Race day

This is one of Joan's 2008 shots - the IMT shot mentioned below is from the other side. It's really cool of Deb who has a jubilant look on her face.

It was Des Moines 1/2 marathon day, but I didn't race this year. But while I was walking this week in Waukee I decided it would be nice to go support my friends who were walking - Deb, Patti and Susan. I knew Bobbie's daughter and my lil buddy Kristina was running the race for the first time. Krissy lived with Joanie when I moved in as the third wheel. She was never an athletic type while a CHS student, though she was "flag girl". I know it doesn't sound athletic, but they practiced a great deal and it looked like hard work. So Bobbie and I took off at 7:30 this a.m. and had a leisurely breakfast before getting to the race site to await our friends/fam. Krissy's hubby Caleb was running too - we expected him at around 2 hours, so we situated ourselves along the route. I saw my sis-in-law Regina run by and tried catch up with her, but missed. In the meantime Caleb and Krissy finished - I missed the whole thing! Krissy rocked the race in a blistering pace - great job! After all that excitement we knew the homegirls would be coming in around 2 hr. 45 minutes - so back to the route watch. True to form the gals came jogging by at a pace of around 12 minute miles. Patti was driving them to walk their little asses very quickly. Slave driver! They were happy to see friendly faces cheering them on. I continue to be in awe of how great these women are - at training, walking and as people. And they are poster girls - the whole big group from 2008 is shown in a photo on the back of the IMT Marathon newsletter on the finish line. I finished a ways back from them - my 'ol bod just can't keep up the pace those ladies set. But I'll never forget that feeling of finishing in 2008, our first year. Training by myself - walking all those hours with time to ponder my future and to just plain think. So crossing that finish line was very emotional - my husband and friends were there to cheer me on. It was cool. So this year I was jealous that it wasn't me getting all the attention. Which gives me the incentive to train again for next year. Then walking back to the car my foot, broken last year, hurt. Must have been from watching all those tired walkers. Bobbie and I walked an hour this afternoon. It's a gorgeous day! I'm a lucky girl to have great (and very fit) friends. We talked of doing a race at a different venue next year. Points to ponder.

So short Long walk

I miss my baby girl. And the short itty bitty amount of time I got to see her yesterday only whetted my appetite for more time with her. It was like only getting a little corner of a Hershey Bar with almonds, and then someone snatches that candy bar away. Before you even get an almond. Our lunch with both kids at Hickory Park was nice. I'm glad Jud freed up time in his pre-tailgating partay to go with us. Of course J and Pablo began talking football right away, until Amy the birthday girl called a timeout. 

After our meal, Amy and I headed to the mall, but we didn't get much shopping together in before Paul arrived to take me away to a very cold tailgate. I mean really, forecasters. If the weather is going to suck, just tell us! We can take it. None of this "clouds breaking up" later in the afternoon. When they certainly didn't and the chill and damp like to cripple me - before the big race! I wore 3 layers and ended up adding four more layers. And I still froze my ass off. And Pablo forgot the Hot Hands! Amy and roomies came to the tailgate, and froze their tails too. 

I made a lovely Kahlua Torte for the bday and it went over quite well. We also grilled 20 hamburgers and McKims et al did lots of chix breasts. Paul's sis Jean hubby Dave and their gal Annette and hubby Jeremy Barnhart were in the house (parking lot). Jud showed up later with the gang. I was too dang cold to drink and eat. I know...tragic! It was hard saying g'bye to my kiddo - she's off to Denver again today. Last week the girl was awarded a $2 per hour raise at her job. Yay! Then it was in to el gamo. What a game it was - the Cyclones were awesome and despite not being all liquored up, I had a great time cheering, high fiving, dancing and singing. Everyone that sits around our group loves us - we're so f'ing funny! (okay in our own minds anyway). The students entertained us by organizing terrible towel wars.

