St. Jude Memphis marathon weekend 2025

This was my 13th year to run as a St. Jude Hero!  Well, actually I didn't get to run last year (dang kidney stone issues), but I was still a hero raising money.  I only ran the half this year and I actually loved the shorter distance. 😁

10 years ago when we had 40 team members run on Team Run4TheKids in Memphis!  What a great year that was!  Team Run4TheKids is nowhere near 40 people currently, but we still have a few that continue to run for those precious kids in Memphis every year.   Thank you, Nestor Raul Anzola, Joe Raymond, Richard Walley, Shanan for running this year!   

THANK YOU TO EVERYONE THAT HAS DONATED THIS YEAR! 🥰  This is my 💓 race!  No child should die at their dawn of life, as Danny Thomas once said.

Shanan and I traveled together to Memphis.  Our room was at the Hampton on Beale right at the start & finish line and right down the corner from the Peabody.  Shanan had never seen the ducks at the Peabody so we went there on Friday when we arrived.  I'm so glad we did because Shanan fell during the race on Saturday and we had to come home after the race so we would not have gotten to see the ducks on Saturday afternoon or Sunday.  More on her fall later.  The Peabody was beautiful as always and the gingerbread display was of the Peabody.  I just love Christmas at the Peabody! 

The weather was cold as usual, but we had sunshine! YIPPIE.  We made it to the expo on Friday afternoon and then had time to stop at Aldo's for Pizza.  It was a great afternoon!

Virginia drove down Friday night to surprise Susan, a friend of hers from TN that was doing the half.  She wanted to come cheer Susan on.  Well..... One of Susan's friends that was supposed to also do the half backed out so Virginia got to do the half with Susan and cheer her on while doing it along with her!  How great is that?!?!?! 

Race morning was a beautiful cold and sunny morning.  Just the way I like it for running.  😛😍  Since our hotel was right at the start we sat and watched runners on the street walking around, trying to stay warm 😁 while we were nice and cozy.   Joe was pacing the 5 hour marathon group so I decided I would run with them until the half and full split.   Shanan was the only one in our group doing the full this year.  

Around mile 5 I came up on Shanan and she was walking.  I was like what's wrong....   I quickly noticed her knee was bleeding, her elbow was bleeding and she was holding her arm like a child does when they have nurse maid elbow!  She told me she had fallen between mile 2-3!  She said she felt like her shoulder was broke!  I tried to talk her into stopping or at least walking and going in with me for the half.  But she would not have it.  She said she would walk and finish the marathon!  Talk about determination!  I could tell she was in pain, but she refused to stop.  

When going through the St. Jude Campus, a man stopped me and told me he wanted to give me a hug and introduce me to a 13 month old baby girl with brain cancer and her family!  I was so shocked that I was speechless.  As tears filled my eyes all I could do was tell them how much we love them and would continue to help them fight by raising money.  He asked to take my picture under the banner before I ran off.   These KIDS are why I do this race every year! 

I finished the half and stopped by the hero hospitality room for some food.   I met a lady there that works for ALSAC (St Jude fundraising group, etc.).  She asked me what I liked and didn't like about the race and why I ran as a hero for 13 years.  I briefly told her my story as I was worrying about Shannan the whole time.   I would of loved to have stayed longer and enjoyed the music and food, but I opted to go take a shower and get dressed.  I felt like I would be taking Shanan to the hospital or even picking her up if she didn't finish the 26.2 miles.  I tracked her and waited.....  

When Shanan finally crossed that finish line the medics took her to the medical tent.  Praise Jesus!  😇  They quickly asked for the actual medical doctor to check her over.  She agreed with Shanan... broke shoulder.   Shanan is a nurse practioner so she had already diagnosed herself!  They put her in a sling and told her to go see her doctor when she got home.  

So we missed our Saturday night dinner reservation and drove home.  It seemed like a long ride home!  Probably cause we were both tired, hungry, and it was DARK.  I think we were both finally home around midnight.  Ronnie had met us in Collins to get her and her vehicle because she was not able to drive.  I worried about her the whole way home.  I felt so bad for her.  I know the feeling of something happening in a race that makes you feel like you can't do anything without something happening... and the feeling of when or if you'll come back from the injury....  It is very heartbreaking... 

