Exciting running news!

It is now time to share my exciting running news!

To the dismay of my mother and mother-in-law 

(who desperately were hoping for

grandchildren after the Flying Pig Marathon was over),

Savannah and I will be running the Nike Women's Half Marathon

in San Francisco on October 14th!

The registration for this race is a "random draw".

What this means is, there are so many people wanting to run 

this race, that they randomly draw names to see who 

will have the opportunity to run.

I have spoken with a couple people who mentioned that they

had tried for 3-4 years before they were selected to run

this race.

Savannah and I thought we would give it a shot,

thinking that if we didn't get in this year,

we would try again next year.

We also registered as a group.

This way, if she was chosen, I was able to go with her,

and if I was chosen, she would go with me.

On April 26th, we received emails that we were selected!

San Francisco--here we come!

Not only is this race exciting to run,

but guess what is waiting at the finish line?

This:

That's right my friends--a Tiffany & Co. necklace!

I also hear there is a chocolate mile! 

Yum Yum!

I have read up on this race and people have said this is not a runner's race;

this means that there are so many fun and exciting things waiting for you on the route,

(minus the multitude of steep hills!)

that the race is more for enjoyment than for setting a personal record.

I am ecstatic for my new running adventure and for seeing a city I have never been to before!

Thank you, Nike, for choosing us!

Surprise!

After my rejuvenating day at the Spa,

I came back to this:

Thank you to Christina and her class for decorating my classroom!
It is pig-tastic!

Things that make you say Ahhhhhh!

The day after the marathon,

Nicole and I were in some desperate need of

some TLC.

Barely able to walk, Nicole and I, along with my mom, hobbled into 

Mitchell's Salon and Spa.

Nicole and I were up first for relaxing massages.

My massage therapist told me to picture myself on the beach,

but "No Running on the beach!" she said.

I quickly got myself settled on the beach in St. Lucia. :)

While she was rubbing my very sore and achy muscles,

I thought of the saying, "Hurts so good."

I truly understand this meaning now!

As she was rubbing my worn down muscles,

it hurt like heck!

But, boy, did it feel so good all at the same time!

After our hour massages were (sadly!) over,

we headed to get pedis with my mama!

My mom showing of her manicure that she received while we were getting massages

What a relaxing, restful, well deserved day after running 26.2 miles!

I am officially...

A Marathoner!

On Sunday, May 6th, 2012

I joined an elite group--

a group that has gone where many have never gone before--

26.2 miles!

I am so excited that I am now officially a marathoner!

Here are some pictures from my marathon weekend:

On Saturday, May 5th, Keith and I went down to the 

Flying Pig Expo to pick up mine & Nicole's racing bibs.

Seeing all of the people made me so excited for the race the next day!

Saturday evening we hosted our Pig Out where family and friends

brought Nicole and I carbohydrates and wished us good luck!

We are so very lucky to have such supportive family and friends,

and I am sad I did not capture any pictures from the evening!

Saturday night I also surprised Nicole with a DVD pictures of us

I had taken on our training journey

(and I even snuck some old pics in too! hehe)

Sunday morning we woke up at 4:15 to start our preparation.

Maddy giving her mama good luck kisses!

Keith dropped us off downtown around 5:20,

and we had to walk to our "corral."

On our way we passed a drunk lady singing Lady Gaga

(What is the saying--the freaks come out at night? Or is it the early morning?!).

The race began at 6:30 but Nicole and I did not cross the starting line until 6:45.

Random fact of the day: Nicole and I passed a news camera around 7 A.M. and ended up on the news!

Woohoo!

The first 13.1 miles went quite well.

The weather was cool, we were in the shade, and enjoying 

the company of all the people around us.

Thank you to Keith, Noah, and Andy who met us at mile 5

and provided us with a Luna bar and Ibuprofen!

Thank you to my mom, Troy, Lisa, Johnny, and Jaida

for being at mile 10 with Chomps!

Unfortunately, the second half of the pig was not as wonderful as the first half.

The temperature rose, there was no shade, and the half milers split from us around mile

8 so the people around us were few and far between.

Thank you to Keith, Griff, Noah, Thomas, and Sarah

for your support at mile 15!

One stretch of the marathon is on Wooster Pike.

