The official pictures from the marathon arrived. Though I don't always order race pictures, I decided these were worth the investment as a profound reminder that life is a gift and to be thankful for the days we are given...

There's no place like home...

with my super cool (and fast) friend Elizabeth
(one of these things is not like the other! :) )

borrowed sweatpants from Mary Price's very tall son Jack Maddox
(they were his when he was in the 3rd grade!)

I got lots of folks asking if I came from Kansas.

I shook my head and told them I was from "The Emerald City" (a.k.a. Seattle).

ruby reds moving right along...

one step at a time...

almost there....

official time: 3:55

about to burst with joy at having finished...

a huge smile for Kim Kredich (a.k.a. Glinda)

who inspired the Wizard of Oz theme last April in Knoxville

(see below for that story from last year)

April 1, 2012

There's no place like Boston!

Today was SUCH A GIFT!! I cannot begin to thank Betsy and Susan who were my faithful running partners during the race and who gave me unbelievable support, Jason who jumped in to push me at the end with Susan, my parents along with Anna, Taylor and Jason who were at EIGHT places along the course to cheer me on, friends I saw along the way who waved and cheered and handed out water, Kim, Betsy, Lillian, Tracey, Nicola & Indya who helped me clock the miles in my training over the last 4 months, my Kenyan running buddies and partners in ministry there who ran with me when I visited them in February and who were praying for me to finish well, friends who emailed over the last few days to let me know that their "prayers would be tied up in my shoelaces", for Jens who was my inspiration during the training and in the running today in so many ways, and last but not least Glinda the Good Witch (see below) who graced me with her presence at mile 5 to blow bubbles and to cheer me on.

I finished the race in 3:42:33 which is 2 1/2 minutes under the time I needed to qualify for Boston next spring. I had set that goal as Boston will take place next year two weeks after I turn 40. I really did not know if I could do it, but thanks to God's amazing gift of grace today, I was able to do it.

Glinda emailed me this afternoon and told me, "There's no place like Boston." I may have to put sparkly red glitter on my running shoes next spring there. (Mary Price, get ready for a spring visit in 2013!!)

pre- race picture this morning before Betsy and Jonathan picked me up!!

at Cherokee and Kingston Pike- (the first spot where I saw the family cheering with blow horns!"

Kim Kredich wins the prize. She told me she would be at the top of one of the hills on Cherokee Blvd, but I had no idea that she would dress up to cheer me on. I will NEVER forget this. It was one of the most wonderful gifts!

When we came up the hill, I saw the pink dress and I said to Betsy, "OH MY! You are not going to believe this. Kim has dressed up as Glinda the Good Witch and she is blowing bubbles for us to cheer us on."

(Kim had been Glinda for Halloween a few years ago and so I had heard about this magnificent costume but had not seen it in person yet. Today was the day. And oh, what a stunning good witch she is!!)

Notice that the cherry blossoms were covering the street like snow where Glinda was. It was perfect.

The funny thing was that Kim told me that she would be at the top of the hill at this one point, but the thing she had not bargained for was that this was a water station. So there she was in all her sparkly goodness for all the world to see. She played it up well and was in character. The little girls who were there thought they must have been transported to Disneyworld and they were entranced.

Needless to say, it rocked.

coming up Noelton (a big hill!)

feeling strong in my stomping grounds on the Greenway...

Betsy ran with me until mile 12 and we were right under an 8 minute pace. I met her sister-in-law Susan, who was my running partner in Nashville, at mile 13. I did okay for the first 3 miles or so with her and then started to feel really tight in my calves. The tightness started to spread to my quads, and it was everything I could do to put one foot in front of the other.

Susan grabbed water for me, told me stories to distract me, and even brought 80's trivia cards to keep us going for a stretch. She is one of a kind, for sure.

Susan kept her hand on my back on and off for the last few miles to support me and Jason showed up around mile 24 to lend a hand too. There is nothing like having two amazing friends who were encouraging me, keeping me on track and pushing me to the finish!

I kept thinking of them as my "paracletes." The word is derived from "para" and "kletos" and is defined by Webster as “an advisor or intercessor; in a Christian context the Holy Spirit.” A paraclete is one who encourages the athlete in the race, who sticks up for him, who provides water and nourishment during the race, runs alongside him. Susan filled this role with joy and gave me such a gift today to get me to the finish line in the time I needed. I could not have done it without her.

Even though I had to slow down at the end, I still finished with an average of an 8:30 pace. Miraculous is all I can say because I was one struggling runner at the end.

With about half a mile to go and a big hill to run down, I got a terrible charley horse in one calf and then in the other. OUCH. With strength I can only attribute to God, I kept going-- slowly but surely, but I made it.

I even had one other friend (Joann Scott from Sequoyah) who was walking down the hill as I was at the 26 mile marker with 0.2 miles to go. She turned around and ran with us cheering me on and extending her hand for me to hold since I was in a lot of pain.

Oh the gift of community today!!!