Houston Marathon Weekend 2010

This was our 7th year to run in the Houston Marathon!!! We've all ran either the Full(26.2 miles), Half(13.1 miles) and a first for this year, the 5K (3.1 miles). Registration was months ago and I decided this year I would run the Full again. Chuck, Maddi, Mason, Lana, JP, and Reese decided to do the 5K! I don't like doing the Half or Full without them...and this year, for sure, I didn't like it at all! Ha! I had to take off the last two and a half months of training for unexpected fertility treatments...the dr. asked me not to run at all. That makes for a very hard 26.2 miles! I really should have just run the half, but I was already registered for the Full AND stubborn runs THICK in my blood AND I needed something "fun" to do after all the heartbreak of fertility junk! Let me just say this, it wasn't exactly fun this time around...it was the hardest marathon I've ever run and it took me over an hour longer than normal, but it sure was nice to see that finish line! Thank ya Jesus! Never want to take the fact that I can actually use my legs to run for granted! Such a blessing.

The 5K'ers had a great time, they were freezing, but even Reese(4)-with a little pick-me-up now and then, Maddi(14) and Mason(10) did it! Proud of our kids!

Dad and Mom were the official fans/cheerers and Blayke-keeper! I think they love those tasks more than anything. Dad's running days are over after running his way into a new hip and Mom can think of a million things she'd rather be doing-although she did run the Half Marathon a couple of years ago when Lana was pregnant-they did it together! Ha ha ha ha! Go Mom!

Here we are at the Expo where you pick up your race packets

and see a million neat fitness booths...

We stay at the Hilton every year and have a crazy, fun time together

(chuck acting embarassing as usual)...

Here's the views from our rooms...

We always eat out on the town...usually at a great restaurant called Massa's...

We have a blast in the hot tub and pool the night before the race

and a relaxing time after the race the next day...

We wake up at the crack of dawn, stretch, prepare and walk out the hotel door

to the start line with all the thousands of others....

-BTW...this is what you look like BEFORE a Marathon(normal, no pain, excited/nervous smile)-

I was the only one that had to be out WAY early this year so these favorite guys of mine walked out the Marathon start with me and headed back up to join in with the rest of the fam getting ready for their 5K start...

A bunch of swollen, sleepy heads!

Gettin' ready for the 5K...
I didn't get to see them run, but here they are ready to go...
Chuck, Mason, Maddi, Alli(maddi's friend), Reese, Lana, and JP

Since Reese is not old enough to have an official registration,

she wanted her own bib with her name on it...too cute!

And after 26.2 miles, I finally made it to the finish. When they saw my splits coming in electronically through out the race and it looked like I was struggling(family can track you thru a cell phone), my sis ran out 5 miles on the course, so she could run the last 5 miles in with me. That means she ran 10 miles just to be the best sister support ever. JP ran out 2 and ran in the last 2 with us too. Chuck took a great pic of us. Can't ask for better family. And THIS is what you look like AFTER 26.2 miles...a FULL MARATHON. Ugghhhhh.

The pained look on my face is most assuredly REAL.

It's one of those things that just becomes addictive for the whole fam.

Houston Marathon...always a fun weekend filled with great memories for us all!