The Race!

So here is the story- Jess was nervous--and most likely thinking at 6:00 in the morning before the race---"What was I thinking?" See her blog- link from the side- she posted about her nerves...Just look at her face...love the story this picture tells

THis is Jess before she stepped into the race...16,700 raced so there were staggered starts of course and this big mass of people just walked together down a road working down to the starting point- she was trying to figure out when to step in and she thought she was going to puke...again the face- can't get enough of the face.

Now- she has stepped in and this is Jess's "WOOT, WOOT-talk my self in to it" face---she was so out of her box with the crowds- she can't even stand a crowded Target store- but here she was about to begin to accomplish one of the items on her BUCKET list.

her Mom and I were laughing and just caught up in all the positive energy flowing from the sea of people---we were yelling to Jess-"We love you. Your my HERO! You Rock" and she gave us her signature, "I'm nervous as he double hockey sticks here but kinda likin' it" pose.

And she was off- just like that with her Dad at her side ready to ROCK the race. Her Dad signed up to walk the race--that is what I am doing next year- and maybe running some of it too.

Mayor Nutter was there to wave to the runners as they went past the start line. He is short in person and very charasmatic.

And here is the first runners to pass the 4.6 mile point---they were running a four minute, ten second mile at this point...They were expected to finish the entire race in just over an hour. One of the fascinating parts of the race was watching the waves of people run by...the first to pass were athletically honed to be runners-so slim- such long, thin, muscles...amazing to see and as the time passed people began to look more and more like the everyday Joe you would see in the supermarket.

And here is this Chicken Dude...he ran the entire race in the chicken suit--not sure who he was running for but I heard the annoucer say he was 23. He came across the finish in about an hour and 50 minutes. CRAZY!

Here is Jess when she crossed the 4.6 mile point. We were wooting and cheering and screaming at the top of our lungs- after searching and searching for her to pass it was euphoric to see her run by and she looked AWESOME.

Here's Jessie's son, Joey---he and I had a blast watching the race. We took a lot of pictures of each other making funny faces and we walked around and talked and just had an all around great time.

And here is Jessie's other son, Owen. He is the reason Jess was running for the NF team. Owen has Neurofibromatosis and he is a little, wonderful angel.

There's the finish line in the background- there were swarms and swarms of people. Even after waiting two hours since the start- the energy in the air was just palpable. Am I using that word right? Not sure, but it sounds good.

And here she is...rounding the bend to the finish with a gigundous smile on her face...doesn't she look stupendous like maybe she has run one mile and might go for some more---- I WAS SO PROUD.

And here she is right after we found her past the finish line---running through the crowds to meet up with her was so exciting. I couldn't wait to get my hands on her and to just jump up and down and shout and scream, "YOU DID IT, CHICA!" I did not really do that because I was just so overwhelmed with how happy she looked right to the core- she was the happiest I have ever seen her so I just stayed quiet and watched her- watched this amazing person- someone who has a son who is getting chemotherapy, someone who has had some battles in the past few years, someone who has pulled herself up from the boot straps and made herself into this much stronger, much more confident person. And all along reaching out and caring about everybody else around her- never taking time just for herself. Getting up to go to the gym when her kiddos are sleeping --- staying up late, late at night to get things done- all to maximize her time with her kids and family.

And here, it is, just to prove it to you all- carrying her baby just four minutes after coming across the finish line.

What an AWESOME day- what an AMAZING person- what memories I will have for the rest of my life. Thanks, Jess