She did see a doctor on Monday and they confirmed a compact fracture to the humeral head aka shoulder!  Sling for 4-6 weeks and checks to see if bone is healing properly.  I'm praying for a speedy healing for her.  🙏

So that's a wrap of my St. Jude weekend.  Next year is the 25th anniversary of the race and I plan to be back!  

One more St. Jude medal to add to my board that is nothing but medals from St. Jude races. 💕

Twin Cities Marathon 10-5-2025

 

We all want healing to be quick and fast.   I get angry when it takes so long.  I want God to hurry it up.  I’m sure you’ve felt the same way at some point in your life.  

I’ve had several say to me this week… you did a marathon… I didn’t think you were running much …. 

Well, truth is I had not run much at all in over 3-4 months.   My body was basically worn out from marathon after marathon, kidney stones, hospital stay, Disney miles toting grandbabies, etc.    So, I took off from running and focused on PT.  My PT had told me to get my butt back in the gym.   See, since I was running all the time, I was not doing any strength training.   So back in June I started back in the gym.  It was hard at first.  I felt people were staring at me when I could barely lift those 8 lb dumbbells 😂. But after a few days I realized no one was looking at me.  Everyone was doing their own thing.  Everyone was focused on what they could do.  🥰.  One day Brett Wood .. I'll be back tone, and you and your old mom can compare muscles 😂😁🤪❤️

Fast forward to around mid-August … I started back doing some light running … I joined my friends again on Saturdays after missing them for several weeks.   I still took it really easy with short miles during the week, and I only did jog/walk intervals.   I managed to do 2- 18 milers right before twin cities doing intervals.  But was still a tad concerned about 26.2 miles …. 

I told my friends I would be doing intervals.  I would not be running.  Which you know our group … we only have like 2-3 that really run… Felicia Allen-Basse, and Michelle Rice Hatton both said they would do intervals with me.  I didn’t expect them to and told the group they could all do their own thing, but I would be doing intervals, and I didn’t mind doing them alone.  

Well race day came and Felicia asked me several times what my intervals were going to be.  She had missed a couple of long runs herself and had no plans of running hard herself .. so I told her I’d do intervals with her.  Towards the last part of the race, she had some issues and told me to go on and run … I told her NO… when I said we’d stay together I meant it ❤️

We all 3 finished together.  It was by far not our fastest race, and I don’t care about those results online being there forever 🤪. Someone once told me they would not run a race unless they were 100% and could run their best because results were online forever for people to look at.  🤨.   That used to brother me … but not now.  I’m thrilled to just be out there and cross that finish line.  … remember only like .10% of the population actually does a marathon. 😁

These race pictures for me shows the true spirit of friends running together.  It was a hard race with all the elements we had on the course. but we finished standing up and smiling.  The feeling I had crossing that finish line after 5 race disasters … (kidney stone, hospital, being put to sleep several times for those procedures, sciatica, plantar fasciitis, etc) was AMAZING! 

I know the strength training helped and I’m forever thankful for Grant who always helps me and is honest with me! He’s the best! 💪 

What a great girl's weekend! 💗💗  SPARKLE SISTERS 🩷🩷 And yes I wore skirt for Michelle  🩷

Marathon #39

State # 19s

Weekend pictures.  BTW the race started at the MN Viking football stadium and ran back to the capitol in Minneapolis.    It was a hilly course but the crowd support was AMAZING!

YES we had glitter! 

Finishing together was the BEST!! Love these girls!!

Time to fly home... Ronnie and Be were on an earlier flight.

I'm exhausted from trying to be STRONGER than I feel....

 I write this with tears.  I'm so tired of fighting.  So tired of trying to figure out what is wrong with my body.  So tired of trying to be strong and not let everyone see how I truly feel....   I'm just plain exhausted from trying to be STRONGER than I feel!  

