26.2 miles - We did it! We did it! What a great weekend with my dear friend Dainna, we laughed... she cried (hee hee) and we accomplished something that we've been working toward for 5 months. We had a great experience, a great run and with the exception of me being a little light headed for about a mile and a half at mile 9 - 10.5 (nothing a little tylenol, pretzels and clif bloks couldn't cure)we made it with flying colors. We worked through the marathon as a team and Dainna, Stacy, Jonna and I plowed through the 26.2. With my name on my arm and the state of Iowa on my jersey and thousands of Team In Training purple cheerleaders and jerseys we had amazing support the whole way. Right from our 4am shuttle departure from the hotel to the line in the portapotties(behind the dude that was giving out WAY too much info in his short shorts.. please don't stretch, please don't stretch!), to running into someone from my hometown of G-R (amy koester) at mile 20! We started in corral number 23 which starte
d about 45 minutes after corral 1... that's what happens when you have 40,000 people at a starting line at 6:15 in the morning, you need a few corrals to get rolling. :-) I'd have to say the 2nd half of the marathon was the best for me. No one ever says that, but it truly was. The cool breeze by the bay was better than the pounding sun on the freeway route. I felt great and had bounced back from mile 9. The scenery was nice and the aid stations were amazing. And the miles being ticked off didn't hurt either. :-) The best surprise was when I lost count at the end and thought we had 3 miles to go and it was only 1.5... now there's a treat! Dainna and I had a strong 2nd half and after about mile 18, we would run ahead and then wait for Jonna and Stacy at the aid stations and then move forward together as a group again once we knew everyone was all right. Us midwest girls were a force to be reckoned with! For all those miles we stuck together and it felt a lot like a video game where you were always looking ahead trying to navigate around the walkers and slower runners. When they joined courses with the walkers midway through the race it got pretty crazy to navigate around but we all watched out for each other and there we were stilling ticking off the miles. Matter of fact, that's what I dreamt about lst night in navigating the people. ahhh! And it was hot and sunny. There was a point at which the salt on my arms was so thick from all that sweating (CA, full sun,5+ hours of running... you end up sweating a little bit!) I told Dainna later that I felt like pouring
a margarita on them and going to town. LOL...you get to thinking about things like this as you are plugging away at the miles and your legs are sore. ha. Dainna and I took off after the last rest stop and finished so strong it felt like we were sprinting the last 1/2. checking off people like they were roadkill (running race term I picked up at Hood to Coast in Portland years ago) I had a little "starry eyes surprise" on my ipod which always gets me going. We were never in it for the finish time, but we felt so good, it was fun to finish....we even cheered as we ran past the guy that proposed to his girlfriend who was running the marathon, he had written on a big cardboard sign, "will you marry me". How cool is that... and they weren't the only ones, there were other stories, like the couple we came across Sunday night at the ice cream shop that we were getting a cocoa from... they told us the whole story and he hadn't even thought about doing it until they were a few miles from the finish and said, "I thought to myself, wouldn't it be tight if i proposed at the finish", she thought he was cramping up when he got down on his kneee. I'm such a sucker for that stuff! LOL. Dainna and I held hands and raised 'em above our heads over the finish line. Success! Yay! Other inspiring stuff: the Iowa chapter had a team member that was recognized for her fundraising and that was really exciting... $50K since January and she lost her husband to Leukemia in February. Very emotional time as he was at my table at the kick off in December... brings to life the amazin
g impact and reason we had for all of the fundraising. There are so many stories from the weekend, the 1/2 marathoners from our team that got mixed in with the marathons and realized at mile 17 they couldn't get off the course but laughed instead of cried, the 2 blisters that Stacy had the looked like new toes they were so big, Jonna's coffee, oatmeal and shower regime that she did even on race day at 3am, Dainna and I giggling in delirium and staying up past our bedtime chatting, icing feet and "rolling" with our new "stick" that we bought at the expo. Don't ask. LOL... let's just say it helps you work out your sore muscles. The amazing pizza and wine at Sammy's Sunday night that the 4 of us celebrated our finish and rode in a rickshaw to get there as we were to tired and sore to walk to the LampPost district pizza shop. The inspiring speeches, the heart tugging stories of loss, the positive energy of support on the course and the feeling that I just can't stop smiling. Thanks to my awesome friend Dainna
(and congrats on her first marathon!), thanks to all my family & friends that have had to hear my stories of cold wintery runs, toenails or lack thereof, intestinal concerns more than once and overall running chitchat. Thanks to all the people that donated to the cause as it means more than you know to so many people fighting blood cancers and fighting for their lives. Trust me, every cent makes a difference in research & hope. My thoughts and honor to those that have survived and lost the battle... I had names pinned to my jersey and my thoughts went out to many as I ran these miles in their honor.
