Inspiration

Ever want to be truly inspired?  Be a cheerer for marathon runners.  Infact, it's great to cheer on other people, like a guy dressed like a tooth brush.... or a Shark... or ladies in Tutu's....People wearing Pig Ears, Pig noses, running barefoot, etc. 

See the Toothbrush guy?!

Talk about awesome athletic people watching?! Our local marathon is the Flying Pig Marathon.  It's known for lots of cheering and LOTS of hills....Lots of hills.  Cincinnati is the town of like 7 hills.  We have a bunch, and they are steep and from personal experience participating in this race as a relay runner, the hills suck.

However, this year, I was a grunt, a cheerer- with my 2 mini-cheerers!  We were cheering for Jeff who ran the 1/2 marathon and Katy who did the full 26.2 miles - WOW.  Let me also tell you, this was her second marathon THIS YEAR.  She's a little nut, but she's an inspirational little nut (FYI- Katy is not littler than me, she towers over me by a few inches, but she's younger than I- hence the "little" -- and I met her when she was 3). 

Anyway, on this nasty rainy morning, it turned out to be a steady drizzle. I got the kids up and out and on our adventure.  We first saw Daddy and Aunt Katy around mile 8- right before the marathoners and 1/2 marathoners split.  Jeff told me to follow Katy and he'd finish on his own.  So, the 3 of us went on an adventure, which we saw Katy about 3 times through out the race, and I went to a spot wayyyyy after she passed. Oh, well - at least Connor got to experience his first port-a-potty at our missed stop.

Here is Jeff at mile 8 @ St.Ursula Academy (my alma mater)

Connor was sooooo excited!

Aunt Katy

Connor still excited!

Connor taking pictures of other runners @ The Frisch's Mainliner - Miles 18/19

Connor gave out LOTS of high 5's

CC got into that around our stop after mile 21 (no pic's sorry)

Look in the middle there-- Aunt Katy

Connor going to get his Aunt Katy

Aunt Katy still fresh enough to pick up her boy, Connor

Right after this, I gave Katy my dry socks.  Gross- sorta- I saw another cheerer pass on her dry socks to a wet socked runner.  See, I really am an athletic supporter!

Katy at about 26.1 miles :)

Really should you look this fresh after 26+ miles?!

Beautiful Katy with her finisher medal

Really it was awesome. Something I seemed to need to participate in.  This year I was a cheerer, and I was horse and my throat hurt after hours of cheering for loved ones and strangers.  Seeing those runners struggling around mile 21, then seeing them sprint to the finish at 26.1 and 1/2 miles was amazing. People of all shapes and walks of life were marathoners.  People ran to raise money to cure diseases, ran for loved ones who couldn't, it was awe-inspiring.

Makes me think maybe. Maybe...

Jeff and Katy are debating a marathon on October in Indianapolis.  Today, I ran 2.57 miles.  I haven't run in months.  But, I was inspired. I laced on my shoes and ran.  And the first 3 minutes where great! Then minutes 4 to 10 sucked. By, minute 11, I had found my groove.  Can I run another 10 miles? Do a 1/2 marathon? Maybe... can I run an additional 24? Not so sure.  But, October is 5 months away.  It might just be time to break out a training schedule- just to see...just in case...

Congrats to Jeff and Katy and all those Flying Pig participants!