Running Update:

9/25/2019	Run		3.4 mi	34:26
9/27/2019	Run		5.0 mi	47:41
10/2/2019	Run		7.2 mi	1:13:29
10/5/2019	Run		22.7 mi	3:59:25
10/6/2019	Swim		1700.0 yd
10/7/2019	Run		3.6 mi	35:08
10/9/2019	Run		7.6 mi	1:14:53
10/11/2019	Run		5.0 mi	45:50
10/12/2019	Swim		1700.0 yd
10/13/2019	Run		14.0 mi	2:18:52
10/14/2019	Run		3.2 mi	30:27
10/16/2019	Run		5.0 mi	46:57
10/18/2019	Run		5.0 mi	45:41
10/20/2019	Run		8.1 mi	1:18:12
10/23/2019	Run		5.0 mi	49:31
10/27/2019	Run		26.2 mi	4:57:13

The 2019 Marine Corps Marathon

This is the first marathon I’ve attended without Todd and the kids!  The kids are old enough now not to want to miss school and weekend activities by accompanying me to a race, but still young enough that they need to have a parent stay with them.  Thus, I traveled to DC by myself, away from home on my own overnight for the first time since 2012!

Saturday morning, I visited the MCM Expo to pick up my race bib.  I did all the dorky Expo stuff :)

I got my name on the "Why We Run" board!

And the "Share Your Inspiration" board

I spent a fun Saturday afternoon at my cousin Barbara’s house with Barbara, her husband Joe and their family, my cousins Mary and Theresa who had come down from the Boston area for the race, and my cousin Gerry and his wife Mary, who also live in DC.  Mary, Joe, Barbara’s daughter and her boyfriend were all running the 10K race that accompanies the Marine Corps Marathon.  Barbara and Joe prepared a hearty pre-race carb-filled dinner so we would all run strong the next day!

Barbara and Joe and lots of pasta

Obligatory pre-race gear photo

The weather forecast the night before the race :(

I’m sorry to say that the weather forecast for race day was accurate.  It poured rain from the time I got to the starting area at 7am until the last mile of the race!  Rain covers fashioned from garbage bags and grocery bags on shoes were everywhere, but they only briefly postponed the inevitable soaking we all got.  However, it did foster even more camaraderie than a usual marathon does because the weather was so miserable! 

I’m happy to report there were a surprising number of enthusiastic spectators, despite the rain.  And even though Todd and the kids weren’t there, I still had a few courageous friends cheering me on.  My friend, Glen was visiting from New York and held a sign for me at mile 18. 

He even made it in NF colors! <3

Then Barbara and Mary were waiting for me at mile 19!  Barbara managed to get some pictures in between downpours.

I looked much for energentic than I felt at that moment

The sun came out right for the end of the race.  While we were waiting to exit the finish area, we witnessed a man proposing to a woman who had just finished the race!  She said yes, and everyone cheered, though one fellow called out, “Your decision making is impaired when you’re fatigued!”

Barbara also was waiting for me at the end of the race—she took such good care of me!  She made sure I collected my gear and made it to the shuttle to get me back to my hotel.

Another photo by Barbara!

My poor, soaked running shoes!

That evening after a hot shower I didn’t have the energy to eat out, so I holed myself up in my hotel room with a take-out dinner from a place a few blocks away.  I didn’t have any problem walking there, and it was a gorgeous night—warm and breezy (in stark contrast to the morning).

NF Update:

Now I’m back at home and can report that so far this year with my races we’ve raised $17,312 for the Children’s Tumor Foundation to find better treatments for NF!  Thank you very much to everyone who has donated!  I’m going to continue collecting through the end of the year, so if you haven’t had a chance to donate, you can still do so!  (Help us get to $20,000 this year!)

www.KRath4Jane.com