Witty Wood: St. Jude 1/2 Marathon Weekend

my expectations were far exceeded this weekend.

after all of the months and months of training, i never would have imagined how rewarding crossing that finish line would be. like, i was elated.

let me tell you about the weekend, shall i?

friday night - we had plans to go to spindini in memphis for a combo carb load and birthday celebration with my mom. but, we didn't get into memphis until later than we had planned and i didn't want to drive into downtown and end up getting to bed at midnight. so, we opted for an italian joint in east memphis. i will get to spindini soon though. we enjoyed some great laughs and lots and lots of carbs. mmmmm

big, big, big thanks to my stepdad Ed. he fought the crowd at the expo to pick up my race day packet - as i wasn't going to make it there friday before it closed. he was such a good sport and got there early enough to be among the first 2,500 participants that i got a free nike hat! score!

my little mumsy and me at dinner.

we had a pretty rough week prior to getting to memphis. jwood and i definitely enjoyed taking a moment to relax and enjoy the evening.

my loves at dinner!

i crashed and burned on friday evening at about 10:30pm with butterflies flitting around in my belly. i really didn't think i would be able to sleep a wink. when i went to bed, meg and j ran out on some errands and surprised me saturday morning with a sweet, sweet card, a new earmuff headband, and an additional jacket because they were afraid i didn't have enough clothes. awww.

thank you meg and jwood for being so amazingly supportive. i love you with my whole heart!

5:00am came super early! *ding*ding*ding* the butterflies were back.

i got all of my gear on and we loaded up to pick up my dad and stepmom from their hotel. they drove in from SEARK to support me. i was so excited they were there!

while in the car, i munched on a peanut butter sammy on whole wheat bread and a banana. i offered one for the whole family, i got no takers. boo. as i was scarfing down a sandwich, i about choked when we passed a bank that flashed 22 degrees in bright red numbers.

holy moly. it was freakin' cold.

i had on several layers of clothing while i was standing in my corral and waiting for the big start. i bought some sweatpants and sweatshirts at goodwill that i could just leave behind and not worry about. i didn't realize until i got there that all clothing "dumped" along the course would be donated to charity. it felt really good to know that all of those layers i was peeling off would help to clothe and warm those less fortunate.

all bundled up waiting to start!

me and my proud little papa

on your mark, get set....let's rock!!

as i lined up in my corral, i was soooo excited!! there were thousands of people around me eager to begin. the energy from everyone was so motivating. we were there to raise money for an amazing cause. everyone had worked so hard and the race was just icing on the cake. it was 22 degrees but i was all smiles!

i was super close to the starting line here getting "Baby G" all ready to go! notice everyone with their hands on their watches. ha!

and, we're off!

the first few miles FLEW by! i felt like i had just started running when we rounded a curve at mile 3 and my family was standing there on the corner yelling! it was awesome.

i'm in that mass of runners somewhere.

the whole race was great. there were spectators all around holding signs, cheering on the runners, and were so supportive. i'm not really sure what mile it was, but we ran right through the middle of the st. jude's campus. there were several children in wheelchairs and their mobile IV bags, along with there families outside cheering us on. my heart swelled. it was truly encouraging to know that they were touched and were so thankful for our donation. running in 22 degree weather was nothing compared to the storm those children are enduring.

the entire run was amazing until mile 11. i swear, mile 11 was about 3 miles in 1. i hit the proverbial "wall" that i've heard about. but, i stopped at the water station - took a breath and trudged on. what's 2.1 more miles? sheesh. at that point, the crowd thickened, they got louder, the course took a downhill grade and we were on the home stretch.

i had hidden a 2:10 finish in my brain but was really only concerned about finishing. afterall, it was my very first 1/2 marathon. this is such a huge accomplishment for me. i just wanted to finish and would have been proud with any time. but, i knew with my training runs - a 2:10 finish was feasible.

all throughout the race, i knew i was running a bit faster than i had been, thanks to adrenaline and the crowd. when i rounded mile 12, i looked at Baby G to see what my time was - holy canoly. i was still under 2 hours!

the last few .10s of the race was completed entering the auto zone park. we ran in and the stadium was filled with spectators and loud cheers. it was awesome! as i crossed the finish - i let out a huge breath and was so thankful. i was thankful that i had family there to support me, i was thankful that i am healthy and can run and raise money for such and amazing cause, and thankful to have finished. :)

i finished in 2:05:50!!!!!!!

jwood got some awesome pics of me in the crowd at the finish! look at the sky! fantastic day!

after finishing - i had to search through the sea of people to find my family. this was the first sighting of jwood after the finish :)

we did lots of celebrating out in the concourse of the park.

by biggest fan, bag carrier, photographer, junk holder.... my everything.

love you!

after the celebrating, we went back to the hotel and it was ICE BATH time! lemme tell ya - it was the hardest thing to make myself do after standing out in the - literally - freezing weather earlier. but, it was so worth it.