Glass City Marathon 2015

Late April means one thing around here...The Glass City Marathon! Of course, I only participate in the 5k, but it is still fun!

Of course, one reason to participate is the free T-shirt and all the other freebies. This year's design was really nice. Some of the past years have not been that great.

Moment of honesty - exercise is not my thing. I was in no way even going to attempt to run one step, but I am all for walking. It was a nice way to start the morning. And I got a medal! I think I should get a medal every morning when I actually function during the day. 

I may not enjoy myself during the 5k, but it is always fun to hang out with dear friends who are much more fit than me. My friends, Chris and Drew, ran the half marathon that morning. Maybe someday I will run...wishful thinking.

Snapshots Into My Life

What I am seeing through my lens this week.

Last week was the Glass City Marathon. It is such a fun environment. My mom and I picked up our packets last Saturday. My brother and sister-in-law weren't able to come this year. which was a little bit of a downer.

This year, the 5k participants received medals for completing the race. It was a nice little bonus this year even though I only walked. :)

It is not uncommon for me to wake up and see Luna with her head on a pillow and body all covered up. She is like a little person. It cracks me up!

My precious Brynley! Before my mom and I went up for Easter, my sis-in-law was teaching her how to say my name to see if she would come up with a nickname. Of course, my niece is the smartest kid out there and can say my name with no nickname!

Running the Glass City

Glass City Marathon weekend has become a tradition in our family. Several years ago, my brother started coming home to run the half marathon because a few of his friends were also running. It became a family thing because there is a 5k and that is more along the lines of something I could do...walking, not running. Thankfully, this weekend was clear and sunny, but cold. Last year was cold and raining and miserable.

This year, we had 2 new family members join the fun. My sister-in-law, Katie, participated in the 5k. And along with her, my niece, Brynley, was along for the ride.

As usual, we were running a little late, but we did get to see the marathoners and half marathoners begin their journey. This year, two firefighter ran the full marathon in full gear in honor of 2 fallen Toledo firefighters who lost their lives earlier this year. We saw one, but I wasn't quick enough to get a picture.

Because we were late, we also got to see the majority of the 5k runners/walkers start the race. We had to walk to the start line, cross it the wrong way, so we could cross it the right way and start the race. We were casual participants so we weren't looking to run or break any kind of record.

Part of the race goes through an area of Toledo called Old Orchard. It is full of beautiful homes. Most are brick, and I love the old stately charm of them. People stand in the yards and dogs bark as all these people go through the neighborhood.

This woman was holding a fun sign. I hit the sign to get my power, but I am not sure if it worked or not. I didn't have sudden strength to run the race. :)

I was really hoping we had made into the second mile by the time this banner came into view. But even still, the finish line was closer than the start line.

Miss Brynley got a little fussy around the mile 2 mark so Katie held her the rest of the race. She said she has been training to be able to hold her so long for about 8 months.

We made it to the finish line with under an hour on the clock time. Not too shabby for not training and making several stops along the way. Now we had to wait for the rest of the crew to finish their races.

My brother's friend, Chris, was hoping to beat the 1:30 mark. He was so close! Maybe it is my cheerleader past, but I love being able to cheer them on.

The happy family after my brother, Tim, finished his race. He finished in under 1:45. We are really proud of him!

Somewhere deep down inside, there is an inkling of a desire to run an half marathon. Maybe it is because I see the look of pride when people finish something they worked so hard to train for. I have 52 weeks to get my butt in gear if I want to try it. Maybe a stop at the gym needs to make it in my schedule for tomorrow??