Yesterday I accomplished one of my main goals for 2013-- I ran 13.1 miles and finished the Get Lucky Triple 7K Half Marathon in St.Paul with a time of 2hrs,8min,38sec. :)
Almost a year ago I watched Max finish Grandma's Half Marathon in Duluth and I was so proud of him, but also so bummed that I hadn't let him talk me into doing it with him. I brushed it off and said things like "This body wasn't built for running. These short legs can't make it that far. I don't have time to train for something like that."
A few months ago something inside me decided that maybe I couldn't finish a half marathon, but how would I ever know if I didn't at least try once? So, I did the most important thing; I found a good support team and a fun run to sign up for. Then I worked my ass off training for nearly 12 straight weeks. I squeezed in Yoga on Mondays, Runs on Tues, Wed, and Thursdays, and a long run on Saturday/Sunday each week.
When the day of the race finally came yesterday, I can say that I felt "prepared" but not necessarily "confident". 5AM came quite early as I got up, got dressed, and wanted to cry as I stepped outside to test the weather. Conditions were less than ideal being icy, a bit snowy from the day before, and definitely chilly (I think it was around 20 degrees when we were running??). I tried not to think about the weather, because it was one of the only things I couldn't change about the whole experience. We rode up to St.Paul as a big group with some of my favorite people which helped take my mind off of what was ahead.
As the race began, we (meaning Justina and I, along with Max popping in here and there) fell into a good pace and the first half went rather quickly, although a little crowded and icy at times. We had our sweet "cheerleaders" (Jen, Mellissa, Kelsey, and Kate) at mile 4 and mile 9, so it was something to look forward to as we ran on! (Thanks, ladies--you are all rather awesome!) Those first 9 miles were pretty comfortable, but from mile 10-13, things really got difficult. I was trying to stay positive, even in my head because I know how quickly those negative thoughts can bring me down, but I was honestly a hurting unit at that point. I hadn't trained for quite so many inclines/hills, and it really took a toll on my lower body. I was aching and I felt as though I hit a brick wall. (Note to self, don't forget to stop for your energy chews part way through the race! Dumb mistake, because I desperately needed those towards the end of the race)... However, with Justina and Max by my side, they kept me trucking right along until finally I could see the finish line. When we crossed the finish, I had no idea what time we had finished in. I don't even remember seeing the clock, I was just so happy to be done. It wasn't until we were heading back to the car that I really thought to ask what time we finished in and I was pleasantly happy with my time. Since I had never done one, and since winter running is not the best for training, I had secretly set a goal of under 2 hrs and 15 minutes, so coming in almost 7 minutes faster than that was okay with me! The rest of the day was spent celebrating St.Patty's day as is tradition for our little 'group' meandering around Minneapolis visiting some local 'establishments' and basking in our own awesomeness together. It really doesn't get much better than that....
Pictures soon :)
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