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May
5
1) Thank you, thank you, thank you for the kind words you’ve sent my way. And a special teary thank you to Eliza, whose email on October 21 last fall sent me on a path to finishing a marathon. Thank you.
2) It is the damnedest thing, but everything that was so horrible about the race has already downgraded in my brain from Vividly Awful Experience I Never Want to Repeat to Amusing Self-Deprecating War Story. I mean, at mile 24 I told everyone within earshot that I was never doing a marathon again, ever. And I absolutely meant it. Yet less than 24 hours later I started thinking how it was almost funny how destroyed I was at the end—ha ha, remember when I was half-dead and was *thisclose* to shitting my pants?—and all the bad moments now seem small in comparison to the good. Which is NOT how it felt at the time, so what the hell?
Anyway, totally thinking about the Portland marathon in October.
3) We got home yesterday and I’ve got about twenty-seven loads of laundry to do, the house is a mess, I’m far enough behind in class I can’t make heads or tails of the study guide the teacher sent out (”Krebs cycle”? “Mitochondria”? “Oxaloacetate”?), I need to catch up on work email, and the fridge is somehow both empty and smelly. I’m glad to be back, but our meandering trip in Oregon—outside of cell service, where the traffic consisted of wild turkeys scuttling across the road—made me wish we could slow our lives down a little. Maybe a lot.
4) JB and I were married nine years ago today. Nine years! My god, I love that sumbitch.
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Congrats on nine years.
Man, JB was like twelve when you got married, huh?
You, on the other hand, look AT LEAST 15.
Congratulations on the marathon and nine years of marriage! And that last picture, GAH! You look so happy and so young!
Happy Anniversary!
Happy Happy Anniversary!
And once again congrats on the marathon, you’re awesome.
Congratulations on the marathon… amazing! And I adore that final picture!!
JB’s always been a hunk, apparently. You married as teens, right?
And now you’ve gone and made me homesick for the PNW. I lived in Portland from 2004-2006 and think Oregon is the prettiest place on earth.
Congratulations on 9 years! And hurray for NW love!
Happy anniversary!
Wild turkeys are mean mofos.
Happy anniversary! You rock, you crazy lady. Can’t imagine doing one let alone more. Keep reaching for the brass ring.
gorgeous photos! congrats on the nine years, too.
Congats on 9 years! It’s our 3 year anniversary today and if I get to 9 years without killing my husband it will be a huge accomplishment on my part. Have a good one!
Happy Anniversary! My 9-year is in 2 weeks. :)
Funny how marathons are alot like giving birth. In the midst of it, you swear you’re never doing it again and will kill anyone who suggests it, but after a little time the pain is dulled by the awesome sense of accomplishment and reward. And you want to do it again.
LOVE the picture of JB by the river. It’s beautiful.
First congrats on the run, it’s quite the accomplishment. 2nd you should look into the book Metabolism at a glance it has all of the metabolic cycles in huge diagrams, both together to see the whole picture and separate so you can focus on one cycle. I found it helpful
COngrats on the marathon and the 9 years. You are truly an inspiration!! I will running my first marathon in Nov at the NYC marathon and I am a nervous wreck as I had never run over 2 miles before. I have been on a training schedule for the last month and when I read your post about finishing the marathon – I cried. Thank you for being an inspiration – now can I borrow your playlist :)
Hooray for nine years!
(And the marathon, again.)
xo
Dude, Portland marathon is FUN. Great course, and usually perfect running weather.
Good job husband choosin’…happy anniversary.
NEITHER of you has aged in nine years! What the hell? Next time I’m up in Seattle, I’m going to ask you to get those portraits down from the attic.
Congratulations! Love the wedding picture.
It’s funny, every time you mention your anniversary I remember that it’s also the anniversary of the first time I met you, at Westlake. It makes me feel very stalkery.
Your marathon sounds like childbirth. Like, the hell and horror you’d never repeat in a million years suddenly isn’t so bad later on when the amnesia kicks in. And! The marathon doesn’t scream in your face at 2:37 in the morning!
Congrats on nine years. What a ride it’s been!
Congrats on the marathon and your anniversary. Wishing you many more.
You got married on Cinco de Mayo! Very fun. Happy Anniversary. :o) You are adorable together.
Congrats on the nine years – and seriously, you guys look the SAME!
You should totally run the Portland marathon! Apparently it’s one of the better ones…and by better I mean entertaining and not too hilly (just one bridge). Bands are all along the route and there’s great fan support. Do It!
“Anyway, totally thinking about the Portland marathon in October.” I called it.
Also, congrats on your near-decade of marriage! You look just the same, but JB looks like a baby in that picture.
Congratulations on the marathon and the 9 year anniversary! Did JB leap over that bunch after the photo? I get such a kick out of his amazing vertical jump skills.