I do have so many GOOD things in my life and I'm truly thankful to God for those!  My grandkids bring so much joy to my life!  

But man... I've had a hard year!  4 marathons that I have either not been able to complete or finished (just one) where I was very sick.  Let me just recap those:

1. Greece - Kidney stone - hospital - had to drop out of marathon

2.  Tokyo - finished but barely by time limit! was so sick I threw up everywhere and walked most of the marathon.  I did get my 6th star...but it was a very ugly marathon for me.  

3. Kentucky - Had to back down to the half marathon after starting the race due to awful pain.  I could not run. 

4.  Washington - I went only because I had paid for flight, etc. and walked the half in pain! 

On top of those 4 marathons not happening as planned, my daughter separated from her husband (which I expected.. it's just hard seeing your flesh and blood go through hard things!), my stepson died, and my husband was diagnosed with Parkinson.   It's been a rough 12 months.  And as I write this, I feel bad, because I know so many have it worse than me.  Why am I sitting her crying!  My poor husband lost his father in one year in August and 2 months later lost his youngest son! then 7 years later lost his other son this past year so, I do not deserve to even complain.  He's lost his only 2 kids!  and yet here I am crying and wondering when things will turn around for me.  Oh and I'm still having .. let's say anxiety over this dang work merger... every day coming to work not knowing if it's my last or not. 😐

Running has been my stress reliever for years.  It makes me feel good to complete a run.  Now every time I think I'm on the come back from some injury or illness, BAM something else hits me!  It's like it's never ending.  I'm starting to wonder if God wants me to just throw my hands up and quit running.  

I've been to PT for weeks, I've had multiple steroid shots, I've done ALL the things they say to do to get better and nothing seems to totally heal me.  😒  If one more person tells me to give it time, I think I may scream.  I'm not sure they know how it feels to start 4 different things and then have to either quit, backdown, or not do it.  It's AWFUL.  

Recently after doing all the THINGS (PT, shots, etc.), I was able to jog/walk 10 miles.  I thought to myself.. YES, I'm coming back.  Then the next weekend ... BAM.. 3 miles in and my heel starting hurting so bad I had to get Ronnie to come pick me up.  I couldn't even make it walking back to our cars.  I was devastated once again.  and I felt so bad for going to meet my friends for the first time in a LONG time and they all stopped to walk with me till Ronnie got me picked up.  Thank goodness Ronnie was only doing a few short miles and could come pick me up!  

I hope by next time I make a post; I'll be running. 🙏

Kentucky Derby Marathon .... Backed down to half! 4-26-25

 Kentucky Derby Marathon Recap

After months of planning with us girls getting all excited the day was finally here!  Michelle had these fabulous shirts made with horses on them that said, "Talk Derby to me".  😍 Nine of us would be staying together at the same hotel between 2 rooms.  It was shaping up for a wonderful weekend!  All my long runs after the Tokyo marathon where I was so sick throwing up the 2nd half of the race, were great.  I was feeling strong and FINALLY starting to feel like my old self since all the Kidney stone issues, etc.   I was pumped! and then BAM... 2 weeks prior to race day, my hip decided to start bothering me.  Matter of fact on our last taper run (10 miles), I quit after 5 miles.  The pain was so bad.  I decided it was time to rest.  So I took the whole week off and rested my hip.  I did lots of yoga, stretching and PT hip exercises every day.  

When we left on Friday heading to KY, I was not hurting.  I was so happy.  I was like YES! maybe I'm going to have a comeback after 2 bad experiences with recent marathons.  We arrived in KY around lunch, got checked in our hotel.  We stayed at The Galt Hotel.  A famous downtown hotel where lots of jockeys and people stay for the official Kentucky horse race!  It was a very nice hotel with 5 restaurants.  We grabbed an amazing lunch at "the Old Spaghetti Factory" and headed to get our race bibs.   I was still feeling good and so hopeful!  We were all in bed early due to our VERY early flight to KY earlier that morning... got up at 2am to fly out at 6am.  😁 We a sucker for an early fight. 😂

