42.2!

This weekend I finished my first marathon POST WEE BEAN.
The Edmonton Derby marathon started at 7:30 am and it was already HOT!!  By the end, I felt like a piece of bacon left on the frying pan.  It was so HOT HOT HOT!
I am really lucky to have great support from Darcy and often Grama and Joy (our new found Nanny).  BLESS them all, they've enabled me to get a few (and I mean very few) long runs in.
I went into this race undertrained and all around not mentally ready.  I suffered from the nastiest of all nasty flus a couple of weeks ago that took me out of any training for two full weeks.  Unfortunately they were my two biggest weeks of training, I was just too ill.  I had a time goal in mind, to qualify again for Boston. I wasn't able to run it when I qualified in Dec 2009 thanks to the arrival of our sweet little man Andrew (he's so worth missing a marathon for!).  Every race has a goal but this one was simply 3:45:59!  Nothing less, nothing more.  Unfortunately Sunday was just not my 'feel good' race day.
In the end I finished the marathon but it wasn't pretty and I crossed just over 4 hours.  :(
I had a few visits with the port-o-potties along the way and I think I walked as much as I did for my ironman marathons.  However, I crossed that finish line to see my favorite boys waiting with smiles!  And I am realizing just how fortunate I am to be able to RUN!
I can't lie, the city of Edmonton made me super happy to live in Calgary but it was a great adventure and now I have no where to go but up. FASTER!  Now which one to do next.....??

A few little tid bits I took away from the weekend.

** I am so lucky to be able to put one foot in front of the other.  Health is so important, I'm so grateful to have mine and I hope I never take it for granted.
** Marathon training, or training of any kind, is not just about the athlete.  It is about the sacrifice your entire family makes.  I've spent hours and hours away from Darcy and Andrew and left them to pick up the slack.  They make it easier.  Everyone gives.
** Running makes me happy.  Why would I ever give it up?  As long as I can move forward I will feel alive (but I still need that BQ time damnit!)
** Being active is a way of life.  I want Andrew to know all about this.
** The City of Edmonton is my new least favorite place on the planet (did I mention that already?)  I have my reasons, honest.
** NO MORE GATORADE... EVER!  Gatorade has never worked for me in the past, why would I think it would work for this race.  Duh.
**  People that come out to cheer on racers early in the morning are Saints!  It was great to see smiles and happy folks along the race course.
**  Most memorable moment of this race was high 5ing my little (and big) man at 22 km.  I won't forget it.
**  Race morning is even more hectic with babies.... but you make a list, be organized and it all comes together.

PAIN really is temporary (and there was a LOT of it on Sunday).  I didn't achieve the time I'd hoped for but I have another 42.2 under my belt.

This was the crib the hotel offered.  REALLY?  Would you put your baby in this?  GAH!
We stuck with our playpen.

Thanks to party central none of us slept much the first nite.  This is Andrew's sleepy look at breakfast.  Poor dude!

Andrew loves Curious George (thanks Lisa)

Andrew checking out what this hotel has to offer and showing off his standing alone moves.

Soooooooo KEWL!

Daddy and Bean planning race day strategies.

Race package pick up racing!

Weeeeeeeeeeeee

Daddy's old house at the U of A campus.  So neat to see this.  Darcy took us on a campus tour. We had a Subway picnic on the lawn in the shade.

The nite before park time.

 

LUV my boy.

My reward at the finish line.

WE are so tired!  A round of showers and naps please!