 

We stayed till the end to enjoy every minute - then it was off to Joan's and my new electric blanky so I could finally warm up. This a.m. Pablo and I walked the half marathon in 3 hr 13 minutes - 13 seconds slower than I walked by myself last year. I'm nothing if not consistent! Not bad for an old gal who had her uterus ripped out in late July. Deb, Patti, Pat, Susan and Bobbie walked it in 2 hr 46 minutes - setting a world land speed record for old chix. haha We ate sannies and drank beer afterwards. I'm getting a little stiff now. Between the cold, shivering yesterday and the excessive walking today I deserve it! We sat and enjoyed each others' company after the race (though they were a couple beers ahead due to their early finish). My neighbor Nan joined - she's a runner and she finished way before me too. I love those ladies! (tomorrow night, we're bottling wine in Dexter...) Susan tried to make idle conversation with my husband by asking him about his deer. "I hear ya got a big one," she said. "Yes, I do," he replied. She turned red. He smiled smugly to himself. That man's lived with this smart ass too long!

My big race

My 50th year was the setting for my first Half Marathon. I’ve talked about my most disciplined companion Deb. She got herself in such awesome shape when she turned 50 and is always looking for new challenges to keep her edge. One day last spring Deb approached our other workout companion, Patti about walking in the Des Moines Half Marathon set for October 19th.
Patti dragged her feet a little bit. After all, she hadn’t ever done anything like that. It sounded too professional for her. But she said she would train with Deb when convenient.

Then Deb asked the person who is really at heart, a couch potato - yours truly, about training. She said we would be training for several weeks, working up from the current 3 miles 3 times a week to being prepared to walk over 13 miles. “I’m in!” I declared, feeling especially perky that day.

When we started talking about it, there were other chicks (insert mature women) in town up for training for this challenge. I decided to start an email group to inform our loosely knit group about what the training plan was for the week. Some of us would meet to walk together and others would train on their own. We walked 3 or 4 miles early in the mornings 3 days a week, and did the longer training routes on weekends.

That first Saturday we walked 5 miles or so. I noticed I had a hard time keeping up with the others. Why so? I’m still not sure (it could be my inner couch potato holding me back), but for whatever reason I couldn’t stay up to the pack. Deb used MapMyRun to set up the routes. As we started doing longer training walks, I began to map my own route since I would lag and lose contact with the group after a couple miles.

Thank God for my iPod – the kids gave it to me for Mother’s Day. Dave Matthews and various other artists kept me company on walks eventually reaching 12 miles in September. Then we tapered our distances back to rest up for the big day. Each of us had hurdles in the way – sore feet and hamstrings, toenail issues, and blisters of course. In order to help us have the inner strength to continue the rigorous schedule we began to meet for breakfast a couple Wednesdays each month. Bonding over food cemented our resolve! Patti, who had dragged her feet about taking part in the actual Marathon, was most enthusiastic by now.

Finally it was the morning of the Big Race. Des Moines seems to run a first class event. We met in Nollen Plaza near the starting spot while it was still dark. We got awesome wick-dry long sleeve shirts that we all donned, along with other layers as it was only in the 40’s when we got started. The group consisted of Susan, Bobbie, Patti, Diana, Pat, and Deb along with some of their out of town relatives. I started farther back in the pack, knowing I would keep up with them – so I didn’t see them the whole time.

It turned out to be a beautiful perfect day. Local bands, loudspeakers pumping music and cheering crowds lined the streets. Adrenaline blocked any feelings of pain until late in the race. There were water/Powerade and potty stops all along the route. I chewed the sports gum for energy. We walked through downtown Des Moines, Waterworks Park and Grey’s Lake. In Waterworks, Paul and Donnie were there to cheer me on – it was so nice to see familiar faces.

As I got towards the end, that last mile stretched out like 10 miles! Finally I neared the finish line, cheered on by strangers but then…there were my buddies who had finished several minutes before, cheering me on. I got to the finish mat, choked with emotion. I set a goal and accomplished it. It felt damn good!

Paul was there to greet me along with daughter Amy (she hates it when I do that - label her daughter Amy). We all soaked up the atmosphere and let our accomplishment sink in. It just goes to show - at this advanced age, I still have some new frontiers to face and goals to accomplish. What’s next?