Marc and I have a tradition to do a race every year on or around our wedding anniversary. For some this may seem unromantic, but for us running folk, we LOVE it. Well maybe this year it wasn’t Marc’s favorite thing, and last year when I was 35 weeks pregnant it wasn’t the most fun to race, but marriage is about compromise and sacrifice.
We just don’t run in the same race either, we run the ENTIRE race together, finishing TOGETHER. This is hard for my competitive nature, and especially since my hubby hadn’t been training and wasn’t in the best of shape. The Sunday Sunday 10 miler is a beautiful course, it’s fun, there’s free ice cream at the finish, it’s local, it’s cheap and it was a within a week of our anniversary, so why not? Marc and I both made sacrifices during the race. I dialed my pace way back, and he stuck it out, running through pain to finish.
And the best part, I finished happy and smiling, and didn’t want to kill my husband for making me not “race” a race, and R chilled in the stroller without a peep during the entire race. She conked out for almost all the race.It was her longest stroller run to date and longest race. She got second in her age group and I did as well.
Like most race mornings, it was hectic and we were rushing to get R fed, diaper changed, last minute potty breaks, and our race bibs on. I did a warm up while running to the starting line, that was it. I also had to stop and pee within the first 3 or so miles in the bushes along the course since I didn’t have enough time before the race.
R likes to take her sweet time doing anything really, besides feeding herself, which she stuffs her face so fast it’s almost sickening but cute. This of course made Marc and I rush to get our stuff together, and the stroller ready. Thankfully R slept most of the race and did great.
The first 3 miles are easy, with a nice downhill before you meet some small rollers, and some little hills. Really it’s a fairly easy course, beside the long hill that begins at mile 8, as you zig zag through a neighborhood going up, then flat, then up, then flat. At mile 9 you begin the real challenge and climb a decent size hill that kills everyone. Once you crest the top you only have about 1/2 mile to the finish.
I powered up the hill pushing the stroller and passing many people. One of the guys trying to keep pace with me, I am sure because he didn’t want a stroller pushing mom to beat him up the hill, turned and looked at me and said “You’ve got to be kidding me.”
At times I would drift ahead of Marc as I would get antsy and want to race, but then I would have a silent conversation with myself reminding myself that this was “our anniversary run” and it wasn’t about me today. I kind of drifted ahead as we went up the hills, but once I hit the top of the hill I turned back around to get Marc and we powered it into the finish. R was all smiles for the finish line camera too 🙂
I enjoyed running along the river, through trees. It was quiet, and I felt great. It was actually nice to not race a race, and just enjoy a run without any pressure of time. Marc and I set a time goal at the beginning to be under 1:15. He didn’t think he could do it, but we did!! Finished in 1:14:22. Nothing like post race ice cream from Ben and Jerry’s. Hit the spot on the sunny day.
As we ran I reflected on another year together, and all that has happened in the past year. Our first child, new jobs, Masters completed, new blog makeover, new directions in our lives, new challenges, many new seasons of adventure, sadness, happiness, and laughter. Marriage is much like running, there’s good days, hard days, challenging days, and exhausting days. But every season of marriage helps to prepare you for the next.
Thanks Marc for making our 2 years adventurous!! Here’s to many more sunsets like this one we enjoyed after our race!!
Until Next Time Be Whole and Be Fit
Do you have any anniversary traditions? What’s your favorite post race treat?