We did it! Mackinac Island 8 Mile Run

What an adventure.  Let me start by saying...I am not a runner.  Never have been, probably never will be.

  Somehow, somewhere, I got it in my head that I WAS going to run this race, and that I WAS going to finish.  {I think Amy Spaniolo had something to do with this?}  Unfortunately I wasn't able to run  last year on account of my 8 month pregnant belly, so I was determined to do it this year.  Amy, Vince and Tom ran it last year and said it was a fun experience.  So we  {Dan and I} started our summer with our minds made up that come September, we were going to run 8 miles. 

We did our best to "train" for this race,

but with the demands of life {and a poor work ethic on my part}

we didn't stick to training regimen appropriate for an 8 mile run.  Needless to say, I pushed too hard and my knee started giving me trouble a few weeks back, so I pretty much decided I was out...until last week when it started driving me crazy that I was being left out.  At the last minute I figured...what the heck!  A little ibuprofen and the commitment of another ill-prepared running partner {Amy} and I was back in. 

Anyway...the family stayed up in Mackinac City for the weekend.

We had some nice meals out,

walked around Mackinac Island after the race until the rain got the best of us,

 and let the kids swim at the hotel's "splash pad".

-pictures to come-

My children slept like crap, so I was up for some great sunrise pictures!

{Saturday}

{Sunday}

The race began at 9:30 on Saturday, so we had to get moving quite early to make the Ferry, get on the island and register.

Jeff, Dan, and Tom.

Dan and I (and yes, he already told me I looked like a boy)

Vince, Jeff, Dan and I

The guys finished the race a *tad* ahead of us.  Jeff {crazy marathon runner} finished just under and hour, Dan was about and hour and 22 minutes with Vince just around the same time.  Amy and I came in at 1 hour 44 minutes.  We ran 3 miles, walked 1, ran 1, walked a little more, then ran the last 1/2 mile or so.  It was so refreshing to go into this with NO expectations, that way I couldn't be disappointed. 

Ok, Ok, I'm pretty sure everyone made the list. {and received a medal}  I finished like 1000th of the 1500 people that raced.  But I finished!!!  Whatever...next year...Mackinac Island better watch out!