Got up race morning feeling good.  Drank my 1/2 cup of coffee, ate my PB and banana and even had a pop tart.  I was feeling good. 😀 Weather was PERFECT! It was cool, overcast and slightly windy!  Luckily the start line was right down from our hotel, so we didn't have far to go.  We grabbed a few pictures and got in our corral.  It was RACE time.  Mile one went ok... I was feeling good... then BAM on mile 2 the hip pain came back and as I got into mile 3-4 the pain was so bad I could barely stand my foot each time it hit the pavement, so I stopped and started walking.  Of course, the girls turned around and was like .. what's wrong! Candy was like... is it your kidney. another stone???  you ok???  I was like you girls go on!  Run your race.  I'm out of the marathon.  NO way I can do 26.2 miles with this pain!  So, They went on and I walked a good bit and would try to jog off and on.  Penny texted me and asked me if I would consider backing down to the half marathon.  I was like.. YES! Apparently, she didn't hear me when I told Candy that I would just try to get through the half... 😕

So here I am ... walking... trying to jog and SUFFERING! Around mile 8-9 when we were going in Churchill Downs! Yep, we got to run there! So amazing.  I was hurting so bad that I was considering calling an uber.  A young girl was walking with her mom and hollered at me.... Good Job Marathon... see my bib said "marathon" and I guess they were trying to pump me up when they saw me struggling... I hollered back that I was not going to do the marathon... that I didn't even think I could finish the half.  They came towards me and said you have a 4 hour time limit on the half.  You can do it.  Just keep moving.  So that's what I did.  I finally finished at like 3:14:35!  3 hours and 14 minutes for a half!  But hey... I FINISHED! AND UNDER THE 4 HOUR TIME LIMIT. 😁😂😁

I was so cold! When you walk your body does not warm up like running and the sun never came out and it stayed very cool!  It truly was awesome weather for a marathon!  My fingers were so cold that I could barely text my husband to let him know I as ok.  I went back to the hotel to get shower and take pain meds.  I didn't hang around to wait on my friends to finish the marathon and I was SAD about that.  I just couldn't.  Luckily, I had a nerve pain pill and a muscle relaxer that I took and hopped in the bed.  I missed all the finish photos with my girls. 😓 When they arrived back in the hotel, they told me there were so big hills later in the race, so I guess I'm glad I missed that. 😋  I was so very proud of them!  Penny & Miss Ann had a sub 5 marathon!  We sat around that evening after supper in the big lounge area at the hotel that had a Starbucks and a bar in it and laughed and talked.  It was so nice just chilling with my girlfriends.  

I'm not going to lie.  I was so upset I wanted to cry.  I was mad, disappointed and just plain furious.  Why ME is all I wanted to say.  And then I'd remind myself... it's not MY time, but GOD's time and it just wasn't meant to be for me to do the marathon.  I don't know why I've now had 3 marathons that turned disastrous for me.  It's heartbreaking as much as I train and work at it.  Maybe God is trying to tell me something...... or maybe I've done too much over the last couple of years.... 6 marathons in 2022, 5 marathons in 2023, and 4 marathons in 2024!  Maybe it's time for a break... which is WHAT I PLANNED this year in 2025! I was only going to do 2 marathons and a half marathon at the most.  Then Penny mentioned WA and I signed up for that so I had 3 marathons on 1 half on tap for 2025. Guess I didn't slow down soon enough???? 😕

I have now seen the doctor and they have me an MRI ordered for next week on my lower back and my right hip so we can figure out what is going on.  I've had bursitis in this right hip before that gave me fits, but this pain is so much worse.  So we shall see.  I'm not handling this waiting, but next week was their first opening for MRI appointment.  

So that's a wrap on my trip to Kentucky! I would recommend this race to others.  It was FUN traveling with my girls.  Great town!    Looking forward to watching the horse race on TV this weekend!  I would love to one day go to the actual horse race there at Churchill Downs!  ... For what they call the 2 minutes the earth stands still.. ha   😁