3 days after returning from Boston, we were packed up and on the road again, headed to Sacramento for the 29th California International Marathon. Kevin had decided during the summer that he’d exit this decade with one last hurrah by running 26.2 miles, his second marathon ever.
Brady was a doll on the drive up and slept most of the way. We arrived in Sacramento to brunch at Cafe Rolle, a place I found on Yelp, my trusty go-to site for all things food related š It was like we were back in Montreal! The French cafe was so authentic, right down to the owner/chef singing French songs from the open kitchen. Our food was soooo yummy. Warm salmon and gruyere sandwich, steak and gruyere sandwich and chocolate creme brulee. ‘Nuff said. I would move to Sac-town just to have daily access to that!
Kev checked in at the convention center after brunch, picked up his number and we browsed the endless row of booths for everything running related. It was a mad house, with runners and their families milling around everywhere. I was amazed and inspired to see marathon runners of all ages and backgrounds there, from teenagers to grandmothers. It really made me realize that 1. anything’s possible and 2. it’s never too late.
We decided to drive the race route in the afternoon, just for kicks and giggles (although by that time, Kev was on the verge of passing out from exhaustion). Kevin and I were both pleasantly surprised by how beautiful Sacramento and the surrounding areas were. The City of Trees certainly lived up to its name. We ended the day with a quick dinner before retreating to our hotel to get ready for the big race.
A true Guppy for life! He was so excited to represent his paddling team in the marathon š Pumped up and ready to hit the pavement, Kevin was out the door to catch a shuttle to the starting line by 5am. The weather was on our side, with the rain giving way to morning sunshine.
Brady and I greeted Kev at the halfway point. He was making good timing and later said he felt energized after seeing us. This shot was way too zoomed out because I was so excited to see him that my finger just couldn’t wait to capture the moment :-p He ran over, kissed me and yelled “I love you!” The crowd on the sidelines gave us a big “AWWW!” What a great husband!
I was so disappointed not to have been able to meet Kev at the finish line! Grrrr >_< The race ended at the State Capitol building in downtown Sac. Although he didn’t finish within the time he had hoped for due to injury and burning out around mile 19, I couldn’t be more proud of Kevin for finishing the marathon! Perhaps a third marathon is in the future? š
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