Girl Power!

On Saturday I participated in an event called Walk Wisconsin. You can participate in a full, half or quarter marathon. I choose to walk the 1/2 (13.2 miles). Here are some details about my adventure.
A few months ago my good friend Amy had decided that she was going to walk a marathon. She invited others to join her as she trained. I needed to loose a couple of pounds and I enjoy walking so I thought...what the hey. One Sunday afternoon I decided to join her a few others for an 8 mile walk. In all honesty I really didn't think it would be a big deal...I was mistaken, the next day I was hurting in areas I had never hurt. From walking you say? Well let me tell you...you haven't power walked until you have taken a stroll with Amy Gruetzmacher!

In the meantime Matt had decided he was going to train to run a half marathon. So I thought it would be fun if I trained to walk a half marathon. So two times during the week I did my short walks (3-4 miles) and on Saturdays or Sundays I would do my long walks (anywhere from 6-13 miles). I loved when my schedule allowed for me to do my long walks with Amy. She has these long strong legs that I had to work really hard to keep up with! Plus, we always had such fun talking and laughing together.

On Friday night Summer, Amy and I headed up to Steven's Point to begin our adventure. We had a carb filled dinner at Perkins and then stayed at a hotel (so we could get a good nights sleep). It was fun to have some girl time and a break from our "mommy duties". Thanks guys for taking over for us!
Saturday morning I dropped Amy off at her starting point a little before 8:00. I felt like a proud mommy dropping off her kid at her first day of school. It sounds silly, but she has worked so incredibly hard the past few months and I couldn't wait for her to complete this race.

Summer and I jumped on a bus around 11am and got dropped off at our starting point. It was very odd...we got off the bus and started to walk. Summer and I walk at a different pace so she was fine with my jetting off to try and catch Amy long legs! I was a mile behind her so she was gracious enough to take a break and then walk back to meet me. What a friend! She was 16 miles into her marathon and backtracked (people must have thought she was nuts...well she sort of is). Amy and I shared conversation, laughter, and fun for the next 10 miles. When we got near the end I realized that we were really going to have to push it in order for me to make my goal of 3 hours and 15 minutes. Amy was tired but she jogged with me and power walked to the very end to help me reach my goal...what a trouper! Did I mention how proud of her I am???

Summer and I on the bus...it had started to rain before the race, and it never stopped.

Here's Amy somewhere around mile 18...it was a gorgeous trail.

Here I am after I received my medal!

Here we are, happy to be done!

So I finished my half marathon in 3 hours and 14 minutes! The best part of the whole race was that at the very end my family was waiting in the rain to surprise me! Matt and my mom brought the boys up in the pouring rain just to watch me finish...how blessed I am:)