Going into this race, I told Robert with complete confidence that I believed he would have no trouble running around an 8:20 average pace over 13.1 miles. In all sincerity I felt he could run even a bit faster than that, and when we talked about it for the most part I think he did also. The logical part of him believed it. He had done the work. His fitness was stellar. He was healthy and injury free. His paces for his runs were spot-on to accomplish this. Even still, that was a big number for him to think about and as we all know -- racing is a mental game, no matter how fit you are or how well your training has gone. And no matter how far you have come or how much you have already astounded yourself, trusting yourself and having the courage to push even farther can be a scary thing.
I am so proud of my husband.
Robert executed his race perfectly. He was brave and courageous and strong. He stretched himself and he never gave up.
Because that is who he is.
He finished in 1:47:38. An 8:13 average pace. A whole fifteen minutes faster than his personal best prior to this race. I would call that a big deal day.
I loved being out there on the course with the kids, cheering for him and my friend Karen. My in-laws' house is right at the end of a street along the course so I took the kids (all six of them - my three plus Karen's three!) and we literally grabbed our signs and cowbells and walked to the end of the road a few minutes before I was expecting them to run by. It was just around Mile 11 of the half, so a really great time to give our runners some extra motivation to finish strong. After they passed us we cheered a little more and then went back to the house to play and wait for them to return.
Both Robert and Karen ran such strong races and it was so much fun to be there for them! The kids were awesome cheerleaders and it honestly could not have been easier for me as a solo-flying parent with 6 kids at a race. I loved seeing other familiar faces along the course that day - including one of my clients who is training for Boston and ran a PR that day! What an awesome thing to see her run this race. It was a really fantastic day.
Being at Shamrock as a spectator for my husband and friends and so many other runners filled up my heart and had me feeling those "race day butterflies" in a new and very blessed way.
Running is the best sport ever -- no matter where you are in the pack, what your pace is, what your form looks like, how long you have been doing it, which side of the finish or start line you are on ... we can all come together and lift one another up. I love it! I am so proud to be a runner - and to be the wife of a runner! Here's to our incredible sport and the human spirit that makes it as magical as it is.
