Author’s note:   I wrote this blog several days before my Dad’s passing on May 15.    My aching heart could not bridge the gap between my grief and the ordinary details of life, so it has sat unpublished in my inbox.   Today, I post this in honor of one of Dad’s last remarks.  “Put on your shoes and socks.   Let’s go for a walk.”    Goodbye, Dad.   We will always miss you.

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We selected Lake Minnetonka Half Marathon as our Minnesota race for a couple of reasons.   One, it appeared on Runner’s World’s list as a must-do for Minnesota; and two, the race course was literally in Jenni Wright’s backyard, only a couple of miles from the town where she grew up.    Having someone to help us navigate the area was certain to make the whole trip flow just a little easier.

Our experiences in Montana, Kansas, and Kentucky had taught us that there was no such thing as predictable weather.    Minnesota weather in May can run the gamut, so we watched Lake Minnetonka weather forecasts closer than a shaky investor watches the Dow.     It seemed too good to be true, but the upcoming weekend in the Land of 10,000 Lakes was shaping up to look positively perfect.

Melodie, Kathy, Erika and I met in the Minneapolis-St. Paul Airport on Friday night.    We hit our first trip snafu when a fellow passenger decided to pick up Erika’s bag rather than her own.   After several hours of fast talking and frustration, we finally left the airport with the expectation that the airport would call once Erika’s bag was located.   Fortunately, the guilty passenger called Erika within an hour, the wayward bag was located, and everyone took a deep breath.

The next morning we decided to combine a pre-race walk with a search for breakfast and a great cup of coffee.  With the aid of our trusty iPhones, we landed at the Creekside Café in the Crowne Plaza Hotel.  In our flip flops and shorts, we were a bit underdressed for the venue, but since we had the whole place to ourselves, no one seemed to mind.   Breakfast and coffee were both good enough for repeat experiences.

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We had a few hours to relax before race packet pickup, so we headed back to the hotel to hang out in the hotel swimming pool with the cutest little girl ever.   Having Erika and Jenni along on this trip meant we got to spend some precious hours watching this bright, expressive little girl enjoy her world.   It was the highlight of our trip.

Next stop was race packet pickup at a local middle school which we dispatched with quickly, and then it was time for a late lunch.     On the recommendation of a local, we went to an “artisan chic” restaurant nestled on the shores of Lake Minnetonka called 6Smith.   The food lived up to its billing, but the view was even better.    A little indulging occurred at this meal, but with a half marathon relay and race on the docket for tomorrow, indulgence was in order.

After lunch, Jenni’s Mom, Sue Beise, graciously invited us over to her home located on 2 1/2 acres in the beautiful Hamel countryside.    Miss Fiona was in seventh heaven with room to run and explore, and two dogs to play with.

Race day rolled around bright and early on Sunday morning, as it inevitably does.   As we headed over to Starbucks for a quick bite to eat at 6:00 am, the temperature was already hovering above 60 and there was not a cloud in the sky.

We hopped aboard the shuttle at Wayzata Middle School at 6:30 am and headed down to the lake for the race start.    Delighted beyond measure at the beautiful weather, we were as giddy and goofy as teenagers.

At the race start, we snapped a couple more pre-race shots and said goodbye to Kathy as she boarded another shuttle for the relay exchange area.  Jenni was running the first 5.5 miles, and would then hand off to Kathy at the exchange point to bring it home.

Adrenaline running high, the rest of us took our respective spots, and the race was on.

13.1 miles is a long way to run any way you slice it, but on this particular morning, the miles slipped by more quickly than usual.   We were running alongside beautiful Lake Minnetonka, on a mostly flat, paved surface and the sun was shining.   It just doesn’t get much better than that.    We crossed the finish line that morning grateful for each other, the beautiful weather and countryside, and for the ability to run.

Traditions run pretty deep with this crew and that includes taking copious pictures at the finish line.  So although we do not look coiffed and pristine, we endured the ritual (torture) of photographing ourselves after 2+ hours of running.

We snapped a couple more pictures of Lake Minnetonka as we headed back to our shuttles.   One more race in the books.

We said our goodbyes the next morning at Davanni’s.    Little Fiona was the star of the weekend.   We enjoyed being with her so much.   There is nothing more contagious than the joy and wonder of a toddler experiencing the world.    Everything is new and exciting.

Our attempt to pull off one last original pose fell a little flat, but it is a good representation of our weekend.   Fun, a little crazy, and just hanging together.

Next stop, Star Valley, Wyoming.