Stuff: Mission Accomplished- The Half Marathon Recap

I did it!  I am officially a half-marathoner!

As you know if you read last weekend's stuff post, I have been training for a half marathon for a few months now.  My goal for the year was to run 10k, but I decided to take it one step further.

I spent the week in super-paranoid mode, avoiding germs in any way I could think of.  I had these horrible visions of myself being too sick to run and having worked so hard for nothing.  I'll admit...I got a little out-of-control about it.  Thanks to my family for putting up with it!

Finally, Friday rolled around.  I headed out to pick up my packet and found out there were about 1700 people registered for the race.  I know that is nothing compared to some races I've read about, but I definitely wasn't expecting a race so big at this time of year.

After picking up my packet, Ashley, her hubby, and I picked up some dinner (pasta, of course).  Soon enough, I headed home to spend a ton of time reading running blogs and freaking out.  Then, my phone rang.  It was my favorite running buddy to wish me luck and tell me she was proud of me.  :)  Totally made my night and helped me chill out so I could sleep!

Pre-race...ready to rock!

Bright and early in the morning, Ashley, our mom, and I headed out to the race.  We were pretty early, which was part of the plan...as I didn't quite know what to expect.  So, we hung out for awhile before race time.  My nerves were pretty low at this point...so I was happy.  Although my brother-in-law couldn't be there, he made me an awesome playlist to keep my mind occupied through the race.

Soon, enough, it was race time!  I was smiling at the start...

...and then I dropped the BIL's iPod.  Twice.  Luckily, it still worked.  And the first couple songs kept me smiling.  For the first couple of miles, my shin was really bugging me, which made me quite nervous.  Once I chilled out about it, I stopped noticing it and was warmed up enough for it to have stopped bothering me.

The rain started about 4 miles in.  I was really dreading the rain, but it actually didn't bother me too much.  I stayed focused and my playlist popped up with some great stuff right when I needed it.

At mile 10, I saw my cheering squad!  Seeing them was a huge pick-me-up and helped a lot through the last, most difficult miles of the race.  These miles were really narrow.  The people in front of me were going a little slower than I wanted to be moving, which was making my legs hurt.  So, I had to stick it out and pass when I could.

In the home stretch, when I was about at the point where I was considering walking (I only walked through water stations so I didn't spill everywhere), my favorite running buddy popped up again!  I high-fived her and stuck it out to the finish.

It was TOUGH (as you can probably tell from my lovely expression), but I did it! I finished in 2:07:30...beating my 2:15 goal. My running buddy was the first to greet me at the finish, and I hugged her (which she probably didn't appreciate, but I didn't think first, haha) and seeing her made me cry.  When my other friend and my mom and sister got to me, I had gotten it together and coureously gave them knuckles rather than hugs.  :)

After changing into dry clothes, we headed out to lunch.  They gave me an awesome post-race gift.  Ashley came up with the idea to make a "Race Inspiration" book.  She talked to a bunch of my friends and family, and some of my favorite people contributed quotes and words of encouragement.

Sorry for the poor quality on this one...took it on my phone.

When I got home, my BIL had put "Congrats" balloons on my front steps, which are now right next to me--and will stay there until the helium runs out.

This race was a huge accomplishment for me.  I am SO fortunate to have people in my life who supported me and cheered me on, despite the rain and cold.  I have to say that my sister certainly lived up to her rep as my NUMBER ONE cheerleader.  She made me feel like a world-class runner, so much more than a short little lady who runs for fun and probably talks about it way too much. 

The post-race blues haven't set in quite yet...I'm looking forward to just being able to run and not caring how many miles!
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Today I am thankful for my parents...who are pretty much amazing!  My dad came and helped me fix my dryer today, and my mom stood in the rain for two hours just to watch me run.  What a lucky daughter!

Ashley's turn!



Today I am thankful for our first Christmas Craft-Stravaganza! Amy decided to put together a crafting day, and we invited our mom too. It was fun!