I have never minded Wooster Pike before,

but now every time I drive by it, I think I will flip it the bird!

This stretch of the race is straight highway,

no shade, no protection from the sun,

and it seemed to go on FOREVER!

At one point in the race, I looked up at a screen

and the temperature read 85 degrees!

Ouch!

It was so hot, the black top was sticking to the bottom of our shoes!

How did people run the marathon barefoot?!

Thank you to Anne, Jim, Melissa, Kevin, Charlie, and Ben

for cheering us on around mile 20.

We needed that more than you know!

Thank you to mom, Troy, Lisa, Johnny, Jaida,

Carolyn, and Bill for cheering us on around mile 21.5.

Also, thanks for begging people for Ibuprofen!

We finished the race, hand in hand,

stride for stride,

after 6 hours and 5 minutes.

Not our fastest time,

during training we were averaging about 11-12 minute miles,

and this was a 13-14 minute mile,

but it was so dang hot,

we were just happy to survive.

Getting ready to cross the "Finish Swine!"

Marathoners!

The sign that is in my front yard!

Balloons from the WONDERFUL O'Connor family!

Proud Marathoner

Now that I'm a marathoner,

I get to add this to my car:

Thank you Savannah!

I also need to take pictures of the signs my mom made us that people held up throughout the race,

and of the flowers Keith bought me. I will show you those in another post!

What an incredible day!

I now see why people get addicted to marathons!

So when is the next one you ask?

Find out soon...

It's almost time!

Last week,

I sent my friend Savannah

a card in the mail with this quote:

She was running her first marathon and I couldn't be more inspired

by her hard work and dedication to the sport of running.

Now, I am reading over this quote thinking,

"Wow...I have 1 day, 10 hours, and 7 minutes until

it's my turn!"

This week, I have tried to be in bed by 10:30 every night because

my plan is to be in bed by 10:30 on Saturday night.

However, my plan did not go as well as I had thought.

As soon as I would get into bed, I would start thinking

about why I was in bed this early. I would start getting 

super excited thinking about the race.

I thought about how the seed of running a marathon was planted in my head.

I remember being at our friends, Stephanie and TJ McGoldrick's house many years ago,

and seeing their bibs and medals framed in their living room.

They also framed pictures of themselves finishing the race,

and it inspired me.

I have also looked up to my friend Aimee Harrison for many different reasons,

but one of them being that she finished the Flying Pig Marathon.

Aimee is like an older sister that I never had, and I feel like we are alike in so many ways.

After she finished the race, I knew that I wanted to be like her and accomplish this same goal.

One problem, though, I NEVER NEVER EVER thought that I would be able to run 26.2 miles.

When Keith and I went to a concert in August, our friend's step mom was visiting with us,

and Keith mentioned to her that I had thought about a marathon.

After I finished giving Keith an evil death stare  (how dare he tell someone my secret?!),

I listened to her running tips and ideas that convinced me,

"I can do this."

So that is where my marathon journey began.

Savannah had told me that the emotions leading up to race day are similar to those prior to 

your wedding.  You are not necessarily nervous, but a blend of emotions.

She was totally right.

I am ready for the race to be here, but not ready for it to end either.

This is definitely not the end to my running 

(stay tuned for more exciting running news coming in a later post!),

but I do not think I will be running any more marathons after this.

(At least for awhile?!?!)

Someone said that training for a marathon is like a part-time job.

This is so true!

I would leave work and go run.

On the weekends, I would run. FOR HOURS.

I didn't know what to do with myself during the taper period 

when I only had to run for an hour on Sunday.

An hour? 

I haven't had a run like that in a LONG TIME.

I am posting tonight because tomorrow I will be busy preparing for race day, and I'm not sure how much blog time I will get.

I will be getting up early so that I can go to bed early tomorrow night.

I will be picking up my race bib--# 2531 baby!--in the afternoon.

Tomorrow night we are having our very own "Pig Out!" where guests are encouraged to bring

Nicole and I some carbs to munch on.

Speaking of my racing partner Nicole, I have a surprise in store for her tomorrow night too!

I am so thankful to all of the people who have given me helpful 

advice, encouragement, and support along this incredible journey. 

I have so many friends who have said they will be along the race route cheering me on,

and I am overwhelmed by their extreme kindness.

All I can say is,

I am one lucky girl.