Four hours forty four minutes and forty nine seconds!

I am one proud big sister! Alissa completed her very first marathon today. She has never run a 5K or anything. She has made training for this marathon her passion the past several months. I knew she could do it but to see her do it was incredible. She completed the marathon in 4 hours, 44 minutes and 49 seconds. It was cold and rainy too. She was one of 19 people who ran for the American Cancer Society. She raised over $4k. She ran in honor of our aunt Janice, our family friend, Debbie Culhane, and in honor of Ashley Hanson and Dana Melberg. She ran in memory of Melissa Ungerman Levy's father and our family friend, John Andre Ungerman. Witnessing the Twin Cities Marathon today was very emotional. Watching all of these people running and running and pushing their bodies to the limit is indescribable. We made it to the 13 mile mark, 15 mile mark, 22 mile mark and the finish line (Pete did one heck of a job finding parking spots and weaving through traffic to make it possible). The first time I saw Alissa running at the 13 mile mark my eyes filled up with tears. I was and am so proud of her! I wish I had the drive and ability to run a marathon! She looked great at each point. At mile 22 you could tell she was getting tired. She said "I am in hell right now" and kept running. My parents were able to see her at other mile markers and some of her friends saw her too. When we got to the Capital to see her at the finish line we couldn't find her. She had already finished and she was no where to be found. We were looking for the American Cancer Society tent and while we were looking for it she called me from a random phone number. She was within feet of us. She felt sick after the marathon and laid in the grass and blacked out. She lost her medal and everything. We got her together, brought her to the ACS tent where she received a massage. While she was being massaged, my lovely husband was able to get her another medal! Afterwards we stopped to get her tons of food. We put her in an ice bath then she took a shower and climbed in bed. It was such a great day-Congrats Lissie! To top off the day, my mom turned 60! Happy 60th Mama Moose.
Alissa's shirt (front side)
Back side

Mile marker 13 by Lake Nokomis
She even stopped and kissed us! Nora was so excited to see Auntie Lis. We practiced our cheer on the way down Go Go Lissie Go Go!
See you soon. Have a good run!
Nice butt!

Got cheeks

Where'd Auntie go?

Leaving mile marker 13....

Nora looking up at the airplanes.

Now where guys?
Mile marker 15. Pete did a good one on this! We got there and we saw Lissie in 10 seconds.
She's off again!

Summit Ave and Fairview (mile 22.5)

Waiting....
Still waiting. Nora was a trooper today!
Lissie..Go Go Lissie Go Go
Kristen and Sue Vannelli with Nora and me at mile 22

Here she comes at mile marker 22.5

The Capital



She's done and we found her!

She was in horrible pain and out of it.
Every step hurt.
Helping her get her pants on

Glad to be done!

Pain.
Pain

Our family!
Nora was lovin on Lissie today. She wanted her every time she saw her... Wait, was it different than every other time they are together? Lissie was too sore to hold her for long.
Kisses

Going to our car. YEAH LISSIE!