Parsons & Pups: Relaxing Saturdays...Overrated.

While most people sleep in, wake up late, and, oh yeah, relax on a Saturday--We run and work in this part of Arkansas! As you know, Erin and I are in full training mode for the Little Rock Marathon that is coming up the first week of March. Weekends for us mean get up and RUN...A LOT! Today we tackled our first 20 miler of the training. So, here is how our Saturday rolled out. Tanner and I woke up about 6:30, had my coffee, bowl of Bran Flakes with a banana, a glass of water, and then bundled up to take on the 24 degree weather. Tanner headed out to work on the NEARLY FINISHED deck as Erin made it over from her apartment, and we took off on foot to beat that 20 miles...

20 miles, man that sounds like a long way to run. It simply is. Running for nearly 3 1/2 hours is a long time and your body knows it. I know it seems like a beyond ridiculous suggestion, but if you ever get the urge DO IT! Honestly one of the most accomplished moments of my life is crossing a marathon finishing line. Taking on and beating 26.2 miles takes strength, determination, faith, and heart. Tanner always asks after a long run, "What do y'all talk about?" It is such a good question, and I don't know how we do it, but we always manage to find odds and ends to discuss and keep us trucking on our route. A running partner gets you like no one else, only they know your pain, blisters, aches, laughs, stories, and moments of bliss/torture as you finish a run. Our dad, who is training for the marathon in Mtn. View, is always with us in spirit. It never fails that Dad comes up in our running convos. In case you didn't know, my dad is a RUNNING BEAST! He could blow Erin, I, and most runners out of the water, but you would never know it. He does his thing in a "super hero runner" kind of way with no one noticing how he kills his runs, then calls and always asks how ours was. As we complain and whine, he usually says, "Mine was tough, but good." No complaints, no endless whining, no collapsing on the couch...He just does it. Yep, Super hero no doubt.

Anyway, back to our 20 miles. About half way through, Tanner and Scott come up behind us blasting the truck horn. It was like the sky opened and heaven rained down as they handed us each a Gatorade out the window! Pretty amazing husbands, right? : ) Blessed! That gave us the boost to make it nearly 3/4 of the way there...15 miles...at which point our wonderful husbands had left Gatorade and an energy boosting banana. Man oh man, until you have a banana 15 miles into a run, you have no idea how truly delicious they are. Thanks Tan & Scott! A few more hills, a few more moans, and a few more miles later, we roll down the last hill to the house. Yes, we did it! They say if you can run 20 you can do 26.2...Have you tried it? Erin and I decided today that if you can do 20 that is killer, but that last 6.2 is still going to nearly knock you dead. But hey, we are tackling it and beating it come March.

I may complain, I may be exhausted, and I may hurt now, but if you could just put yourself in our shoes when we finally cross that finish line I know you would say..."Hey, maybe I can do this." All I am saying is, don't knock it 'til you try it. It will be the hardest task you ever take on, but it will be one of the most memorable few hours of your life as you run through crowds of people screaming for you, holding signs for you, pumping you with water, Gatorade, candy, and GU...and then finally making that last leap over that beautiful line, having that metal placed around your neck, and spotting your family run at you with hugs and smiles. No doubt about it, run a marathon.

Oh and the deck progress today...It has been a marathon deck building day. Tanner and Scott worked while we ran, then they went home. Tan is still working on it as I blog. I have stayed out here with him and shoveled...POUNDS...of puppy poop from the yard, while he has hammered, nailed, and sawed his way through the day. Way to go Tan, you have nearly done it!