Thanks to Google Earth, below are aerial shots of the start/finish lines and the U-turn at mile 18.5.
To say that we were showered with motivational gifts, treats and encouragement from our running friends would be a huge understatement!
Candy Gram Posters
Baskets full of candy grams and giant DUDE bunny
Beverages to CRUSH it!
And Celebration Treats!
Beverages to CRUSH it!
And Celebration Treats!
Of course, we were starving when we left, so we
stopped in Joplin for Butterburgers at Culvers!
It was cold and raining in Olathe!
Packet pick-up at Bass Pro Shop
It was cold and raining in Olathe!
Packet pick-up at Bass Pro Shop
Meg discovers that the only people getting cute green tech shirts are volunteers. She offers this girl $20 bucks for her shirt. Girl thinks we're extra crazy when I take her picture.
We can't even think about dinner until we've driven the course.
We drive for over an hour!
This is the U-turn at mile 18.5.
It is SO cold and windy that we can't even stand up straight for a photo.
Carb loading at Noodles.
After dinner we check the 12 hour forecast.
MUCH colder than we'd packed for.
We end up at Target to get long sleeve sweatshirts.
We wake to colder and windier weather than expected.
Pre-race excitement at the start line.
The Half Marathon and Marathon start simultaneously and share the same course for 12 miles.
Can you SEE the wind?? 30 MPH!
Can you SEE the wind?? 30 MPH!
The sun is coming up as the race starts.
Running over I-35 in the first mile.
Running over I-35 in the first mile.
The night before the race it said: "Marathon. Expect Delays."
There goes Steve.
5th Aid Station. Awesome course support.
Meg's laughing because these iron bridges creep me out.
Who's laughing NOW?!
Feeling great at the half way point
The guy coming up behind us offers to take one together. Steve.
Did you notice our bib numbers are 375 and 573? What are the chances?
There goes Steve.
5th Aid Station. Awesome course support.
Meg's laughing because these iron bridges creep me out.
Who's laughing NOW?!
Feeling great at the half way point
It was a lonely trail for a big part of the race, but fun to see the leaders come running back after the turn-around.Getting tired by mile 18, but excited we are super close to the turn.The U-turn! Light at the end of the tunnel.
8. more. miles.
Our knight in shining armor kept our socks dry. We got to see this lion on the way out AND back. We figured out on our second pass that he is deaf...not creepy. Lions and Tigers and Bears!
Every time we passed a bridge we knew we needed a picture of us jumping.
Every time we passed a bridge we knew we needed a picture of us jumping.
Mile 23 was pretty tempting.
Miles 20 - 23 were probably the toughest of all.
We see Jimmie standing on the corner, willing to take our jackets and water belts.
WOW! We're almost there!
I can't get my water belt off fast enough.
Darcie met us in the school parking lot and ran with us to the gates (but escaped this picture).
WOW! We're almost there!
I can't get my water belt off fast enough.
Darcie met us in the school parking lot and ran with us to the gates (but escaped this picture).
The finish line is UPhill....as were the last 8 miles!
Somehow Jimmie has beat us to the finish line.
Hi Jimmie!
If you could hear this picture, you'd hear Meg screaming as her back is cracked.
Hi Jimmie!
Not only did we finish together, we were perfectly in sync.
Love this.
Goal was 5:30.
Chip time 5:22.
If you could hear this picture, you'd hear Meg screaming as her back is cracked.
We were so relieved that we made it to the finish line feeling good!
My biggest cheerleader
My biggest cheerleader
Time for more photos
Happy. Happy. Happy.
Happy. Happy. Happy.
This is the only photo I took of our post-race hotel - the Intercontinental. First we scored a 4-star hotel room for half price on Hotwire. Then we scored an upgrade to the Concierge Floor where we ate tons of free appetizers, desserts and breakfast. And as a bonus, Curtis Stone (America's Next Great Restaurant) held the door for me before he climbed into his limo (because I was limping). lol
Chocolate dipped strawberries in the lounge
Dude Bunny from Jocelyn and Rachelle
Meg did not want to take off her medal.
Dude Bunny from Jocelyn and Rachelle
Meg did not want to take off her medal.
The 3 of us could hardly eat Saturday night. We ordered a ton of food at Cheesecake Factory and all we could stomach was edamame. Tragedy.
By the next day we'd all found our appetities.
In the span of 5 hours we had pizza, soup and salad twice AND fro yo at Red Mango!
What a fun weekend and awesome experience that I will never forget!
I love every bit of this story. Completely inspiring!!!
ReplyDeleteSO GLAD you took all of these pictures! You girls are AWESOME!!! Congrats a million times over!!!!!!!! Welcome to the club of crazies!
ReplyDeleteThis post could be titled, "She ran and she ran and she ran...then she ate and she ate and she ate!"
ReplyDeleteI loved our marathon experience, and I love that you documented it so well! Who runs to the finish line with a HUGE smile and leftover energy? We do! Fantastic weekend!
We look like we are praying in the windy picture at the turnaround the night before. hahahaha!
I haven't been that freezing in a very long time. So cold! So windy! So awesome. Way to go, Storm Warrior! I love running with you like a fat kid loves cake.
Let's do this again for shizzle.
you need to add that our numbers were 573 and 375!
ReplyDeletealso, the yellow shirt? So not as cute as the green one that that greedy girl-that-did-NOT-run-a-marathon wouldn't sell to me.
I know you don't know me, but I know Meg, and that post was awesome!!! How great that you documented the whole thing. I LOVE that you took pics on the course. And how fun to have such fun running partners! My "running partner" totally ditched me at our marathon, and it made for a LONG race, to say the least. :) Glad you had an enjoyable experience! R u ready for your next one? The day of my marathon, afterward, I swore up and down and I would NEVER run another, but the next day I was ready to try again. lol
ReplyDeleteGreat post! It looks like it was really a lot of fun. I'm amazed that you were able to do this with a big smile on your face.
ReplyDeleteaaaah!!! I am seriously crying!! this is so so so so awesome. You girls are my heros--I love that you documented it along the way. awesome job!
ReplyDeleteI am so proud of you sistay! (and you too, Meg-o!)
ReplyDeleteI don't know if I'll ever be as crazy as you, but if I ever DO decide to run 26.2, it'll be with YOU!