St Jude Marathon- someone else's RR :)

Quick post on a great St Jude Marathon morning.

My morning- ran 8 miles on part of the marathon course with Gina and other friends for some pacing and good cheer- then cut off to my bike for some spectating. So, I can now run 10 miles again (will I be stuck here forever?) I did not feel great today, and I was 100% thankful I was not racing. It was just one of those days where I felt tired, out of shape, no pep, and ready to be off of my feet and on my bike. Training days are not always magical! But, I am glad I got to run with some of my friends and get in the spirit of the race.

By the way- haven't run St Jude in a while (I haven't since 2007)? There is now a great section that cuts right through St Jude. It is lined with families and children- everyone thanking you for your support. Of course I cried the whole half mile- it was really emotional.

On to the good stuff-
Huge congrats to Laura for her big PR today. I really don't know what her time is, but I am assuming it was around 3:30. Words cannot describe how great she looked when I found her at mile 19, 23, and 25. I was a total friend heckler:
"Your ass looks great, Laura. You have the best butt out here!"
"Hurry the f@ck up! I am going to need you to pick it up! HTFU"
"Come on- push it! Do NOT drop your pace. Let's go. Move your arms. Pain is inevitable- suffering optional. Let's go!" (this is like at mile 23-25...ha ha! like anyone wants to hear that at those miles- but guess what, she listened and picked it up even more than her already great pace!)
- "Your form looks really great- which means you will have good race photos which is really important!"

At mile 25 she was surrounded by a great group of Los Locos teammates- running/cycling her in. I absolutely love my tri team- we have such great support and athletes that get it! We all push each other to do well and have high expectations for each other.

This picture of Laura was stolen off of facebook. I forgot my camera.

So- Laura ran so well- so strong- because she earned it. Good days aren't gifts- they are earned. She has worked hard for an entire year to build up her mileage. Her marathon did not start 4 months ago, it started last year when she started running the trails more. She stayed injury free (I think- at least I never heard her complain!). She did the work and pushed herself. Congratulations Laura on your more than BQ!!!!!