love is a battlefield

Saturday November 14, Josh, Dawan, Christina and I participated in the Chickamaga Battlefield Marathon.

The name of the marathon perfectly described our training before the big race--A BATTLE. All summer we trained in outrageously humid hot temperatures, all fall we trained in wet wet rain (virtually every long run was spent prancing through huge puddles caring our water logged bodies through pouring rain.) All summer I had recurrent blood blisters on my toes. A few weeks before the race I started having sharp pain in my right hip, missing our last long run and a few other speed workouts. The week of the race I had a fever, aches from head to toe and sore throat. The night before the race I had no voice and could barely speak. (My mother asked for photos, so ummm, uh, here you go.)

I felt like I could not waste the hundreds and hundreds of hours I had spent the previous 4 months training, so I decided to proceed and actually run the marathon.

Race day I tried not to waste any energy talking ....only smiles.

Notice the Confederate soldiers in the background and the real cannon. Instead of using the usual start gun, this marathon is always started by the cannon. The cannon was so loud, that everyone stalled for a couple seconds before starting (I thought it was rather hysterical).

Stretching.

It's time to line up!!

Can you see Josh and Dawan's head? I started about 3 hundred people back, I am not fast enough to hang with these pros.

Mile two... 24 miles to go!

I absolutely loved this marathon because the entire race was on trails and roads throughout the battlefield. Many people say that Chickamaga is haunted because so many people died during this battle during the civil war. I didn't see any ghosts, but I saw many deer, one even darted through the race (luckily far away from me). I obviously didn't have my camera during the run, but it was gorgeous.

Of the past three marathons that Josh and I have run together, this was the first one that we ran on our own (we usually run together, aka Josh runs slow to keep me company and to motivate me.) Josh is still recovering from the marathon, he had recurrent cramps in his feet, hamstrings and calves, affecting his stride during the run. He ran extremely well for the conditions. I am proud of him.

Dawan dominated. She had a great run, and qualified for the Boston Marathon (yet again). Actually she could have taken a 15 minute power nap in the middle of the run and would have still qualified (just to put in perspective how fast this girl really is).

Christina ran the half. I am so proud of Christina, this was the furthest she had ever run in her life. She started running 4 months before the race and plans to run a marathon in a couple years.

Even though I was not feeling 100% and I was mute, this miraculously ended up being the fastest marathon I have ever completed, shaving 20 minutes off my time! 6 minutes away from breaking 4 hours. (Dear Josh and Dawan-- I will never complain again duing 800 meter repeats on the track at 5 am, yes I do admit, they did help :).

This cute hawaiian lady, was the person who was my motivator through the run, I loved her long flowy hair and her huge bow...and she is 60, who would have guessed? She won her age group. Her husband (who is on her right) rode his bike along side her for the entire 26.2 miles giving her water and cheering through the entire run. I was pretty jealous.

Dawan also finished first in her age group. Amazing.

Oh and did you forget, this was November and we were wearing shorts? Yes, the weather was perfect. Sunny with a slight breeze and 62.
Thank you, Georgia.

This was the only picture of Joseph I got on this entire trip, while "carbloading" the night before. Joseph was our photographer extrodinare and our motivator. He definitely made the trip more enjoyable.