AF 1/2 MARATHON...for FORT!

Started the weekend with the Fairmont/Fairborn football game with Angie...and a BIG win. Exciting night for Donny - his running backs had a great game. Went home right after the game - didn't go out to celebrate - had to get home and get a good nights sleep...had to get up at 6 for the Air Force Marathon.
Sharon, Christy and I left my house around 7, got some coffee and avoided all the traffic on Woodman Drive - it was backed up from the base to Burkhardt-that's about a 2 mile backup. 12,000 people participated - in either the full Marathon, 1/2 Marathon,10K or 5K...thus the traffic congestion. (If you ever decide to do this marathon - go into the base via Spinning Road. There was NO traffic at all. Spinning Road dead ends into Airway Road - and they open the gate at the end of Spinning!)
Anyway - ready or not, we were there. If you've never experienced this event, you should go just to cheer on the participants. It's pretty incredible. Very similar to the 3day walk, as far as the atmosphere.
When I decided to do this - it seemed overwhelming. I mean, I walk 4 miles a day in the summer, so it's KIND OF training. Then I thought about the 3 day walk. That's TWENTY miles a day...THREE DAYS IN A ROW. Thirteen miles was NOTHING. Really.
I'm not trying to downplay a marathan - there are some VERY serious runners who do some very serious training. But we walked it. And we DID IT. All three of us. We wore our FORT'S YAYAS for TATAS shirts - got LOTS of comments about them...wish I would have brought some of the cards with the blog address on them. There was an older (probably in his 70's) gentlemen walking who commented on our shirts. I told him about Melissa and he looked at me and said "I'm a 6 year breast cancer survivor!"... Don't meet very many men who have had breast cancer, but they are out there. Met another woman who had Stage 3 Lukemia. Walking 13.1 miles....
Something to think about. It's a great experience.




BEAUTIFUL sunrise at the start of the marathon!



one of several flyovers - directly over the starting line chute....



the chute going into the finish...lined with AF planes - pretty awesome....




WHAT A GREAT SIGHT!


WE DID IT! 13.1 miles...PLUS another mile and a half to the car (plus the mile and a half to the starting line in the morning!)



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My boys...the only one missing is John (with a black polo, of course!) Went to the wedding of my former softball coach/friend Tom & Pat. ANOTHER big Franz wedding/reception. They have the BEST receptions. Melissa & John's first date was at Tom's daughter Julie's wedding. The story goes like this...Julie called the week before the wedding. "Tell Melissa & Nick if they want to bring dates, it's ok." So I tell Nick-he says "there's going to be 500 people there - I'm not bringing a date"...I tell Melissa, and that night after rugby practice, she's at Haps sitting with John (who she had a big crush on). She invites him to the wedding, and his response was "I have practice." She said "Free food and free beer."... The rest is history. Oh - Julie & Kevin's reception was at the Union Hall - where we had Fort & JMacs reception (she LOVED that place)...also had the Scholarship Fundraiser there!



We stayed at the wedding/reception for about an hour and a half, left to go to Ryan's football game - Carroll played @ Badin - down 13 to 7 with about 4 min to go - Carroll drove 80 yards and scored with less than a minute to go. With Ryan's extra point - Carroll won 14-7. GREAT game Ryan (and CARROLL)!

Needless to say, it was a busy DAY. Then we had the boys all day Sunday. Fun, but exhausting. Look forward to a weekend with NOTHING. Don't see one for awhile.

Have a good week...