2007 PF Chang's Rock & Roll Half Marathon

This is the second time I will have written this post. The first time it was deleted by the geniuses at Google that designed the new Blogger front-end. Yes, you detected SCADS of sarcasm.

Okay – Maggie ran her second half marathon on Sunday. The girls ran their second one mile fun run. But the REAL story is how hard it was for Maggie and I to get her to the starting line…

Maggie planned on us leaving the house at 6:00am, Sunday morning. We only had Cate with us, as the girls were with Ali this weekend. It was a FRIGID morning. The overnight low was in the mid-twenties downtown, and probably lower in our neck of the woods. We left the house about 20 minutes late (no big deal). We pulled out of our driveway, headed down the hill, went through the gate, headed UP the hill, and ran out of gas. We couldn’t even make to the top of the hill with the hopes of coasting down to the gas station. So I let it coast back down the hill and parked it outside the gate. I sprinted up to the house (got my exercise in for the day), got my car, and drove back down to get Maggie and Cate. Maggie was already pulling the baby-seat out of Expedition, and we quickly loaded everything into my car and took off for the race.

About half-way to the drop-off spot near the start of the race (downtown), Maggie realized that we left the stroller in the Expedition. Let me tell you, there was no way that I was going to be able to carry Cate around in the sub-zero temperatures for 5 hours!!! I wouldn’t have a place to change her diapers, let her sleep, put her down, etc. I had to drive BACK home to get the stroller before I could go back to the race.

So… I drove home, got gas for the Expedition (I had time before Maggie would be anywhere NEAR the finish line), drove it back up to the house, got Cate back in the car, and took off for the race. I was able to find decent parking near the finish lines. It was in a nice sunny spot, and there wasn’t any breeze, so I got out of the car and judged that it was nice enough out for Cate to be okay with her overalls (lined), a hooded sweater, and her lined leather shoes. I was wrong. The whole way over to the race I couldn’t believe how cold it was. We were walking into a slight breeze, and whenever we went into the shade during the walk to the finish area, I think the temperature went below 25 degrees or so. But Cate never complained. I am not sure she understands temperatures yet.

Because of all this, I was unable to see the girls run their race, but their father was there to cheer them on.

After I got back to the race area, I hooked up with Ali, Caroline and Sara. They FROZE during the race. Seriously – it was FREEZING (literally). I felt so badly for the girls. They did great though, and their dad said they were real troopers about the cold.

So we all looked around for a place to wait for Maggie to run by us so that we could wave and cheer her on. We found a nice spot about ¼ mile from the finish, and settled in for the wait. Cate was now getting very tired. I fed her a little, changed her diaper and held her tightly to help keep her warm. Ali gave me a nice fleece jacket that one of the girls wore to run in and I wrapped Cate in it. I think her feet are still frozen solid. She is such a great girl!!! Anyway, she finally fell asleep in my arms about 10 minutes before Maggie finally came running by.

Maggie had trouble understanding why everyone was cheering one so wonderfully at the beginning of the race, but stopped somewhere in the middle. She put "Mags" on the back of her shirt so people could encourage her by name. Maybe people just got tired of yelling her name?

Maggie ran at a very easy pace for her. She didn't have any time to train this year, and was very sick the week before the race. The fact that she even ran in it, and did as well as she did just shows me how tough she is! GREAT JOB MAGGIE!

Maggie's sister, Kelly, also ran in it (first race for her). She did great! Now they both want to start training for the upcoming 2007 San Diego Rock & Roll Marathon in June. GO MAGGIE!!! GO KELLY!!!

Everyone has thawed out from the race. Maggie was aching from how cold it was. Cate's feet were like little ice cubes for about 4 hours after we got home, but you'd never know it from Cate! What a little trooper that girl is. FYI - I am posting a couple new pics of Cate on her blog.