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(Half) Marathon of a Weekend!

(Half) Marathon of a Weekend!

Sooooo, let’s talk about me. 🙂

This blog is typically about things I make, or other people make or things that inspire me.

But today, the blog is all about me personally. So even if you slide through the pictures, they will tell the story of me.

We went to Des Moines, Iowa this weekend to visit our daughter. We packed so much into one weekend and I loved it.

Friday night we arrived at her house in time to hang up some Halloween decorations, make the beds, chit chat and fall asleep.

Saturday was going to be a big day.

Saturday morning we went to the Farmer’s Market in downtown Des Moines.

I don’t know if it was the company or the day or market, but this is the best Farmer’s Market I have ever shopped.

They was a little of everything.

I am seriously going to learn to weld because at the east entrance there was a vendor that had so many cool iron sculptures.  And yes, that is a rock in the center that makes the peacock’s body and colored bottles on wrought iron posts for his feathers.

So creative.

Need some more ideas?

Painted tires? Yes please. Some Halloween décor? Thank you. Christmas gifts? Check.

But the fresh vegetables….ohhh, the fresh vegetables.

On every corner there was some kind of music. A single singer or a Duet of guitar players or a full 5 piece band. So festive!

Sam and Wade didn’t eat breakfast that morning because they were set on getting a breakfast bowl from the Farmers Market. We walked all the way to the other end of the market to get the “Best Ever” breakfast. They were dying of hunger because I was snapping pictures the whole time and oohing and aahing over everything.

Finally they got their steaming hot breakfast bowl filled with breakfast sausage, bacon, jalapeno, cheese and eggs.

They shared a bite with me and in all honesty, it was pretty good.

As they were feeding their faces, I walked over and made friends with Miss Gypsy (3) and Roscoe (4). They had on their cute fall sweaters but were still shivering. Their owner said they shiver on a 90 degree day too. It’s a Chihuahua thing. 🙂

Our next adventure was to go to the HyVee Center and pick up our packets. Packets as in the next morning we were going to run a half marathon.

Can you believe the welcome sign they had for us? Okay so our last name is Scheel, not Scheels, but since there were 3 of us, they “S” made perfect sense.

Here is the swag bag goodies we received along with our bib number. Love free stuff.

From the HyVee Center we went shopping. Okay, more shopping but at stores.

First we went to Goodwill to grab some sweatshirts that could be tossed onto the sidewalk after getting warmed up for the race. (It was 37 degrees at the 8am start for the race. Ya need a sweatshirt!) The fun thing is that the Salvation Army walks the route and picks up all of the tossed headbands, mittens, sweatshirts etc. and donates them all back to the store. I love that.

Next stop was the HyVee grocery store. “HyVeeeee, shop Hyveee, where’s there’s a helpful smile in every aisle” has been there jingle forever. I was born and raised in Iowa and even lived in Des Moines for a period of time. The HyVee grocery stores have come a long way since I lived there.

I mean really, look at the bakery!

After spending way too much time at HyVee, we went to Target. No pictures from Target. You’re welcome. 🙂

Our last little stop was at Hobby Lobby. Sam NEEDED some curtains for her room. I’ll share a quick post with you on Saturday about that.

We drove home and then got to our to do list.

  • Eat dinner
  • Weather proof the windows
  • Make and put up curtains
  • Put together a new lamp
  • Change burnt out light bulbs
  • Install a new battery in fire alarm

Then it was bedtime because we still had that little half Marathon to run in the morning.

Got up at 6:30 am, ate breakfast, drove to the race and started running by 8am.

I was a little nervous about running this race. I had not run a single step for over two months. I walk and attend weight lifting classes several times a week, but I had not run.

I would NOT suggest this exercise routine for anyone attempting a Half Marathon.

This was my 5th half marathon and the second time on this course so I knew what to expect. After 2 hours and 38 minutes we were done.  Thank goodness. 🙂 Not a personal best for me, but personal best for not enough prior training. Pretty proud of myself. If I may take a moment to pat myself on the back, Go Team Wendy!

Our medals. The best moment of any race is when they put the medal around your neck and you can stop running. 🙂

After the race we grabbed some lunch, shred crocodile tears while saying Goodbye to Sam and headed home.

And that my friends is what a fantastic (Half) Marathon of a Weekend looks like.

Wait until you see what I have for you on Wednesday!

See you then,

Wendy