Each Day Is a Gift

 :) :) :) The Just Cuz Party-a-thon!!! :) :) :)

Lowell had enough clothing, gear and food to crew the entire field of Full Marathoners at the Just Cuz today (granted there were only 18 marathon finishers).  He loaded my car up with a full box of Gu, a doz. pair of gloves, a year supply of hottie-hands, a case of water, an assortment of hats, fleece, jackets, shirts....my poor hubby had no idea the crew duty he was about to take on! :)  Arrived at Century Park (the finish of the Just Cuz Half, in our case the start of the Just Cuz Full) at 7:30, found Marci, saw several "early bird halfers" and race staff preparing the dutch oven food for post race feast.  The Full starts at 8.  Half starts at 10:13.  I was hoping to get to the top (turn around) before the Half starts...but Lowell had different ideas!

Temp was in the high 20s, we were toasty, a bit overdressed actually! :)

The race theme was either "Joe Fro" or "Zombie Appocalipse".  Marci did the natural fro, mine was a heavy duty troo bloo doo!  Lowell was himself!   :) :) :) 

Lance, the RD is a funniest guy! We were laughing so hard at his pre-race announcement! :D With a 3-2-1-BAM, we were off, right on time at 8am! :)

The first mile has a slight decline turning onto the main road (which means an incline on the way back), everyone took off fast leaving us in their dust.  Hubby crewed along and stopped at mile 1 so we could throw our fleece in the car.  Ran by a golf course mile 2-3 where Lowell made us pick up every golf ball we saw.  A nasty headwind accompanied us for 2+ miles and subsided once we got into the canyon. 

Took 1st Gu around mile 5 and removed the heavy duty fleece mittens! :) 

Stopped at every aid station (not manned).  Used the pop.  Posed for pix! :)

First of the many many many pop trips!  I set a PR for the most pop visits EVER in my entire 7 years of running career! 

Bill Mandler flying down the canyon at his mile 14ish while we were trudging up the steepest uphill part of the course at our mile 11+.  Lowell made me run up to him and tried to get a pix.  He was SO FAST!!!! :)  What's with the huge neon shirt Lowell made me wear!  :)

We were soon running upstream into a fast moving wall of Halfers (over 500).  We high-fived and exchanged cheers!  Some guy runners were hitting my hand so hard that my left arm nearly got amputated! :)  Lowell knows so many of these local runners.  I think these girls were exasperated when we stopped them to take pictures, not just one but three or more pix, plus Lowell had to introduce each one of them to me! :) 

I was afraid that TJ (who was running the Half) had missed us amidst the huge throng of runners.  So we phoned my hubby who had driven up ahead at the start of the half.  He saw TJ waiting alone at the top for us so he could run with us!!!  What a true blue friend! :) :) :)  However his first words when he saw me was:  "You look gross.  I'd get rid of that shirt if I were you!"  :)

Happy to be running downhill finally.  I was hoping to take the downhill fast...but Lowell had different idea!  Marci, TJ and Smooth! :)

This was one of many pictures Lowell requested the volunteers/hubby to take.  He even showed them how to take panaromic view mode.  I had fun visiting with the volunteers and exchanged good laughs! :)  Happy to ditch the blue fro and neon shirt to hubby!

As mentioned before my kidneys were doing an excellent job so I made numerous mad dash to every single pop along the course including the gas station bathroom.  Lowell's were doing the same.  Except he had on a body suit!!!  Yep, I got to unzip the back of his suit each time.  Marci ditched us at mile 15ish!  Can you blame her?!!!

Lowell was struggling after 17 or 18 miles.  He had some leg cramps Thur night and was worried.  You know he's tired when he's not singing or telling jokes anymore.   He could only run a short 50-100 yards at a stretch.  TJ and I chatted happily and encouraged Lowell along.  I remembered he made a deal with me to eat a twinkie at the "temptation station" around mile 24 so I told him we had to make it to that station.   When we got to the station, all the Ding Dongs and Twinkies were GONE!!!  So we went to the gas station where Lowell bought us Twinkies and chocolate milk while hubby filled up the tank and I used the ladies room.  I have not eaten a Twinkie since the 1980s.  I ate the whole thing and drank the chocolate milk.  Got a terrible tummy-stitch when I tried to run!  I'll never do that again!  Mile 24 split was 20:35:90.  TJ said we might make it a sub-6 marathon!  Aaaagggghhhh!  Someone please save me!!!  :)

We were running/walking with couple groups of ladies.  One of them was running back on the course.  She told us that her niece who was 5 weeks post partumn was having some cramping issues and was further back.  So we phoned hubby to turn around and drive up the course to meet her niece who luckily was running with some family members.  They urged her to take a ride from my hubby to the finish.  Yep, hubby played EMT role too!  :)

Enough walking already, please let me run!!! :)  Notice Lowell who sponsored the bibs, had arranged for our bibs to reflect our age! :) 

With less than a mile to go!  17 yr old Rachel Fisher who finished the Half, came to rescue Lowell from the death march!  :) 

Our friends met us at the last turn into the park and we ran thru the finish shute together holding hands!!!  My 9th marathon of the year, 6 in 11 weeks, in the book, and my slowest marathon EVER by choice!!!  We had a blast!!!  We stayed for the award and prize drawing after a feast of chilli, dutch oven stew, pumpkin pie!  :)   It was a beautiful day to make memories!!!  :)