Irritable Bowel Syndrome Message Boards | Shane's Thoughts On The 1/2 Marathon (pix included)

4:30 AM: WTF? Why is my alarm going off? It's Sunday for God's sake, and even if it weren't....Oh, yeah, that little run today. Check weather....looks cold and wet...fill my fluid bottles (I WAY over did it BTW)...Time to wake Shell

5:00 AM: Shell up and moving? Check. Coffee Brewing? Check. Get dressed, do I really wanna freakin do this? I've been shooting off my mouth all week. Got to go thru with it now.

5:15 AM: DAMN IT IS COLD AND DARK AND WET. Im cold and wet and tired and cold and I only walked to the car. My car takes too long to heat up...it should be pre warmed for what I paid for it.

6:00 AM: Here we are. The car is warm, I don't want to get out. On the upside, I have a great parking spot! Who's incredibly stupid idea was this anyway? Oh, yeah.....that whole big F-U to the big 4-0 thing.
6:10 AM: Heated indoor area to wait in. This is the post race recovery area too...its nice, and we start to mentally and physically prepare.

6:20 AM: WTF!?!?! SNOW?!?!?! IN SEATTLE!?!?!

This was a bad idea....

7:15 AM: go to start line for 7:30 start

7:30 AM: start (betcha didn't see that coming did you?)

.25 miles: How can my feet be this wet already?

.75 miles: At least I'm not cold anymore.

1.25 miles: Toss off the disposable plastic poncho I've been wearing.

1.75 miles: This is going to be a long day....is that a thong hanging in that bush? So much for romance I guess.

Somewhere very near 2 miles:

***flashback to Labor Day in Cannon Beach***

As most of you know, we go to Cannon Beach every Labor Day for our anniversary. Last summer, during the wine and cheese social hour, we met this really nice couple. They had lost a bunch of weight together, and she was participating in Tris etc. We had some great conversation, exchanged email addys, and never really connected again.

***back to the present***

I'm running along, waiting for autopilot to kick on, when the nice lady next to me initiates some small talk. We chit chat for a minute or 2 when I realize it is Bonnie, the lady mentioned above. She hadn't figured it out yet, so I asked her where she was from etc, leading to me mentioning Cannon Beach.....I see the lightbulb above her head light to a chorus of "No Way!"

Now, I really had intended on making mental note of different things during the race and writing about them here, but from this point on we just ran, and ran, and ran...suddenly we are at 12 miles and I can see the finish. It was a great run and Bonnie challenged me and kept me going (mental note: solo running is not as productive as running with a partner) Check out Bonnie's blog if you get a chance, it is quite inspirational.

Next thing you know, we are finished (2:49 and some change)

Thanks again Bonnie, the experience was a better one for running with you!

That is pretty much it for me. That being said, I am SO incredibly proud of Shell. I don't think it has sunk into her head exactly what she did today and how incredlibly far she has come. It was not all that long ago, when Shells only weekend activity was moving from the bed to the couch and back. You have come so far baby and I am so proud of you! I'll be the first to admit, I teared up when you crossed that finish line (4:40:23).

Well, Its time for a little "Vitamin I" (Ibuprofen) and maybe some ice! Thanks for taking the time to read this longer than normal rambling!

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