Ahh, the Krebs Cycle-I don’t think I ever fully understood it. Good luck!
go to portland. i’ve already signed up and it will be my very first marathon. i’ve heard it’s a good one!
You’re an inspiration to continue to improve ourselves every day. Thank you for your sense of humor, your insight, and your way of making even shitting your pants entertaining and not at all YICK.
Happy anniversary, here’s to many more!
And, congratulations again! Come and run the Burlington City Marathon, you guys can stay with us!!
As a non-runner i would think that a marathon would be like pregnancy & birth: something that when it’s immediately over you say to yourself “NEVER F-ING AGAIN” then a little while later you’re going… hmmm… I think I COULD manage another one of those….
Perhaps not, but as I said I’m no runner. I look too stupid because I don’t know what to do with my arms and also I can’t pace myself for anything. But I’m one hell of a mother!
Umm…I meant bench not bunch.
Really, you are going to marathon up again? Wow! Happy anniversary, babe. Hope you guys do something grand to celebrate.
Re the “damndest thing”. I wonder if endorphins soften the memory of pain, in addition to inhibiting pain.
I hope you keep running and writing about running because your chronicles and accomplishments are very inspiring. (Now if only I could get off my ass…)
The photos are wonderful.
Btw, it’s pretty astounding to think that you’re in better shape now than you were nine years ago, when you were a gorgeous, beaming, no doubt healthy bride.
All through your own efforts.
In another ten years you’ll be younger and stronger still, and probably running ultra marathons in the Mojave.
Woot! Nine years is, like, almost a decade! Congrats!
(Didn’t not mean to sound like a braindead idiot, but as you well know, the end of a semester can do that to a girl…)
Ha! I KNEW you would start thinking about another marathon!
Happy Anniversary! Nine years…That’s great!!
Seriously, how old was JB when you guys married? Talk about a babyface!
One thing I still wonder, when I think about your marathon training + miserable commute + 2 toddlers: Do hyper-scheduled days not stress you out?
Listening to classes on your iPod while commuting and jogging, having all your careful scheduling blow up in your face every time there’s an accident on the 520 bridge or a kid catches a virus . . . this doesn’t stress you out? Having your alarm go off and swinging your feet out of bed in a stupor of exhaustion, knowing you really needed about 3 more hours of sleep — this doesn’t start the day on a sour note for you? Losing a workout to an unexpected emergency vet trip didn’t have steam coming out of your ears, didn’t ratchet up your fear that you wouldn’t be prepared for the race?
Your marathon training ate up whatever margin for error or downtime your already hectic schedule permitted. There must have been many, many days when things just didn’t go your way and you felt overwhelmed and overcommitted.
I’ve been reading about Buddhist meditation practice, which focuses on living in the present moment. If you can really, really do this, you’re freed from anxiety about the future and from regret about the past. You can also get a whole lot more done, because you are completely focused on whatever it is you’re doing at any moment.
Did you adopt some sort of medititation practice or attitude of mindfulness? Did you just take lots and lots of clonazapam? Or do you like being super-busy?
RIght now I’m trying to ratchet up my self-improvement efforts with more goal-oriented exercise (which so far has led to a 15 lbs weight gain — how do you cope with post workout hunger???), and my schedule is just brutal.
Anxiety about whether I’ll be able to awake for my 5 am alarm makes it hard for me to sleep, which leaves me totally exhausted & underperforming + irritable at work the next day . . .
Sorry. I keep asking you to be my life coach. Maybe I should just hire one. Or check out that mondo beyondo web site.
Victoria: there are definitely days when things feel stressful, but I don’t think I’m as tightly scheduled as you think. I usually get plenty of sleep, for one thing (11-6ish), and in general it was never too horrible to miss a training run as long as I got in the critical long runs sometime over the weekend. I mean, I’m sure if my goal was to WIN a marathon, training would need to be a lot more rigid.
I do like being busy, but I’m sure everyone has a tipping point for what works and doesn’t. If your schedule is killing you, I wonder if there’s something you can dial back so you can at minimum be more rested.
Congrats! I had a feeling that you were already planning your next marathon. :)
Happy Anniversary! Do you wear a cape when you run because you sound like a super-hero to me.
Congratulations on everything and also congratulations to you and JB :)
You have learned to run.
Now you can learn to stand still.
Keep learning!
Congrats on 9 years! You look like you haven’t changed a bit from that picture.
I’ve heard great things about the Portland Marathon. Some friends of mine did it last year and loved it – at least, as much as you can love a marathon.
Good luck!
I see I’m not the first to say this, but you two haven’t aged a day! Congrats!
conratulaions again on the marathon, and on the nine years as well!! your an inspiration Linda, you are well. Cheers!
Happy anniversary, Linda!
I’m all for slowing your life down. If it can be done, do it! I don’t do half the shit you do and I think I am on the run all the time.
