The day began as any other. I showered, got ready, fed and dressed the kids. But if I had known what the day had in store, I would have been smart to crawl back in bed and sleep the day away under my warm covers.

Key word: warm.

Today was race day. I'd been checking the weather like a maniac. But last night I began to dread the inevitable. The forecast showed thunderstorms. ALL MORNING. But when I checked this morning, a miracle seemed to have occurred. No rain was in the forecast for the morning.

I was excited. Even the rain pelting the windshield on the way to the race didn't deter my spirits. As I joined the other 18,000 people at the start I was confident.

Until the rain began to fall. And fall. And fall. Thunder and lightening ensued. In fact, I spent the majority of the race running through a monsoon which had soaked my clothes through (my socks were a sloshy mess) before I had even crossed the start line to begin. The 40 degree weather mixed with rain chilled my bones.

As I began to run the rain didn't seem to matter. The running started to heat up my body and I actually had an enjoyable time. It was amazing to see all 18,000 people just as insane as I was, running in the rain and soaked to the bone. And everyone was having a great time. Even better, at about mile 4, I heard the shouts of my own family who had braved the weather to cheer me on. I had a great running partner who kept me going and we made the 5 mile run in just under an hour.


A big thank you goes out to my husband who came with the kids to support me, got me a delicious lunch, did the dishes, tucked me in a nice warm bed for a nap, and topped it off with some hot chocolate. What a great guy!

As we were leaving I realized that most of the racers were gone and that I must have been included in that final group of runners. Greg reassured me there were plenty of people slower than me, and lovingly pointed out this man. Thanks babe.


Next time I am going to convince him to run with me, rain or shine. Or maybe just shine.

note: Greg's favorite part of the race was seeing a runner duck into a bar during the race, and the free beer the runners received at the end. Oh Wisconsin, you and your alcohol.