Marathon Weekend: Part 3 - The Actual Race!

This post is what it's all about - the actual race! (And, I promise if you keep reading, there are pictures coming!) AJ and I were pretty excited to get to be a part of the marathon festivities without having to get up at 4:30 a.m. to get into town for the actual start. The relay is PERFECT for us since we were relying on my mom to watch the boys. Us leaving at 7:30 was much more manageable for all in involved!

We parked right by PNC Park and got into the city and lot with zero issues. We took the T (which is awesome, by the way) into town, which dropped us very close to the finish line. We had to walk a few blocks to catch the relay shuttles, but it got our legs warmed up in the VERY chilly temperatures. Luckily, the rain showers had stopped by this point. Anyway, we got to ride the shuttle (a school bus) together to our two relay exchange points. We were on the bus for about 30 minutes before we went our separate ways.

I waited at my stop for about an hour before my teammate, Mike (Jack's godfather), met me for my turn. It was unbelievably chilly and windy. There was zero sun, and I wrapped myself in a foil cape (from the marathon) to try to keep some heat in before my run. Mike ended up sneaking up on me (in fact, I was running back from the port-a-potty when he crossed!) so I didn't get a picture of him as he came in for his medal. Sorry!

My leg of the relay was 6.1 miles - from before mile 16 to mile 21.5. I was really glad to have this leg because unless I do a relay, I will never see past mile 13 in a race. I just don't have it in me! The best part was the neighborhoods I went through. I'm not even quite sure where I ran, but the people were AWESOME! I believe I ran through Homewood, which isn't known for being a great part of town, but I gotta tell ya - those people were the BEST cheerleaders EVER. For two straight miles, there were hundreds of people - all of them with signs, cheering, high-fiving, offering water and fruit, etc. They had DJ's set up and were clapping and dancing for every runner. It was truly incredible, and I'm so glad I got to run there. I didn't stop smiling the entire time! Even better was the fact that with that type of crowd support, I had no desire to stop running. I had to keep going for my fans :-)

Here I am finishing my leg.

I felt really great during my 6.1 miles and was met by AJ and his parents at mile 21.5. His parents are insane and volunteer at the marathon every year. They get there super early and stand there all day - I'd rather run 26 miles than do that, but they like it. Again, they are crazy. But, because they were there, we got this AMAZING photo:

We are SO glad to have this moment captured. I loved that our relay legs were back-to-back so AJ could give me my medal. And then he took off. And he really ran - he ran some of his 4.7 miles at about 8 minutes and 30 seconds, which is REALLY speedy.

My view of the finish line

I hopped back on a shuttle to try to beat him to the finish line. It was no easy task - I had to walk about two miles back to the finish line from the shuttle stop, which was pretty annoying. I did snag a great spot right along the sidelines of the final stretch, and I was able to cheer like a crazy lady as AJ flew by! I was so glad he got to experience the 'real' finish line. So many spectators were around, and the volunteers in that area really fuss over the runners as they enter. He had a blast!

He saw me! He saw me!

Today, AJ and I both earned our titles of "Runner of Steel" and got a nice medal. Though my medal this year is smaller than last year's (and required less miles!), it means a million times more. Running for Finley made every step feel earned and important. I thought of her all morning; it helped me suck it up when my shins hurt :-) And, our team finished with a time of 4:37:30. Not bad for a bunch of old people! I think our pace was about 10:45 minutes/mile. Thanks for that final push, AJ!

And, a final note. Big BIG news. AJ Kovall, Mr. I Hate Running, has officially decided he will run a half marathon. He wants to run Pittsburgh with me next spring. I knew he would get the bug after being there today. Those exercise-induced endorphins make you do some crazy things. I need to sign him up before they wear off!