Rock 'n' Roll

 Four and a half years ago Jeff and I completed our first 1/2 marathon in Indianapolis, Indiana with my Sister and Brother (remember, my Brother Dave ended up in the hospital after?!) Jeff swore he'd never do it again and I swore I was going to as soon as I could.

 Well life got in the way- you know, marriage, work, kids all that fun stuff and I never was able to commit to one. A few months ago our friend Krystal told us she was going to run the Denver Rock 'n' Roll 1/2 so I jumped right in at the chance. Of course after seeing my excitement Jeff couldn't help but want to join in on the fun himself.

Rocking out in Elvis masks at the expo

Our training started in July. I would try as best I could to follow our running schedule and get out Tuesday and Thursday mornings for a run. On Saturdays Jeff and I would go for our long runs together while Grandma and Grandpa watched the kiddos, thank you guys! It was a great way to get out and train and spend some one on one time together just like in our early years as a couple :)

 Two weeks leading up to our big day Jeff and I went out for our Saturday long run. I knew I was feeling some tightness in my upper leg (okay okay, groin ew I hate that word) but hadn't ran on it yet. Sure enough I could barely make it a few yards so I decided to take a break and let it rest. Well the pain never went away so the night before the race I iced it and went to bed hoping for the best. With the help of a few ibuprofen and the support of my awesome hubby I did just fine. Actually I did much better than I expected, I finished! Granted I was keeping a slow and steady 10:30 minute mile pace but as one of my favorite running quotes states: "Whether it is a fourteen minute mile or a seven minute mile it is still a mile!"

 Over 15,000 runners participated in the Denver Rock 'n' Roll marathon and 1/2 marathon

 People may think it's crazy to run but I just love it! It is so therapeutic and there is nothing more satisfying than setting a goal and crossing that finish line. I love the sound of thousands of footsteps hitting the pavement, the crowd cheering you on with signs saying "toenails are for sissies" and live bands rocking out as you approach each mile. And whenever I thought I couldn't do it I just thought to myself 'My babies are waiting for me at that finish line!' and I would get another burst of energy. I had to have Jeff take my picture of me and my nursling JJ, another motivational factor was knowing little bubs would be hungry and I needed to make it to him. Those mama bear instincts probably contributed to me finishing, ha! At the end of the race Jeff got me a charm for my pandora bracelet. It is an official Rock 'n' Roll charm that has a guitar on one side and Denver on the other side. I'll have to start collecting them now!

 The kids favorite part of the event was seeing the big giant blue fish, Charlie. I loved that Charlie the tuna fish was passing out free tuna packs haha!

Now that our race is over I can't wait for my next and am even day dreaming of the day when I finish my ultimate goal a full marathon. Thanks Jeff you're the best for running with me and finishing your goal too, I love you!

“If you run, you are a runner. It doesn't matter how fast or how far. It doesn't matter if today is your first day or if you've been running for twenty years. There is no test to pass, no license to earn, no membership card to get. You just run.”

― John Bingham