Erika and I headed out early this morning for my first half marathon. The race started at 7 a.m. and it was incredibly cold and very windy. I felt great the first nine miles. The course was flat, the wind was at our backs and the scenery was gorgeous. At each mile marker Erika would announce our split and we'd give each other knucks and yell "Go Team Grampie." Dedicating this race to our grandfather took the focus off our individual accomplishment and made it greater than our singular effort. Our race was dedicated to a man that never gives up, always keeps pushing ahead no matter how difficult things get. It made it much easier to keep going, knowing that we were running in his honor. And we needed that inspiration after we hit mile nine when we saw our nemesis looming out in front of us. The bridge that would carry us to Manteo, where the race finishes, was very steep and long and there was a fierce cross wind. We decided we needed to HTFU and power that bad boy out. When we reached the top the feeling I had was amazing. We did it. The most difficult part of the entire course and we killed it. Awesome. Of course, I couldn't have predicted that we would run the last several miles with the cold wind blowing against us. That completely sucked. We had committed to finishing the race together and, if it wasn't for Erika's cheerleading the last mile-and-a-half, I think I would have fallen down and cried. Would have been nice if I'd actually trained like I should have! We crossed over the mile 13 (in the pics below) and I couldn't even garner any excitement. I was completely focused on putting one foot in front of the other and finishing this bad boy. We came around the corner...the finish was in sight...even then, no emotion, just focus...step, breathe, step...Erika reached for my hand and we ran holding hands as people cheered "Go Team Grampie" and crossed the finish together. It was an awesome moment and one I'll never forget. My official time was 2:18.41 and Erika took almost a minute off her time from last year. Go Team GRAMPIE!!! Sunday, November 11, 2007
Go Team Grampie! 
Erika and I headed out early this morning for my first half marathon. The race started at 7 a.m. and it was incredibly cold and very windy. I felt great the first nine miles. The course was flat, the wind was at our backs and the scenery was gorgeous. At each mile marker Erika would announce our split and we'd give each other knucks and yell "Go Team Grampie." Dedicating this race to our grandfather took the focus off our individual accomplishment and made it greater than our singular effort. Our race was dedicated to a man that never gives up, always keeps pushing ahead no matter how difficult things get. It made it much easier to keep going, knowing that we were running in his honor. And we needed that inspiration after we hit mile nine when we saw our nemesis looming out in front of us. The bridge that would carry us to Manteo, where the race finishes, was very steep and long and there was a fierce cross wind. We decided we needed to HTFU and power that bad boy out. When we reached the top the feeling I had was amazing. We did it. The most difficult part of the entire course and we killed it. Awesome. Of course, I couldn't have predicted that we would run the last several miles with the cold wind blowing against us. That completely sucked. We had committed to finishing the race together and, if it wasn't for Erika's cheerleading the last mile-and-a-half, I think I would have fallen down and cried. Would have been nice if I'd actually trained like I should have! We crossed over the mile 13 (in the pics below) and I couldn't even garner any excitement. I was completely focused on putting one foot in front of the other and finishing this bad boy. We came around the corner...the finish was in sight...even then, no emotion, just focus...step, breathe, step...Erika reached for my hand and we ran holding hands as people cheered "Go Team Grampie" and crossed the finish together. It was an awesome moment and one I'll never forget. My official time was 2:18.41 and Erika took almost a minute off her time from last year. Go Team GRAMPIE!!!
Erika and I headed out early this morning for my first half marathon. The race started at 7 a.m. and it was incredibly cold and very windy. I felt great the first nine miles. The course was flat, the wind was at our backs and the scenery was gorgeous. At each mile marker Erika would announce our split and we'd give each other knucks and yell "Go Team Grampie." Dedicating this race to our grandfather took the focus off our individual accomplishment and made it greater than our singular effort. Our race was dedicated to a man that never gives up, always keeps pushing ahead no matter how difficult things get. It made it much easier to keep going, knowing that we were running in his honor. And we needed that inspiration after we hit mile nine when we saw our nemesis looming out in front of us. The bridge that would carry us to Manteo, where the race finishes, was very steep and long and there was a fierce cross wind. We decided we needed to HTFU and power that bad boy out. When we reached the top the feeling I had was amazing. We did it. The most difficult part of the entire course and we killed it. Awesome. Of course, I couldn't have predicted that we would run the last several miles with the cold wind blowing against us. That completely sucked. We had committed to finishing the race together and, if it wasn't for Erika's cheerleading the last mile-and-a-half, I think I would have fallen down and cried. Would have been nice if I'd actually trained like I should have! We crossed over the mile 13 (in the pics below) and I couldn't even garner any excitement. I was completely focused on putting one foot in front of the other and finishing this bad boy. We came around the corner...the finish was in sight...even then, no emotion, just focus...step, breathe, step...Erika reached for my hand and we ran holding hands as people cheered "Go Team Grampie" and crossed the finish together. It was an awesome moment and one I'll never forget. My official time was 2:18.41 and Erika took almost a minute off her time from last year. Go Team GRAMPIE!!! 
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