Green Bay Marathon makes for number five. This one was extra special and fun though because I was able to run with Brooke for her long awaited first marathon.
We had a really great time all weekend, but here are a few good moments from the marathon:
Let me first start off with us sprinting around Lambeau field house 5 minutes before gun time to use the bathroom. Brooke takes one look at the stall that says “elites only” and thinks that doesn’t apply to her so uses it anyway and I successfully flush my mini cliff bar down the toilet.
We find Glenn after our bathroom break and make it to the corral with 2 minutes to spare.
Here we go….
1. Mile 3 – We end up running with a guy who is wearing a tri outfit. He says he has done an ironman, but is mostly a swimmer not a runner, and wants to prove he can break 4 hours. We run with him for about 2-3 miles and he wants to slow down, so we leave him. (In all reality he was probably sick of hearing us talk)
2. Mile 10 – We begin running with a really nice girl, but Brooke hated her. She hated her because she was too happy. Brooke is wanting to hurt and be pissed off about hurting and this girl is telling us how she feels Euphoric. Bye Bye Girl… runners in pain don’t want to run with runners with euphoria.
3. Mile 17 – Brooke tells nice people cheering us on they don’t understand and gives them mean looks.
4. Mile 18 – More nice people are cheering us on and one says “you are almost there keep going!” Brooke glares at them and says “yeah right”.
5. Mile 19 – Annoying lady rocking a Boston jacket tells us we look strong for the 1,000th time in the race. (I think we literally saw this woman every other mile) Brooke also gives her a dirty looks and tells her “actually we feel like shit.”
6. Mile 20 – I tell Brooke she has already ran for 3 hours and has less than 1 left. She definitely hates me now. Wrong thing to say! She says she can’t imagine running for one more minute let along an hour.
6. Mile 21 – Precisely when Brooke tells me “yeah I’m really over your talking”
7. Mile 24 – I am starting to be scared of Brooke. I want to cheer her on and motivate her, but don’t want to push her if she doesn’t want to be pushed. So I choose my words carefully and tell her she looks strong, tell her she can do it. I don’t get negative feedback so I follow that method for the next 2.2. miles.
8. Mile 25 – Brooke is saying things like “I hate this, this is so dumb, why am I doing this, I feel terrible, yada yada.
9. Mile 26 – We head into Lambeau stadium to do a lap inside and finish out in the parking lot, she picks it up the last 200 meters.
10. Mile 26.2 – We cross the finish line, hold our hands up, hug, she looks at me and says “I’m ready to do it again.”
There is something to be said about a person who is in such intense pain and hating every breath but turns around right away and wants to do it again. She’s addicted. I’m addicted so I get it, but those who aren’t just don’t understand.
So I was hoping for tears when she crossed the finish line, but you usually don’t see Brooke get too emotional about these things. There were a couple of times during the marathon we both got a little bit emotional, but when it was over it was just happy time. I wanted a bathroom and she wanted chocolate milk.
I love you Brooke and I can’t wait to run another marathon with you.
Oh and p.s. the Tri guy and the Euphoric girl both finished ahead of us by about 2 minutes. Brooke still doesn’t like her.
On another note, I can’t write an entire blog about Green Bay and leave Glenn out. He ran the first mile with us and slowly drifted ahead. Throughout the race Brooke and I would guess what his time would end up. She said 3:43 and I guessed 3:47. He and I had just ran St. Louis only four weeks prior and my legs were tired. I did not feel fresh and thought there was no way he did.
So during mile 25 as we are running in to the final stretch I see him with his shirt and medal acting like a volunteer passing out water to us. I scream and yell back to him as we run by “what was your time?” “3:19” he says. Holy cow, are you kidding me? He ran a 3:24 in St. Louis, which was a 25 minute PR… and four weeks later he turns around and does a 3:19? (and it was a 4 minute negative split!)
It is beyond me how he felt so good. I am soooo proud of him though, now I can only imagine what kind of time he is capable of. When we first started doing marathons, we didn’t really dream that Boston would be in reach for him… but here he comes… 9 more minutes and he is there. I think he might have to do some training runs with some guys, because if he really wants to qualify… that might be a little too fast for wifey. Maybe he will run a BQ in October in Chicago. We shall see!
Chicago goal for Glenn – Break 3:11
Chicago goal for me – Break 3:30
Here are a few pics from Green Bay.
