This is part 3 of a 3 part race recap.

Part 1 is here.

Part 2 is here.

“That is your fastest marathon yet, isn’t it?” My husband shouted to me from the opposite side of the steel barrier.

“No, it’s not,” I replied. “Twin Cities was my fastest.”

“But you finished under 3:35:00!”

I was actually surprised he noticed, and that he remembered enough of my finishing times to realize this was one of the faster ones. As it turns out, I did run faster at Twin Cities, but this run was for sure second on that list.

“Yeah! How cool is that? I had a good run!” I said in return. “Except I barely made it to the bathroom.”

“Is that where you disappeared to afterwards?” He asked.

“Yeah…” I replied.

My stepdaughter was there at the finish as well. Both of them were impressed. I was too, to be honest. But, I paid a price for it with a rather queasy belly. And I was soaked with sweat.

We all chatted and I, of course, had to keep moving. I was stiffening up quickly and I had to remind my husband that we had to walk as we talked.

We passed the finish area completely, but then turned around and doubled back. I wanted to get some finish photos with the skyline behind me. As we did so, my step-daughter spotted the Kansas City Gong. And she and my husband agreed that I had to ring it.

“But I didn’t get a PR,” I said.

“The sign says you ring it if this is your first Kansas City Marathon, or if you got a BQ,” my stepdaughter added. Well, OK, then. I guess I’m legit!

My husband prepped the camera to get video, and I pounded that thing. Hey, that was kind of epic!

We then continued on to get those pictures.

There was quite a crowd at the finish area, and weaving in and out of the spectators was a feat in itself, especially for my daughter and the baby stroller she was maneuvering. My husband had wandered off far ahead scoping out the scene. When we finally caught up with him, he snatched my phone (since it takes better photos) and started playing Austin Powers, Photographer with it. He got some skyline shots, then we turned around to get one by the finish line. That one turned out the best, I think.

Finish Line Photo

We did some more wandering around, and my daughter was hungry. I offered to use my food ticket to get her a meal, but no one seemed interested in waiting on me to get in the line to get into the food tent. So, we ditched the idea. I had collected fruit and bread at the finish line. Of course, I don’t eat any of it. But I was suddenly finding myself rather famished now. I knew I had a piece of a UCan Superstarch bar in my hydration belt, and my mouth began to water just thinking about it.

I wrapped that kevlar blanket around my shoulders now. The post race chills were setting in. The sun still hadn’t come out as promised. It was almost 11:00 am.

We were walking past the Union Station Depot Museum now, and my husband said they had a good coffee shop in there. He offered to get me one, and I couldn’t argue. I wanted that coffee!

So, we wandered inside. As they waited on line, I kept walking inside the depot area. It was rather lovely, and I would have enjoyed it more had I not just run a marathon!

Soon after, coffee in hand, and not long after loading our grandson into my daughter’s car, we were off. My husband stopped along the way to get some Tums, and had I thought about how hungry I was, or would be in an hour, I’d have made him buy me bacon and eggs. As it turned out, as soon as we arrived at my daughter’s house and I realized she had none, I sent my husband back out. He didn’t mind, though. He knew he would get some, too.

I made my bacon and eggs…fed my husband…and ate like a trucker. After, some guests came in and out, we learned I finished first in my age group. WOW! Unbelievable! My husband had commented at the expo that since the marathon was so small, perhaps I had a chance to place. I brushed it off immediately, after joking with him that yeah, maybe I do…Ha Ha Ha!! Again…wow.

Kansas City Marathon Race Results

Soon we were all getting showered and ready to head out for some happy hour cocktails at the Plaza before my step-daughter and husband went to a concert with his family.

It was in the shower that I discovered the dreaded chafe. OMG. It took all I had NOT to let out a blood curdling scream from the upstairs bathroom. I wasn’t sure I’d be able to finish the shower, but eventually, the pain subsided. I had to ask my daughter for some diaper rash creme before we headed out. I didn’t get a good photo of it until a few days later. I was scared to look.

…the chafe.

Clearly, it was from the humidity. I sweat like a pig…and I was wearing both my hydration belt and my Tuvizo waist pouch. But I didn’t notice it until that shower. Egads…

Once we departed from the kids, we decided to start our post race celebration in the village of Old Westport, where I ran though earlier in the day. But, after a few unsuccessful starts and a couple of bad choices, we ended up back at the Plaza and finally enjoyed a few cocktails and appetizers.

And yes. I got my Manhattan.

Back in suburbia after a stop for some sugar free ice cream (I deserved it…) we tried to stay awake to greet the kids, but couldn’t make it. I was in la la land faster than I could blink my eye. And the day, as they say, was history.

Me and Ronnie, the wonder dog, the morning after.

The following day, we mingled a little in the morning before heading back to Minnesota. It was a great weekend all around.

Some final thoughts…

I really do love to run. I didn’t do too much formal training for this marathon except, well, run. Everyday. The marathon wasn’t easy, but it wasn’t all that hard, either. It was just another run. At least, that is how I tried to categorize it as I headed out that morning. I had done an 18 miler and a 20 miler in preparation. Plus a few handfuls of 10 and 13 milers. They weren’t spectacular runs by any stretch of the imagination. But it was a lot of running. In fact, I’ve averaged about 200 miles a month this year with little to no help from the Zero Runner.

Miles for 2016.

I did have some wild goals for this year. Not one, or two, but THREE marathons. Now, I know there are maniacs out there who will run three in a weekend. But my three were all Boston Qualifiers. I put all I had into each of them. I don’t mess around.

What do I have in mind for next year? I’d love to hit some new states. And with Charmed Running, that might just happen. We discussed it on the car ride home and right now, I’m thinking Fargo, ND in May, and maybe MCM for the fall. New York? It’s still out there. I want to run it. LA, too…we’ll keep those on the back burner for now.

What do I hope to accomplish? I have my BQ for 2018. I’d still love to beat my Twin Cities time of 3:30:14. I was only off by 4 minutes at Kansas City. I believe that if I HAD run Twin Cities this year, I’d have had a great shot of getting that PR. The weather was perfect and the course much easier than what I found in Kansas. But I have no regrets. The run was a memorable one. I passed so many familiar sights. I recognized them all from 2 years prior, when my step-daughter was married in this same city. In fact, I ran past the park where I did my last few training runs before the Twin Cities Marathon in 2014. It was fate, I tell you.

In the end, I was over the moon with my performance. And the weekend, for my husband and I, was needed, and well deserved. Planning our next one on the car ride home? Well, that was priceless. I’m blessed and grateful.

Race Photos

The free race photos were posted a week later.

There weren’t many taken of me. In most of them, I’m pretty serious. And coming down the stretch, I looked like I was about to burst out in tears.

Final stretch.

But when I saw my finish photo, I did about cry. It was perfect. It captured a moment when I was relieved, exasperated, yet incredibly proud all at the same time.

Best…finish line…photo…ever. IMHO. I’ll treasure this one forever.

Marathon #7. Kansas City. Who knew?

Disclaimer: I received an entry to the Kansas City Marathon as part of being a BibRave Pro Ambassador. Learn more about becoming a BibRave Pro (ambassador), and check out BibRave.com to review find and write race reviews!