2008 St. Jude Marathon

Well, we are back. This is a picture of me and the boys picking up our packets for the run. I was a big dummy and didn't bring my camera on this trip...you know I was thinking more of underarmour and coats and totally had a brain fart and forgot my camera. So I hope Leenie doesn't mind me stealing some of hers!




This is Team Jake at the Pasta Supper. For those of you who don't already know..this is a supper the night before the race for all the walkers/runners to carb up. Lots of yummy pasta dishes and salad for everyone. Team Jake is just growing and growing. Hopefully next year there will be a lot more from Homer!!

As for the race, Brandon beat us all...he made it across the line in 28.8 minutes. He placed 26th in his age group ...he ran the whole thing! Jake made it in 37.11 minutes. He placed 27th in his age group. I am not sure of Zach's exact time, but he placed 31st in his age group and Charlene and I placed 103rd and 104th in our age group. We locked arms and crossed that finish line together. We walked mostly but we did run some too! It was COLD COLD COLD, but we made it in under an hour and I thought that was quite impressive for our first year. Our boys don't believe us that we ran, but we did and I am sure there is proof of that in someones pictures somewhere!!!! When the race was over we went to the 1/2 way mark and cheered for a little while and then moved on to mile marker 24 where we cheered for the Full Marathon runners.
I have to tell one little story about Jake. He really got into the cheering thing! He was telling all the runners what a great job they were doing and that they were almost there. One runner came around the corner and you could tell he could barely go. Jake saw him and walked to where he was bent over rubbing his legs. Jake told him that he was awesome and that he was almost there...that he couldn't give up yet and that he knew he could do it. The guy looked up at Jake and smiled and told him he was sure gonna try. Then he started jogging again ..ran by me and Charlene and told us that he was gonna try! I was so proud of Jake for doing that. Later, after we went back to the room, Jake fell asleep and was talking in his sleep still telling everyone to keep running for a cure and that they could make it! Brandon and I were sitting in the hotel room giggling at him talking in his sleep, but that just proves the impact that all of this had on the kids....they will be going back next year!

I will post more later...when I get access to more pictures. Bottom line is that for the second year I was touched deeply by being a part of Team Jake, the marathon and St. Jude! It is just something that has changed my life definitely for the good and a trip that we will continue to make yearly!!!