I've been running for years. I run most days of the week and have competed in all types of races, including a few half marathons. I just recently added marathons to my portfolio. To date, I have only raced in two - the Country Music Marathon in Nashville in 2008 and the Chicago Marathon this past October. I'm also not all that disciplined about training properly...I have a hard time with those looooooooong runs preparing for the big day. So, I was more than excited and totally thrilled to have qualified for this year's Boston Marathon at Chicago...with 24 seconds to go. Yes, I barely squeaked by with my time to get into Boston - but who really cares? It could have been 24 minutes or 2.4 hours...I MADE IT! However, if those two bathroom breaks (and all you runners out there know what I mean...) had caused me to miss those precious seconds, then this Chicka would have cared..................well, let's not go to there, shall we?
So, the accomplishment to qualifiy for Boston is almost as exciting as the race itself...right? I have had months to bask in the glow of knowing that I get to run Boston! Woooo! Well, today I decided to get out my calendar, as it is a brand new month, and realized we are 7 weeks away! Yikes! ONLY SEVEN MORE WEEKS??? Forty nine days from now, if all goes well, I will be in the "Heartbreak Hill" club. Is that a club? I'm pretty sure I know the reason for the name and will be excited to see the other side of that Hill when the time comes. And if there's not a club, there should be.
My Mom called me the other day (my parents live in Maine but are vacationing in Florida) and mentioned there was a marathon/half marathon in Tampa. She was very impressed that there were about 4,000 runners competing, and asked how many would be running in Boston. When I told her the race was cut off at 25,000, she was pretty shocked at the number of participants. Chicago was almost double that. Running has become quite a sport/hobby for many of us, and I expect the races to only get bigger. My Mom and Dad live on an island in Maine, where I believe the total population is less than a 1,000 and that includes adults, children, animals and lobster traps - so probably any race looks big. I wonder if there are more runners in the Boston Marathon than there are citizens of the County in Maine where they live? Just putting it in perspective.
Reese had a very busy day today. He chewed the leather sole of one of my hubby's shoes, bit a hole in my bomber leather jacket, and chewed a finger off one of my leather gloves. Do you see a pattern here? He really is addicted to leather. Kitty is lucky she isn't made of leather...although, those two are going to have a showdown at some point. My money might just be on the cat. Reese may be bigger and louder, but he is still a pup and just wants to play. Kitty (which is her name, by the way - very original, I know...how she came to be a part of the family is another story) is actually about 10 now and likes to soak in the sun on her favorite perch. She has no patience and no interest in Reese. None. And one of these days when he is bouncing up and down to play with her....POW!!! Right in the kisser. I guess we all need to learn those lessons at some point.
Happy Monday, Happy March and Happy Merlot!
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