Go, Mommy, Go!

OH NO. Where did April go? Where have I been? What have I been doing? I have some catching up to do. I am going to start with the most recent, because today my legs are a little too tired to travel too far back in the past. 

Yesterday, for the first time since 2008 and therefore the first time as a mom, I ran a 1/2 Marathon. 

Why? Well, as Elsa says repeatedly as she insists on taking off down the sidewalk, "I have to run, because I'm a runner!" Exactly.  Let's just say that after nearly 8 years of marriage, Erik knows that it's in everyone's best interests to give me time to run.  Especially when it's the only time I have to myself (that's right...bathing and going to the bathroom no longer count).  So I picked something big to train for and registered for the Mainz Half-Marathon. Elsa's reaction? "Why not the whole marathon, Mommy?" Seriously.  When you and your sister get together and decide to sleep all night, every night, then maybe we can think about it. 

Erik braved the rainy morning with my enthusiastic cheering section.

Oh wait, that's a little better. . .



And at the end, a big beer (alcohol-free, which is probably a good idea) and a little girl running at me were great rewards. 

So was the giant ice cream on the way home.



10 years ago I ran a marathon 2 days after my 25th birthday. This year  I ran a 1/2 marathon 3 days after my 35th.  I like to tell myself that the shortened distance is only due to sleep deprivation and not advancing age.  We'll see.  As for the difference between running a big race in Germany vs. the U.S.? I like that our first names are on our race numbers, so I can see that I'm surrounded by Franz-Josef, Wilhelmus, Bjorn, Ute, Wolfgang, Andreas, Axel, and Norbert.  I love the race being marked in km instead of miles . . . more markers makes me feel like I'm making faster progress.  More body odor at the start.  Pretzels and beer as post-race refreshments instead of bagels and Gatorade. People stripping down to their skivvies out in the open pre-and post-race to change clothes.  Otherwise, it's the same intense energy and comraderie and Van Halen pump-up music and post-race high. Mission accomplished.