Since April 2011 - Lots of Stuff and the Memphis St. Jude's Race 12.3.11

It's 2012!? How'd that happen? The last race I wrote about was the Illinois half in April. A lot has happened since then. Honestly I can't remember all the races I've done. A handful of 5ks, I know I did the Roots-n-Blues-n-BBQ 10k in CoMo in September - always a good race. I did the Turkey Trax 5k at Rock Bridge on Thanksgiving Day (32 something), and the First Night 5k (again, 32 something) on New Year's Eve. I did the StL Rock-n-Roll half in October, but had to WALK it because of a pinched nerve that caused me to have severe right leg pain. It took me so long to finish they ran out of freakin medals! Seriously?! It was horrible and I vowed then and there never to walk another race. I'll take a DNF rather than suffer through that again. I was training for the Memphis (St. Jude's) Marathon Dec. 3, and made it up to an 18 mile run before the nerve called foul. In the end I did the half marathon and I have to say, I was back to my old self by then, finishing with a respectable 2:32:09.

Here's a picture of me, Carl and our friend David the night before the race on Beale Street in Memphis.

 

Beale Street, Memphis, TN, 12.2.11

David (recall, he is our lightening fast running friend we met in Denver in 2010) finished the marathon in 3:22:10.  Carl had a PR at 5:06:28. Here's a picture of CG rounding the finish!

CG rounding the finish

All marathon finishers got a DOZEN Krispy Kreme donuts. Really? We enjoyed a couple and then gave the rest to some very appreciative on-lookers.

CG with his Krispy Kreme stash...which we promptly gave away...after enjoying a couple ourselves!

The next day we visited Sun Studio, birthplace of Rock-n-Roll....took the tour (for me, the second time) and got to play with the original mike that Elvis used. Elvis! Three years ago, in 2008, I did my first half marathon in Memphis. I started running after my dad died, in July, 2008. I didn't know it at the time, but we ended in the Memphis Redbirds Stadium, feeder team to the St. Louis Cardinals. Anyone who knew my dad knew he was their biggest fan. He would have thought it was so cool that we finished in that stadium. I was supposed to run the marathon in 2011, back in Memphis, sort of a culmination of my metamorphosis into a runner. But, alas, that was not to be. Still, running the half was outstanding. The St. Jude's folks are SUCH GREAT FANS and the atmosphere for runners is unlike any other race that I know. Running through the St. Jude's campus is one of the greatest feelings you can imagine. I have a feeling this race will be an annual event for us. It's that great. Below left, I'm rockin out with Elvis, and rockin my race medal, and below right, my sweet sister, Kacey, rockin her Memphis Redbirds T-shirt. :-)