the race

Race day came last Sunday, May 2. We ran the half marathon - 13.1 miles. Not a bad run considering the scant training. And we finished. We finished even with Jonathan's sprained ankle. Sprained ankle? you say... Yes, sprained ankle. We rode to Cinci with the Berry's for the race. The race starts at 6:30am - so we have to be up at 4am and hit the road by 4:30am in order to get parked and make it to our corral by race time. (Yes, they corral you like horses... in groups estimated by your stated finish time on your registration. I think we were in corral B or C.) We find parking in a parking garage, we all get geared up... stuff our pockets with jelly beans, shed the extra layers we don't need, make sure our timing chips are on our laces, etc. Ask ourselves... do we need to pee, or not pee? Did you have a bowel movement before you left the house? Shoot, me neither... I hope I don't have to go on the run. (Yes, this is exactly what we are all discussing on the way there. If you've never been to a race, I just want you to get the feel! Trust me, you DO NOT want to have to use the porta potty's on the race... it is so very nasty.) I'm never sure exactly what to eat or not eat b/c I don't typically run in the mornings. I chose a bagel and banana and forewent (is that a word?) the coffee b/c that can get my GI system moving too quickly :)

Ok, so we leave the parking garage and it's still dark. Jonathan is hopping all over the place to get warmed up and comes down right on a lip in the sidewalk. Seriously... maybe a 1/8" lip. It was nothing. However, you will see HERE and HERE that it doesn't take much to take this guy down. Too many high school basketball injuries I suppose. He totally wiped out and then sprung up and grabbed Devon by the neck... it was so, so funny and if you ever see Beth and I together, we can completely reenact the entire episode. He would not let go of Devon - so they hobbled back to the car to get a pain killer (which of course is another necessity at every race) b/c Jonathan was determined to still run. Meanwhile, Beth and I wait at the curb and some guy walks past us (who was a runner... everyone you see at that time in the morning in Cinci is either running the race or spectating or doing something illegal... this guy happened to be a runner) and says, "Did that guy just get hurt? The race hasn't even started yet!" We didn't claim him.

*Had to stick this in here...I think I need to start a new label. We were impressed he took the covers for this one!*

He did run, he didn't die, but his ankle was pretty sore, bruised, and swollen when we got home. We finished the race -- had a big pancake breakfast with Devon and Beth on the way home, and then went home feeling REALLY tired. But, it was so great to finish! Bummer we have no pictures with the Berry's -- someday we'll get spectators to come see us so we can have some pictures and someone to cheer us on at the finish line! :)