Keep up the awesome work!
Yay, do the Portland Marathon! I mean you have to, it’s on 10-10-10. That’s my reason for doing it, anyway. Congrats on your anniversary!
Another one? (Shakes head)
You need to build a cabin right there where JB was standing.
You two were gorgeous on your wedding day, and babies, just babies….congrats, and may you have many many more!
Happy Anniversary!
So you married as children and stopped aging? Neat trick!
Congratulations on all counts!! I concur with the others: both of you were babies!
A big fat hearty “you’re welcome” and “I KNEW YOU COULD DO IT.” Sending lots of love & pride your way.
Congratulations on your anniversary! A lovely milestone. :-)
Congrats on your anniversary!
Happy anniversary! If you do the Portland marathon, I’d totally be there cheering you on!
Happy Anniversary :)
Congratulations and Happy Anniversary!
Happy anniversary!
Happy Anniversary to you and JB. And another marathon? I say DO IT!
So you’re telling me that running a marathon and the body/ minds ability to make it seem
less painful/horrific to endure… Is like birth?! Lol. I told my little girl and everyone else in the labor room with me that I would NOT be giving her biological siblings!! She’s 11 months now and I’m starting to convince myself that I may actually choose iveyive birth again… Maybe! Although I think I just puked a little in my mouth…
Congrats to you on reaching your running goal and your 9 year amniversary!
I did the Portland Marathon (walked it-and yes, that does take ALL damn day) and there was something about live music at every turn that kept me going…..Very fun
Another marathon? Oh Linda, first thing I thought, and I thought it with nothing but awe and respect, but, “B!tch crazy.” You’re an inspiration really. Now if only I would get off my rear end and start hitting the pavement. And lo, I need to.
Congratulations again on the marathon! And on nine years. Holy cow. JB looks like an infant. What is he? like 14 there? Crazy.
Congratulations on the marathon – that is an enormous accomplishment that you can be totally proud of. Before I messed up my knees, I was running 4-5 miles several times a week and I can say it NEVER occurred to me to attempt training for longer distances. You are one amazing lady!
Also, congratulations on the wedding anniversary. It seems from reading your blog for many many years that it’s been a great 9 years!
What a difference between the last picture in this post and the first picture in the last one! You’re a beautiful bride and you two look so giddy-happy, but there is something about that picture after the marathon, both of you, your smiles and the excitement in your eyes. It’s… well, it’s neat is all I can say.
Congrats to you!
JB looks like a high school kid in the wedding picture. Who knew you robbed the cradle? :-)
Congratulations! You are such a great couple and beautiful family!
Happy Anniversary!!
You two were meant to be together, loving, laughing and experiencing life to the fullest. The added blessing is the two wonderful sons you have created.Congratulations!!
Happy anniversary! I hear the first 9 years are the hardest.
Happy anniversary! Also watch out for those turkeys…little bastards will attack!
Happy Anniversary!
Congratulations, on all of it! Keep up the great work running.
Congrats on 9 years of marriage to a great catch & your marathon finish. Both are fantastic accomplishments! Have a wonderful day!
05/05/01 ? We did 08/08/01 so the date would be easy for DH to remember!
That being said, I have a girl crush on you…congrats on your physical fitness, and crazy marathon running. You are inspriring me to get off the couch and become “fit before 50″.
Congrats! You have simply not aged one bit since your wedding picture!
Happy anniversary! I love that your wedding pic is right over your post-marathon pic which includes both of you.
You both look like leaner, fitter versions of your wedding-day selves, but while you have maintained a high level of hotness all along, please permit me to observe that JB has ratcheted up from sweet boy to mraow! I am happily settled with my own hottie, but I’m just sayin’, I can still appreciate from a distance…
I am so happy for you! I wish I could run a marathon, but that will never happen. I don’t think I could stand the training, and my knee is super bad. Glad your back home and I hope the mountain of laundry doesn’t make you work on Mother’s Day.
Oh, and happy anniversary!
Krebs cycle is a bitch, this helped me a lot: http://www.johnkyrk.com/krebs.html
Congrats on finishing a marathon – holy crap.
And can I just ask how the hell you don’t get blisters? I can’t walk over 2 miles without getting some sort of tenderness on the back of my damn ankles.
Happy anniversary!
All I remember from my Gen Ed biology class is The Mighty Mitochondria: the cell’s powerhouse. Maybe that will help. :)
I nodded in recognition of your section (2) description of post-race thoughts over time. I remember someone saying once (of triathlons when I was doing a lot of them): when you’re in the middle of the race, you’re saying “never again,” but as soon as you cross the finish line you’re saying “when’s the next one?” That was so, so true and I think that happened to me during every single race! And I kept signing up for another one, every time.
But I want you to get back on your bike and start training for a century ride, dammit! :)
Congrats! You both look even better today!!!