Tobacco Trail Half

What a wonderful wonderful time I had running my second half marathon several weeks ago now...life has been busy!!  It seems like so long ago, but at the same time not!  The training was time consuming and hard at times, but it was all worth it to cross that finish line, knowing that the hard work had paid off.  It would have been worth it even if I hadn't crossed the finish line that day because of all of the lessons learned along the way, from the training and its likeness to a life of faith and from the bond two women can share in the midst of training for a lifelong goal together.

Sarah and I ran our first together last year down at Emerald Isle and it was COLD.  Two weeks ago, it was HUMID.  Crazy how you cannot predict the weather, but you can't predict the atmosphere of the race you run in life either.

The parallels of training for a race and living in this life journey of faith are many.  I could probably tell you all the things I learned and saw a connection to and you could tell me just as many that you have either experienced or heard about in other people's or yourself's training for a race.

Bottom line. It's a good life experience. Exercise, community building, determination, conditioning, patience, goal setting, discipline, and accomplishment.  All things necessary for life in general.  All good things to practice and then to share.

Hope you enjoy our culmination...

The day before the race, it's carb loading day.  For a girl who watches pretty carefully what I eat and don't eat...I was happy to partake in not only my egg white veggie wake up wrap but also a blueberry cake donut!

Lindsay Jane and Connor were very happy to help in this part of my preparation for my half marathon!

My two little helpers posed beside the table full of single font filled pages of runners, all venturing out to reach for that finish line the very next day.  Look at all of those names!!!

I sort of got them to pose with me.  Connor could have acted a little more excited about dear ole' mom's big race...

Cray cray Sarah at o'dark thirty am...we had to be at the race at 6:30!  My dad and Stan dropped us off, which was such a gift!  Otherwise we would have been riding the shuttle.

Pre-race selfie...it's tradition!

This is the view my sweet family had as they waited for us to cross the finish line!

Kids can always find a way to entertain themselves, not matter where they are!

I love these types of pictures of dads and daughters.  Rachel had the best seat in the house for sure!

Sweet little ones trying to keep busy while waiting for the mamas.

Stan with LJ on his shoulders, my dad clapping and Rachel's sweet little head popping out over Holt's shoulders.  It really is too bad that I didn't get to see these gems when I passed by...but I was looking on the wrong side of the road.  Oh, well, I still made my under 10 min/mile pace but...I would have rather have seem my family.  :)  There's always next year, right Sarah!

Love this picture!  Such a relief to finish and such a true accomplishment!  It's so funny how you finish and feel like you could just keep running! Or, I did at least!  :)  I don't think I am up for a full marathon just because of all the training that is involved but who knows in another stage of my life.

It was amazing to run alongside this sweet girl too!  Carol and I have been through so much together. She ran her first half in December and decided to go ahead and run another in March.  What a trooper!  She has overcome so many things to get to this point, so seeing her cross the finish line was just such a sweet memory for me.  Running is such a gift for so many reasons.  And, doing it with dear friends adds to the long list of positives.

There's hugs from your kiddos...getting to set an example for them of setting a goal, working towards that goal and achieving it!  

Love this little support team I have.  This is a treasure I will hold for a long time.

2nd half...2nd trip for my wonderful parents who not only made the trip down for the weekend to see me race, but cooked a pre-race shrimp vermacelli feast, post-race rib feast and held the fort down while I took a much needed 2 hour nap after the race!  I am so grateful for their support and love.  It makes my heart so full.

Another sweet crew!  Such a special bond we have with our dear neighbors for so so many reasons. The fact that we ended up right next door to each other still astounds me. Go God!

Team Kristen!!!  Love these sweet gems, love this picture, love the memories that were made over the course of the weekend.

Celebrating post race with yummy dessert!  Mom's blackberry cobbler! This- after dad's ribs!!!

Crazy kiddos had to join in on the celebrating!

And we couldn't forget another celebration!  My sister's birthday!

And we closed out the weekend with Lewis stories for Lindsay Jane...a Frey family tradition now... "Tell me another, Pop!"

What a blessed weekend it was.  It seems hard to believe that I ran my second half already and you know what??? I am ready for another!  Sarah?

Hope you enjoyed my reflections.  Running is such good therapy for me and I love sharing about it.