Running with a Smile: Celebrating with Others

This past weekend I ran the St. Louis half marathon. I ran it simply to celebrate an accomplishment of a fellow running buddy. Ashley started running last year and set her sights on a half marathon. Jessica and I said "pick the race and we'll be there." Ashley chose the Go St. Louis half marathon... a birthday run for her!

See the details of the fun trip below:

The trip down to St. Louis was fun and easy. We stopped in their old college stomping ground for lunch and then continued on. Once we were in the race city we went to the packet-pick and Expo. This was in the basketball stadium at the local university. We grabbed our packets and shopped around for a bit. Ashley of course picked up her new 13.1 sticker and we all grabbed some fun headbands.

Then we had quite the adventure trying to meet other runners at the Spaghetti Factory. There was road construction and lots of traffic. About an hour late... we made it to dinner. Had a great time with Stephanie and Crystal (running marathon and half respectively) as we fueled for the next morning.

Easy... fun evening!

The race:

Our hotel was within a 1/2 mile of the starting line. This made the morning a breeze. We got up, dressed, and walked to the starting corals. Ashley looked ready even if she was feeling nervous. Jessica and I were there, encouraging and equally excited for the next few hours.

Race began at 7:00 and we headed out decked out in purple outfits and big smiles. We soon found out that the course was hilly.... not just the "Holy Hill" section we were already prepared for. We stayed conservative with our pace and chit-chatted/enjoyed running in a new city. There was a constant flow of runners and sporadic spectators. We passed by the arch.... sports stadiums, a cute farmers market, and a huge brewery. I was snapping pictures as best I could while running :) (I really need a camera that just attaches to my hat or chest!)

At mile 6 we crossed new timing mats for the 2 mile section called "Holy Hill." This was actually a 2 mile stretch of about 3 major hills. You would get to the top of one and think "wow, that wasn't that bad" to see as soon as you went down you were climbing once again. We all ran the hills like champs!

The hilly course did take a toll and Jessica and I stayed positive because we knew how well Ashley could do. It's awesome when on course... sometimes things come up that give you a push when you need it most. Sometimes it's a spectator cheering you on by name, or a snowcap candy at an aid station.... for Ashley it was a sip of beer a couple miles from the finish! :)

Her goal was to run her first half marathon in under 2:30 and we finished in 2:18.01! She finished with a smile and a double thumbs up!

It was a great time to just enjoy her accomplishment! It is amazing what the body can do when you say yes. It's also fulfilling to help someone else reach a goal and to celebrate with them.

Extra pics if you want to check them out: