Our amazing running kilts were designed by Queen Mum Leah at Sparkle Skirts. They each have a "Go Team" patch and will soon be available for purchase by the general public :) $5 of every purchase will go to Team Relentless 4 Raegan and The Leukemia & Lymphoma Society.
The night before the race we had a great inspiration dinner where we met our other Team in Training teammates and celebrated over $300,000 raised in this race alone for research to help fight this terrible disease! After the dinner we gathered in the Captain's Suite to check kilt fit and add sparkles to our team singlets. Tami was the queen of iron-ons and saved us a great deal of headache! As you can see from the pics, she did a great job!
I can't tell if Dan was angry about the early wake-up and being made to wear a kilt or secretly excited. I'm so glad Dan joined us! Dan lost his wife, Karen, to cancer in September. While in the middle of his own grief, he was already thinking about others. When I told him we were signing up for this team, he hopped on board before I could finish the sentence. Dan has become a dear friend and I'm so glad he's a part of our life!
There's the smile! Recee always brings the fun! (loving the photo bomb from Manda in the background!) I love the pink purple combo Recee and Manda had going on. Still not sure Pete's Neon Compression gear matched the purple kilt!
Such a strong woman right here! Manda was training and fundraising while her US Marine husband was deployed to Afghanistan. She's also got a full time job and 3 beautiful little girls to keep alive! Strength wears pink and purple (and a neon green headband)!
It's always overwhelming and exhilarating standing in the line amongst this huge throng of people waiting for the gun to go off! We all gathered in Corral E so we could start together. Our 2nd leg relayers were allowed to watch the start then shuttled to the halfway point to await their partners.
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| Sparkle Check-Jean |
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| Sparkle Check-Tami |
Pete and Dan getting it done! Pete is always so happy to be out running! I have to say - those boys ROCKED those kilts!
We all were cheered for all along the way "Go Purple Kilts!" Jerry told me that he was sure to correct the people who mistakenly called them "skirts" :) What a great way to unify the team and get crowd support! I think the team was a little leery prior to the race of my insistence on the kilts, but understood by the time they finished the true value of the kilt.
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| Boys in Kilts - Beware of the wind!! |
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| Mile 7 - still happy!!!!!! |
Around Mile 8 someone yelled at us that "Sam said to catch up!" Samantha's relay partner, Manda, was super fast and so Sam had started her leg of the relay way ahead of us all. She told numerous people along the path to cheer us on. It was so encouraging and fun. We laughed every time!
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| Mile 11 - still happy!!! |
Mile 11 is when I started to feel a little pain in my feet - I realized then that my shoes were officially done. I retired them immediately after the race!
I also have to tell you how much the Team in Training staff meant to us along the way. Every half mile or so we would run across a coach who was cheering for us, would check in on our mental and physical well-being, and run alongside us for a time. Around mile 11 I got a cramp in the weirdest spot on my leg. I mentioned it to a coach, who reminded me to take a salt pill to get my electrolytes back up and help stop the cramping. He had a water bottle that he shared with me so I could take it right away. Within a half mile the cramping had stopped and I felt so much better. Having the coaching staff looking after us for the entire half marathon made me feel at ease about my upcoming full marathon in October (More details on that at the bottom of this post!)
What makes me even more proud...a week later Samantha ran the Broad Street Run in Philly!
AND she's already signed up for the Rock n Roll Philly Half Marathon in September! Mission Accomplished!
Lynette caught up with us at mile 12. She was chasing Samantha! The three of us finished together. Lynn is a freaking beast!!! I'm so proud!
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| Perseverance Personifed |
Julia and Recee came in a few minutes apart. I cannot tell you how proud I am of these two ladies! Their dedication is inspiring!
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| Required selfie with my girls! |
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| Our Inspiration |
After the race was over, I got a chance to hang with Raegan for a few. She's so beautiful and amazing! It really makes it worth all the training and fundraising when I remember that the money we raised may be what helps find a cure for babies like our Raegan.
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| Me & Hubby Post-Race |
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| Post-Race Lunch |
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| Hunter, Pete, Recee, Jean & Sam at the Bonfire |
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| Big Sis Rylee wants some time with Mom! Stop taking pictures! |
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| Recee with her inspiration to run! |
