So thankful

I am extremely thankful and very emotional today. I was at a birthday party last night and I noticed I had a missed call. It was from my brother. My little brother, who has been serving our country in Afghanistan since the beginning of the year. I started to call him back, but when I realized it was almost midnight I hung up. He called me back this morning and we able to talk for the first time this year. I am SO grateful for his safe homecoming and I am extremely emotional today. I didn't think it would hit me so hard, but I am so thankful to my little brother and so happy he's home.

So, short and sweet, thank you my dear little brother. I love you! For serving our country, helping to protect me, you and our freedoms.
Thank you, thank you, thank you.

Welcome home.

marathon #2, check

San Antonio Rock-n-Roll Marathon...aka Marathon #2...aka the worst race I've ever ran please oh please someone shoot me, please God let me trip and fall and strain/sprain/BREAK my ankle race.

So. It was not pretty.

I was ready. I felt great, excited, confident. My whiney naggy right knee decided to shut up and let my body do what it wanted to do. However...the San Antonio weather decided to play it's tricks...you little bitch!

Time / temp /dew point/humidity
7:30 / 62.8 / 60.8 / 93%
8:01 / 63.9 / 61.8 / 93%
8:31 / 65.1 / 63.0 / 93%
9:01 / 66.1 / 64.0 / 93%
9:32 / 67.0/ 64.9 / 93%
10:02 / 68.7 / 65.7 / 90%
10:32 / 69.7 / 64.7 / 84%
11:02 / 70.6 / 64.8 / 82%
11:33 / 71.7 / 65.2 / 80%
12:03 / 73.1 / 65.5 / 77%
12:34 / 73.5 / 65.5 / 76%
*when we got in mitchell's truck at 2ish when we left, his temp gauge said 82!!!!!in NOV!!!!

I stole this off a runners world forum post and it makes me crazy looking at it. THE HUMIDITY KILLS. I will never run another marathon in San Antonio, it's JUST TOO RISKY with the weather. To train so hard and want something so bad and then let that bitch mother nature come along and just spoil all your fun.

Here are my official results. And let me just say, they do NOT make me happy.

Heidi Patterson #12002

New Braunfels, TX

Age: 29 Gender: F

Distance	MAR
Clock Time	5:22:50
Chip Time	5:00:27
Overall Place	3181 / 5904
Gender Place	1180 / 2621
Division Place	205 / 455
Age Grade	45.1%
Pace	11:28
Ttlrace	5904
Ttldiv:	455
Ttlsex	2621
5 Km	30:12
6 1 Mi	1:00:07
15 Km	1:33:11
Half	2:16:00
Turn	2:44:42
20 Mile	3:43:26
24 Mile	4:35:48

I was right on track where I wanted to be at the 6 mile point. 10min pace (or slightly faster 9:50-9:55) is right where I wanted to be. My overall pace in SF was 10:16 so I didn't think that was setting my sights too high.

It was right around mile 9 that it all started falling apart for me. I had drank some Cytomax (BLEH) and it wasn't sitting in my stomach well. (I won't drink this again!) And it was just SO HUMID. I knew at this point, this was going to be miserable. I don't know if I can do this.

At 11, I seriously contemplated switching to the half.

At 13, I stayed to the right and made a command decision that I was going to finish what I had started. That I could do it. Shut up. Stop whining and run.

At 13.5, I wanted to kill myself for trying to be such a bad ass. THIS WAS HARD.

I had a lot of mental struggles during this race. This had never happened to me before. Never in a 5k, 10k, half or any other distance race. I was just not having fun...I was negative nelly...

Somehow I made it to the end. I walked A LOT (I never walk in races!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! IT'S JUST NOT RIGHT TO WALK IN RACES!!) and got sick to my stomach but thankfully never threw up. (Lots of people did I hear, luckily I never saw them.) I ate 5 salt packets. My hands were swollen. I got a sunburn. While I walked, I chatted with people walking with me. I usually don't do that so it was interesting. I drank some Dr. Pepper. It was DELICIOUS. I stopped and stretched. I watched TONS of people walk up to the medical tents for assistance. I saw people sitting on the ground on the side. I saw people LAYING on the ground on the side. I saw one guy limping BACK to a medical tent. It was BRUTAL. I think my friend Tom described it best. He said it looked like a battlefield.

At mile 25, I started crying because it was the hardest thing I had ever done in my life, and I was going to finish it. I was not going to be a quitter. I started this things and damn it! I WAS GOING TO FINISH!

oh, did you notice from mile 24 at 4:35 to 5:00 for 26.2! IT TOOK ME 25 MINS to do 2.2 MILES?? WHAT THE $@&#!

My knee NEVER bothered me. Hmm...

Looking back now, I am SO thankful I finished. I am happy I was able to complete it.
So I didn't get the time I wanted.
There's always Dallas Whiterock on Dec. 13...
I think I need a REDO...

Just a couple...

Here's a couple pictures from my phone, I was able to send them to Snapfish. A handy little site!



San Francisco Peir...you can almost make out the

Golden Gate Bridge through the fog...a little blurry but not bad from the camera phone...



The view looking up Lombard Street, the curviest street...a little dark...and no picture I have can do this street enough justice.




Mitchell standing on the steepest street! We drove down it, which was just plain FREAKY! Then we parked and walked back down in it. The grade is like 30 something, I think close to 40%! It's insane! You can see Mitchell standing upright with his left foot raised, you can't stand with both legs straight on this road! What a COOL city!


My baby Zoe...oh how she loves dress up. Can't you tell?!


And the rare picture of all three of my children together. You know of course that I have a treat in my hand, right?

Blah blah blog

Wow! It's been FORever since I've blogged...almost one entire month!
I just haven't felt like blogging...and


SO much has happened!

• I became a marathoner!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
• We explored San Francisco, what an INCREDIBLE city!
• We went fishing at Port Aransas
• Ran the Wurst 5 miler and PR'd! WHOOP! What a difference a year makes!
• Went to a zombie Halloween party, I was a zombie prom queen :)
• Enjoyed two nights (out of the TEN day salute ot sausage) of Wurstfest, drank and ATE ATE ATE oh, did I mention, we DRANK?
• Celebrated DH's 35 birthday!!!
• Booked a ski trip to Steamboat Springs, Colorado for January

I rode a post marathon high for about 10 days. It still excites me to think about it. I can't express how awesome the race was, the experience was J U S T I N C R E D I B L E. Probably the best experience (hang on honey, not better than our wedding day, you KNOW that!) of my life, besides getting married, so far. The weekend was absolutely fabulous. San Francisco is an incredible place. I loved it. And I can't wait to go back...maybe I'll write an official race report soon...

SAN FRAN! The gorgeous city by the bay. We didn't do everything I would have liked too, but all the more reason to go back, right?! I promise I will add some pictures. But, seeing as I am at work, I can't at this time...soon...

As you can see, things have been busy. Oh, and the remodel...surprisingly (or not?!) has all but grinded to a complete halt. Still there though, soon...

OH! I was also involved in an accident on my hubby's birthday. Oops. I'm fine, don't you worry. And it seems that the Honda just will. not. die. Damn. Can't I at least get a new car out of being spun off the highway!? And soon enough, I'll get my car repaired...soon...

Ha. Seems to be a trend here...

Sunday is Rock and Roll San Antonio! I am signed up for the FULL! #2! I can't wait! My right knee has been nagging at me, whining a little I suppose...So we'll see how it goes...a lot of people I know are doing this race, so it should be a BLAST!

I'll get back with you, soon...