Marathon Weekend

 Friday morning we hit the road bound for Savannah, Georgia! 

I was so very excited (and slightly nervous) to be participating in the Rock n' Roll Marathon there this weekend!

 Shane and I decided it was best just to take the big boys to the race and let the babies sit this one out. It was going to be a whirlwind of a trip with lots of time spent in the car.
Sophie and Hudson got to enjoy a fun-filled sleep over at Mimi's and Papa's house instead, which

I think they were totally okay with;)

After getting the little ones settled, AND a quick run through Dunkin Doughnuts,


we were finally on our merry way!

When we arrived in Savannah, our first stop was the running expo where we picked up my race packet and bib number.

My sweet friend, Ginger, met us at the expo and we had a great time touring it together!

After a little Rock n' Roll fun, it was time to head out and grab a bite to eat!
  

Shane suggested the Olive Garden as the place to go...

He knew I would have no trouble carb-ing it up there--ha;)

After dinner, we called it an early night and checked into our hotel. We knew Saturday morning would dawn bright and early and we wanted to make sure everyone was well rested and ready for the day ahead.

Our alarm sounded at 4:30am, and in less than a hour we were dressed, checked out of our hotel, and off to catch the shuttle to the start line. 

Because we were staying just outside the city, and because there were over 23,000 runners participating in this race, the only way in and out of Savannah on race day was by shuttle or ferry boat. 

All the roads down town were pretty much closed for the day.

We jumped on a shuttle bus and began our trek into town. Unfortunately, our bus driver got a little confused on the route into town and actually got lost while driving us there. What should have been a twenty minute ride, ended up taking over an hour!

Thankfully, I made it to the start line in time, but with only a few minutes to spare.

 I was so blessed to be running this race with two very sweet friends. Ginger is a dear friend from church, and Stacy is my neighbor and daily running partner. 

For the last 18 weeks, Stacy and I have been up long before the sun, pounding the pavement, and counting miles together. 

Stacy was such an encouragement to me during the race. Not only did she help me keep a consistent pace, but also helped me shave ten minutes off my time from my last marathon.
This was her first marathon and she rocked it!

While we were busy running, Shane and the boys had fun cheering on other runners from the sidelines... 

and playing a little football with friends. 

They did their best to meet up with us at several mile markers during the race, which was a HUGE encouragement to us as we ran!

I loved seeing their sweet faces and collecting their enthusiastic high fives as I ran by! 

Stacy and I crossed the finish line at 4:32:37.
Exactly where we hoped to be for this race!

We each were presented with a beautiful medal as we crossed the finish line!

It felt great to accomplish our goal, but my legs seriously felt like jello and I was so glad to be done! 

Before long, it was time for our crew to head over to Lady and Sons for a delicious lunch!

 Unfortunately for me, my stomach wasn't quite in the mood for Paula Deens sweet southern buffet like I had hoped:( I can't brag about how good the fried chicken was, or how wonderful that banana pudding tasted.

A couple glasses of Sprite was all I could handle;) 

Oh well!

What I can tell ya is...

 the sweet memories made over the weekend, and the friends we enjoyed this experience with were just as filling!!