Deanna Crow, 2015

The year started off with me setting a personal goal of running my first 10k. I signed up for the Run to the Pub and little did I know how my life was about to change! After finishing my first 10k my number was drawn and I had won the trip of a lifetime, to run in the Dublin Marathon in Ireland! I bought a new pair of running shoes, and set my mind to accomplishing this goal that seemed so far out of my reach! After countless early mornings, long miles, and energy gels, it was finally the morning of October 26th! It was a cool and wet morning but with the excitement of over 15,000 runners, the beautiful fall colors, and a city that was almost completely shut down to celebrate the marathon, cheers from the sidelines for almost the whole 26.2 miles was an experience of a lifetime! I accomplished something I never thought I would be able to do!

I was able to extend my trip, and we spent a total of 10 days driving around all of Ireland! We drove all through the country and soaked in all the sights, sounds and tastes there were to experience! We saw the Celtic Steps perform in Killarney, beautiful castles in Donegal, the gorgeous bay of Galway, the Titanic Museum in Belfast, and the Guinness brewery in Dublin.

A thank you to Pub 317 is the least I can say. This truly was a trip of a lifetime that I will never forget!

I was lucky enough to be able to find my family twice on the course! I would have never thought I would be smiling in a picture after running for 26 miles, but I was so excited to see my family right before crossing the finish line! It was a moment that will always be a highlight of my life!