The jig is up

OK, I've kept it a secret for 6 months, but now that it's over, I'm bragging on my man. : ) Since April, Paul has been training to run the Columbus Marathon. We were able to get a few days off of work, grandparents watched the kids, and on Saturday morning Paul and I headed down to Columbus. We headed downtown to pick up his race packet and then spent the rest of the day and night with Ben, Jaime, and Alayna. Dark and early (5 AM) Sunday morning we rolled out of bed, Paul got geared up, and we headed downtown again to find a decent parking spot. Thankfully we found a good place to park and had Paul to the starting area at 6:30 AM (an hour before start). Ben graciously came along so I didn't have to wander around Columbus on my own -thanks, Ben! It was mid-30's at the start with a slight breeze, but skies were clear and the sun came out once it rose. Ben and I saw Paul off at the start and then headed to the halfway point (got some coffee along the way) and cheered Paul on at the 13 mile mark. We then "toured" downtown while heading in the general direction of the finish. We caught Paul again at the 26 mile mark, where he had .2 miles to go (that is where the pic was taken). Paul finished the race and we caught up with him afterward, got a few pics, and then headed the 10 blocks or so back to the car. Paul is a modest man and would rather I had not posted at all, but....I'm so proud of him for his accomplishment. This was his first marathon, and he is now saying he would like to do it again to do a few things better the next time. He finished in at around 3 hr 38 minutes, tired, sore, cold, and happy he was done. I enjoyed the whole experience, walking around Columbus (i love that city!), spending quality time with Ben :), and cheering Paul on. Sunday night Paul and I stayed in a hotel downtown, went out to eat, and relaxed. We headed back north Monday noon to collect the kids and head home. A great get-away weekend (maybe not relaxing for Paul, but fun nonetheless!)