Twin Cities Marathon

Yesterday was the TC Marathon. My husband ran (but we won't talk about that, it wasn't a good run) and I got to get up early with him and drive him to the start of the race and then wait at the finish. Thank God for Caribou where I could get free coffee at seven in the morning on a cool and cloudy day. I actually enjoy marathon days. Last year it was colder and rainy besides, so cool and cloudy and just a few sprinkles is better. I arrived at the end of the race an hour before the marathon even started. There are samples at the many vendors and, of course, there's the free coffee (thank God for Caribou) and plenty of people to talk to, after all there are about 10,000 people running in one of the day's races and most have someone at the end waiting for them. I brought home freebies to give my grandbabies, usually things that make noise that I give them when I visit their homes so I don't have to listen to the gifts for very long.
The day was cold but not rainy and cold like last year. I met my husband after the race with warm clothes and a cane. Some runners still have lots of energy after the race. My husband does not. The vendors have no interest to him, nor does the after-race party. We slowly made our way back to the car and drove home, with the heat blasting, I might add, to warm up his weary old bones. There was an eighty-one year old man who broke four hours last year. This year he was considerably slower and my husband, who didn't break four hours this year, beat him. Of course, the old guy had to stop along the route to insert a catheter so he could pee. My husband didn't. After all the work and pain, while he limped to the car with the help of his cane, my husband began planning his training program for next year. And next year I will again thank God for Caribou.