My final thoughts... this is what IT is all about. I'm going to enjoy the ride. Every step of the way.
p.s. the only photos I have Dai and I took at 3:45am before we took off. I didn't have my cell phone with me so I couldn't take any pics on course or after. I'm sure I'll post some more intense ones of our finish later. :-)~ Although a 3:30am photoshoot on race day is pretty intense if you think about it.
laying catch up today for work and life. Here is what my hallway looks like right now. Need I say more? It would be a lot
easier to clean it up if I could actually bend over or squat down to pick it up. Ha. Ha. Maybe tomorrow.... 
26.2 miles - We did it! We did it! What a great weekend with my dear friend Dainna, we laughed... she cried (hee hee) and we accomplished something that we've been working toward for 5 months. We had a great experience, a great run and with the exception of me being a little light headed for about a mile and a half at mile 9 - 10.5 (nothing a little tylenol, pretzels and clif bloks couldn't cure)we made it with flying colors. We worked through the marathon as a team and Dainna, Stacy, Jonna and I plowed through the 26.2. With my name on my arm and the state of Iowa on my jersey and thousands of Team In Training purple cheerleaders and jerseys we had amazing support the whole way. Right from our 4am shuttle departure from the hotel to the line in the portapotties(behind the dude that was giving out WAY too much info in his short shorts.. please don't stretch, please don't stretch!), to running into someone from my hometown of G-R (amy koester) at mile 20! We started in corral number 23 which starte
0 miles - Traveled to MN and met up with Dainna and then on to SanDiego. We are at the Hilton Bayside which was fabulous! We got in and then went to the Expo to collect our race numbers, swag bags, etc. It was a great SD Marathon expo and we got new "sticks" for rolling out our aches and pains and new "sw
eatproof" Halo visors for race to help with the sweat in our eyes. All in all, I'd say we are pretty legit now. ;-) Here we are at the expo and also here is our Saturday relaxation hydration routine.
e camping theme is Luau and there will be a flipflop decoration contest so we
had to go big! :-) 
s into some of the things that I have a fear of in life. Some of the things that are hard to make decisions about because... I don't know if they are a sure thing. I've not experienced them before. But I need to remember that all will be fine. I'll complete whatever it is that is making me waiver and when I'm done, I'll have one less fear. Setting my mind to something is something I can do now... when it comes to running. There's never a thought in my mind that I won't complete the long runs. I love that. The rest of my weekend was chill. Jonna and I went to the Farmers Market and walked around and then my nephews visited this afternoon. They love cheesy toys and I'd gotten these on clearance at Big Lots or as my sister calls it... Big Lots 'O Crap. :) They are so cute. Just love 'em and a great end to a great weekend.
lifted rocks and worked on my back/arm muscles. ;-) My body needed a break after the 20 mile run as I seem to have a sore hip now, possibly because I have some new runners as well (or old age? the plot thickens!). So... hoping that clears up but if not.. I've only got 3 weeks to go so I think I'll be just fine! Incidentally, I talked to Dainna yesterday and she had a great 20 mile run up in MN yesterday as well. We are ready and we are going to have a great time in San Diego in T minues 3 weeks!! woohoooo! p.s. I should have taken before and after pics, but here are the after (almost finished back patio... still need to fill the pond after I get a new light for it). Yay!!
walk today and calling it good. Meals planned: pasta and pasta. :) I'm actually kinda excited for the experience tomorrow as the most I've run in one chunk so far is 16. I think this final push for 20 will get me prepared to wind down to the actual marathon date of June 6. San Diego here we come! So, last night I spent some time with some of my favorite people. My sister lydia and three of her co-workers spent the night in order to make it to an early conference today, and we were up until 1:30am talking in bed. hee. hee. Growing up, mom and dad would have been so ticked, my sister Ellen and I always got in trouble for that! Before Lydia came I had a Jr League event. We celebrated the new members and were at one of my fav places La Mie/Le Jardin. Admission: I had two glasses of HobNob pinot noir. Way yummy! My lovely friends Jenny & Sara were teasing about whether they would "make the blog" or not. So here is their debut photo. :) Tonight as an extra treat to my weekend, Deenna Jensen and her new little 2 mth old twins Olive & Oliver are staying with me! Cannot wait to get my hands on those little babies. So excited! 
intervals the last .5 and called a good run. Hoping that I won't be sore for the Saturday 20 miles. That's right party people.... 20 miles. at one time. no awards. no crowds or bands cheering. no water stations every mile. Just us and the open road (or trail, but you see what I'm say'n). The good news = I think I'm ready for this. :) Mentally, I'm all about it, hoping my body feels the same way come Sat. (I may say otherwise on Saturday at 6am, as I've got a family friend and husband staying at my house on Friday night with their 2 mth old twins. hee. hee. Yay!!!!)
