This last week we were in Chicago to visit Tiffany, Randy, and Madden. We just lucked out that it was also the weekend of the Chicago Half Marathon that Tiffany was running in so we could go and cheer her on. Somewhere about 2 1/2 weeks before John decided (with Tif's encouragement) to run in it with her. He had more than a few people tell him he was crazy - but he has been working out hard (have you noticed he's lost 40+ lbs in the last 4 months?) and decided he could do it. Here's our hard core marathoner's the night before the big event.
The morning of the Marathon Randy, and Madden and me got out to the finish line - wish was packed with people and watched anxiously for OUR runners. This is what our view looked like for about 1 1/2 hrs. It started to get HOT - and I started to see carts going out into the race and hauling people back in to waiting ambulances. One healthy young guy stopped right in front of me and looked a little confused and then just collapsed on road. Paramedics came in to help. One guy looked like he was literally ready to die (I've never seen anyone so white and sick looking). He was being supported by people on either side pretty much carrying him across the finish line. This is not easy - just plain hard!
Then we saw what we wanted to see - Tiffany, looking happy, sprinting into the home stretch.
Then a little later John was coming in - you could tell he was hot and exhausted but he was happy.
Tiffany ran back to meet him so they could run the final stretch together. Pretty awesome - Tiffany having just had a C-section 4 months earlier and John who didn't have much time to train and has never done anything close to this in his life. I was SO PROUD of both of them.
The whole time that we were driving to the Marathon site, watching the thousands of runners, and baking in the heat it just seemed unbelievable that this WHOLE time they were out there running and running. 13.1 miles!!!!! Absolutely incredible to me.
I found out after that John did all this with a pulled muscle that he got right before the race started - (ironically) jumping a fence to get to his starting corral. Pretty impressive - now John is already talking about doing another one. I am so proud of you! When you set a goal you persevere and don't let anything stop you. Way to go!!!!
The morning of the Marathon Randy, and Madden and me got out to the finish line - wish was packed with people and watched anxiously for OUR runners. This is what our view looked like for about 1 1/2 hrs. It started to get HOT - and I started to see carts going out into the race and hauling people back in to waiting ambulances. One healthy young guy stopped right in front of me and looked a little confused and then just collapsed on road. Paramedics came in to help. One guy looked like he was literally ready to die (I've never seen anyone so white and sick looking). He was being supported by people on either side pretty much carrying him across the finish line. This is not easy - just plain hard!
Then we saw what we wanted to see - Tiffany, looking happy, sprinting into the home stretch.
Then a little later John was coming in - you could tell he was hot and exhausted but he was happy.
Tiffany ran back to meet him so they could run the final stretch together. Pretty awesome - Tiffany having just had a C-section 4 months earlier and John who didn't have much time to train and has never done anything close to this in his life. I was SO PROUD of both of them.
The whole time that we were driving to the Marathon site, watching the thousands of runners, and baking in the heat it just seemed unbelievable that this WHOLE time they were out there running and running. 13.1 miles!!!!! Absolutely incredible to me.
I found out after that John did all this with a pulled muscle that he got right before the race started - (ironically) jumping a fence to get to his starting corral. Pretty impressive - now John is already talking about doing another one. I am so proud of you! When you set a goal you persevere and don't let anything stop you. Way to go!!!!
10 comments:
Hats off to two incredible people!
OK, I am so excited, now Cory has no more excuses as soon as I show him this post! Way to go Tiffany and President Hunt! I am very impressed and a little jealous that you got to run the Chicago half!
Dad is amazing...I am still so proud of him for accomplishing this! Maybe you should run the next one with us, Mom! :)
Wow! There are no words. Congrats!
John, will be please quit these sorts of things! You see the comment Kristen left?!
Holy smokes!! I am very impressed at your accomplishment John. And I must admit, a bit inspired too. Not that I'm going to run in any races any time soon, but that I am starting to workout too. I got a clean bill of health from the local doctor, so now I, like Cory, have no more excuses. Congratulations to you both, Tiffany and John.
I'm blown away! This is very inspirational--I'm so proud of both of you! Way to go!!! :)
Not bad for an old man. Two and a half weeks? That's amazing. Congrats to John and Tiff.
Seriously AWESOME!!! I am so impressed & think you guys totally ROCK!! What a fun excelerating thing to do together as father & daughter. Super Cool you 2!!!
WOW what can I say brother? You amaze me. Way to go, I don't think I could even run a block, but you do inspire me!
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