she is signed up for the mile run. Last weekend we were back home for Easter, and right before I set out for my Saturday morning run, Deni stumbled into the living room half-asleep. "Are you going running?" she asked. When I confirmed that I was in fact going running, she stated sleepily, "Well I'm running the mile marathon the day before your marathon." It was super cute. I will be there the day before the marathon with signs for the girls and hugs to offer at the finish line. And I'll probably tear up when Amy, Scott, and Nate turn off at 13.1 to enter the stadium and cross the finish line. I will likely be a blubbering wreck when I cross the finish line myself.


Needless to say, I'm excited for the weekend of the marathon :)