A Marathon to Remember

It was 7:00 a.m. on Sunday, October 27.  As I faced the East, early morning daylight was cresting the horizon.  Over the heads of the thousands of runners ahead of me, I noted the dark silhouette of the dome of the Old Courthouse aligned with the dark silhouette of the Arch.  The St. Louis Rock 'n Roll Marathon and Half-Marathon was now underway.  I was in Corral 16.  Nineteen minutes later my corral set out from the start line!  I began my 26.2 mile journey around the city of St. Louis.

For the previous year I had quietly hoped to run one more marathon.  I selected St. Louis because its marathon is in the autumn and because our daughter Sarah, her husband, and their young son live there.  During my long training period I gradually built up my running mileage.  Then, this past August I joined a marathon/half-marathon training program sponsored by a local Fleet Feet store.  For me, I benefited from the coaching/mentoring, from learning how to run hills, and challenging myself to run hard after running easy.

My marathon in St. Louis was challenging, exhausting, and memorable.  In addition to Chris, all our daughters, sons-in-law, and grandchildren were there to cheer me on.  And cheer they did, with their noisemakers and posters prominently displayed.  Not only could they see me a quarter of a mile away, but also I could hear them!  The weather was ideal for running a marathon, from mid-30's at the start to the mid-50's in the afternoon.  We ran by or through locations such as Bush Stadium, Tower Grove Park, Compton Hills, St. Louis University, Washington University, and Forest Park.

It's "thumbs up" around Mile 18 in Forest Park.

Near Mile 22 I was struggling and 3 or 4 of my grandchildren (ages 12 to 4) jumped in to run with me.  The smiles on their faces and the excitement of their laughter were as bright as the sunshine.  They were really into this experience and they "juiced" me.

L to R: Matthew, Susan, Jocelyn, and Peter (in bottom R corner)

Also, at this point our daughter Katie, who has run numerous marathons herself, joined me for the remaining 4-5 miles.  Her urging, challenging, and encouraging me enabled me to "finish strong."  (Remember, at this point in a marathon, "to finish strong" is a relative concept.)

I finished the marathon in 5 hours and 31 minutes.  I am happy with this, as the time was not so important as was the experience.  After the marathon, one of my family members asked me whether I would run another marathon.  I answered, "No."  On Monday, when someone asked me a similar question, I said that I would consider it.  Yes, the thirst to run another marathon returns quickly.

It was wonderful that Norm and Linda Hageman drove to St. Louis from Kansas City on this marathon weekend to visit their son and his family and to meet Chris and me for dinner on Saturday late afternoon.  We ate at LoRussos Cucina where the meal was delicious and the service outstanding.  We enjoyed our time with Norm and Linda.  They have become very involved and active in a new parish that they have recently joined.  In addition, earlier in the week before the marathon, while we were visiting our daughter and her family who live in the Chicago area, we arranged to meet with Don and Betty Wampach for lunch at Geppettos in Oak Park.  (There's a rumor that Don is putting his beer can collection up for auction?  Or, is it on E-bay?)  Again, our time together was a joy.  How amazing it is to meet former classmates, great friends, while traveling in various parts of the United States!

Finishing Strong

Where will my next marathon be?