MARATHON

As long as I can remember (as an adult) I have wanted to run a marathon but it has always felt like an unattainable goal. I have ran several half marathons and always felt like it's the perfect distance to train for... challenging but not grueling. However in the back of my mind I've continually had this lingering aspiration to run a full marathon but doubted whether I would actually achieve this goal or not. So ultimately it was a bucket list item. After having the twins, I struggled a lot with being lonely as well as being uprooted in a new environment with newborn babies. I felt like I needed to make some goals and get involved in order to change my mental well being. So again I revisited this idea of a marathon but hadn't fully committed. While I was out for a walk one day with some friends, I mentioned this goal and my friend Sommer said she would think about it. Well a month or so later we decided to commit and go for it. I was really nervous again whether I would follow through because I was intimidated by the distance. But I researched a running plan and started training. Sommer and I started checking in with each other to see how our runs where going and then started to meet up for some of our long runs. Sommer was a great running partner. She has a much faster pace than I do but it was so nice to have someone to visit with during long runs and encourage one another. My friend Richelle also jumped on board and decided to run a marathon as well. So I also had Richelle to check in with for an accountability partner (via text because she lives in Idaho, although we did get some long runs in together during an Idaho visit). Anyway, we debated between the Newport marathon and the Foot Traffic marathon on Sauvie Island which is the one we ended up going with. After months of training... I accomplished my goal of running a marathon. 

 Shane met me with a quarter mile left and ran to the finish line with me...  it was really encouraging!!!

 My amazing running partner Sommer. She is an awesome runner. Not surprising, she killed me. I think we are both looking pretty pleased to be done!!!

 My super sweet groupies!!!

 Sarah and Lisa, two of my sisters ran the half-marathon. They both did great!! Way to go!!

Richelle is super amazing and ran the marathon as well. It was so much fun to cheer each other on!


Running this marathon was an amazing experience. It taught me so much about myself and my capabilities as a person. It was so empowering to take on a task that I questioned whether was achievable and conquer it. I am really proud of myself and my running partners. Also, I am so thankful for such an awesome husband who supported me for the last 6 months every Saturday morning so I could go on a long run and train.