26.2 in 3:56

HE DID IT! Todd completed his first (and according to him, his last) marathon. And since it is me writing and not him, I can tell you how GREAT he did! It was amazing. As Nancy and I sat on the race route at mile 25, the thought of what the guys were going through just kept crossing our minds. We drove the route the night before and I just remember thinking how long it seemed. We just kept thinking..."ok..they are running." And an hour would pass, and we would think, "they are STILL running." It was an odd thing to think about. Needless to say, we did quite a bit of praying. Right there at mile 25, people watched as Nancy and I joined hands, bowed our heads, and lifted our guys to God. I know that God heard and answered, because all three guys did great.

Todd was mentally and physically ready. After talking to an experienced runner on Friday night, he decided to set his goal time of 3:50. We didn't know until after the race that the average finish time was 4:29. We also didn't realize unitl later that day that he finished in the top 25%. He placed 1829 out of 6898. Pretty impressive. But not surprising.

Todd followed the Grandma's Marathon training plan and I could be wrong, but I don't think he missed a day. He ran 6 days a week for 5 months. He ate good and paid close attention to his heart rate.

If you ever decide to go to the marathon, Nancy and I found a perfect place to sit. We were able to watch at the 25 mile mark and then cross a bridge to catch them a mile later. We also were able to watch them finish (not RIGHT at the finish line, but about 200 yards away). We knew God even was with us helping us get to just the right spot.

For those of you who prayed, thank you. It was a great trip and we have great memories. Thanks for letting me "brag" about my darling. I'm so proud of him.

By the way, the other runners that trained and ran as well, are our friends, Troy Mattson and Jon Hohm. It is Troy's wife Nancy and Jon's wife Kelly that ran the 5k with me.