I Ran A Half Marathon!

YEAH FOR ME! I did it! I ran a real half marathon here in Safford on Saturday at the Health Raisers event. No pics...but I have a medal to prove it! I heard about the race about 9 weeks ago and I had always wanted to run a marathon...so I decided a half was a good start. I've never really been a runner per say--I ran track in jr. high but was a sprinter (ha! ha! I'm so slow now!). I was always an athlete I suppose, but not the most athletic ever...I often felt like I got the spot over the next girl due to my desire...or my drive. I was grateful that drive never left--for I'm sure it was what kept me getting up day after day as early as 4am to train for this race. (This was quite a feat for me because I am NOT a morning person and hate getting up--and it was the only time of day I could go on such long runs due to Jason's and my schedules!)

In training, I always ran alone. (Well, Travis went along on my short 3 and 5 mile runs sometimes.) But Saturday, I was grateful to have a partner. Mila (a friend from work) and I had decided to run together. We had both ran some races at the same time, but never really together. I was worried I would be too slow to keep up with her, but on race day I was grateful for her speed which pushed me a bit harder than I think I would have gone if I was alone.

I won't lie--it wasn't near as easy as my training runs. I was prepared for the distance--I had ran 13 miles twice and 14 miles twice before the big day, but I wasn't prepared for the sandy, rocky dirt road we ran on for what seemed like forever...probably only 3 or 4 miles, but the road stretched as far as you could see-- so it seemed like forever. Once that stretch was over, the race seemed to fly by. Mila and I even did we do best--chatted off and on despite the crazy windy weather, lack of air in our lungs, and ache in our legs.

I finished the race of 13.1 miles in 2 hrs and 20 mins. I got 24th place....which meant I got a medal! (The first 25 did! Lori, a dear friend from my ER tech days and now my DON, was at the finish line and was so proud and thrilled "her nurses got medals". We were proud too!) I am glad to have accomplished my goal, but now I'm not sure how I'm going to get out of bed in the mornings.....maybe I need a new goal.....