Running the Chicago Mini-Marathon

So last Sunday I successfully finished the Chicago Mini-Marathon-I am thrilled!!! I first decided to run it when I realized that I could indeed still run a few weeks after having Judah. I signed up for the mini and started training. I ran this one for Judah! To someday say to him, your mommy wanted to show you she still had it, even after having you:) He had just turned three months 5 days before the mini. I finished with the time of 2:18.....the last time I ran a mini was pre kids and pre marriage and I finished at 2:03....so I certainly added a few minutes to my time...but lets be honest...I have added a LOT of things to my body since that time:)

The mini was amazing!! My sister Ruth and I always pretend that we are going to run together-but really I realize that I just prefer to run by myself. But we both finished within minutes of one another-which is quite humorous considering we did not run together past the first mile. I love having someone there that is running it too....someone to get nervous/giddy with and Ruth is the perfect person for that!! Nate was the sweetest of all men (as always) and came to watch while faithfully holding Judah the entire time!! Sweet Isabelle stayed home with my parents. He cheered me on in so many spots and was the race photographer as well. There is nothing as wonderful as the start of a race when people everywhere are cheering for you to run well and finish. All I can think of is the verse " we are surrounded with a great cloud of witnesses" and I without fail usually tear up within that first mile of the run! Then, with this race you are doing a loop on lake shore drive-so you get to see all the runners ahead of you on the opposite side of the street. I probably blew too much energy cheering for them-but I simply could not help myself. I was grinning ear to ear calling out "You are an inspiration....keep it up!!" And that probably was one of my most treasured moments of the run. To be able to cheer for other runners while yourself being one. Amazing.

The day was quite hot-especially for me who loves to run when it is COLD!! And the last few miles were not the prettiest believe me!! (Side note: since I loved running on the outside of the road for the whole race I was photographed about a million times. The marathon photographers are sitting on the outside and then snap pictures of the runners throughout the race....so you can imagine just how many photos of me there are online...and THAT is not the most flattering of picture collections I have seen of myself....so believe me when I tell you I was not the most attractive person nearing that end:)) But I finished!! Right when I finished the man over the loud speaker just kept saying my name.."Way to go Abby...Nice finish Abby...right over the line Abby!!" It was truly humorous how many times he said my name-but it was certainly fun to hear it!! Then I was finished....on cloud nine knowing that I had achieved my goal. This mother of two (23 months, 3 months) had just completed her 13.1 miles....life is good!!!