Weddingbee Blog

Last weekend, we Huskies did something neither of us ever thought we would be physically able to do. We ran a marathon. Twenty-six point two miles. At 8,000′ of elevation. And it was amazing.

(courtesy of a.a. harris photography)

The event photographer, Amanda, was the talent behind the lens that turned a sweaty and exhausted moment into such a beautiful and emotional embrace.

Remember last week, when I talked about the candid photos that would be hanging on our walls? This was kind of exactly what I meant. If you’re looking for the same, she does weddings, too.

We were informed just a week before we were scheduled to run that our marathon has been postponed to the day after our wedding. The marathon we’d spent 9.5 months and 700 miles preparing for. The marathon that we would run two weeks before our wedding date, that we’d trained through rain, snow, and blazing sun, that we had spent our entire summer getting ready for. Not happening.

Needless to say, we were both very bummed.

Until we found out about another marathon—same state, but 4 hours away. So, we decided it was time for a road trip.

A lot about this particular marathon was less-than-ideal. Excluding the obvious 4-hour drive, and much higher elevation factor, and the double registration fees, there were also a lot of expectations I had created in my head during training that didn’t exactly come to fruition. Like the final 6 miles full of rolling hills. Or the fact that, save the photographer and the stopwatch manager, NO ONE was at the finish line cheering on the finishers, nor were there any supporters along the sidelines during the race. Also, the fact that by the time we crossed the finish line, all of the food had been picked over by what appeared to be a college game of slip ‘n slide. Not a banana in sight.

But so much of it went so well—such as Mr. H and me running, without stopping or walking, for 4:30:51. I know for a lot of you, that’s pretty slow, but for us, we shaved thirty seconds per mile off of our typical pace! As first (and likely only) time marathoners, we felt a huge sense of accomplishment. More victories? No injuries, no cramps, well-hydrated and fueled, good conversation (for four hours), wedding stress melt-away, free rein to eat whatever we wanted afterward (which included pizza, beer, and a quart of ice cream— each), a new friend at mile 13, etc.

I’ll bet all of you know where I’m going with this.

Mr. Husky and I worked our butts off (literally) for nearly ten months. We trained, planned, prepared, visualized. And things did not go as planned. But you know what? We are officially marathon finishers, which was the ultimate goal anyway. On top of that, we had a great time doing it, even if it turned out a little bit differently than we had imagined.

So I hereby vow to apply this to our wedding, if it rains, if it’s cold, if dinner is served late, if our processional is slow, if our band doesn’t show—we will have a great time. Because, ultimately, we will be getting married. And even if it turns out a little bit differently than what we have planned and imagined for the past 14 months, marrying one another is really all that matters in the end.

Have you had any experiences during planning that have forced you to see the big picture?