First half marathon thoughts by miles
Pre race: talking to a police officer to make sure Caleb can park in the VIP lot despite all the road closures. Longest port a potty line ever and cannot see a darn thing. Found a friend from grad school and a former patient both running the same race.
Start: didn’t hear a gun. Had no idea we were actually starting. Signal slow on my phone. Only 3 songs downloaded on my amazon music app: misery business, Shake it off and bullet proof. Gonna be a long 2.5 hours.
Mile 1: blazing around at a 10:30 pace getting passed like I’m sitting still. Looking at everyone’s cute (not all) workout clothes.
Mile 1.5: shut off my phone to attempt to fix my music and think I messed up my Runkeeper app recording a full 13.1 for the first time but luckily it paused and only got about 0.1 behind
Mile 2: LTE works and I finally hear my full playlist. Water station has no water
Mile 3: that got here so fast. This is easy. Finally some water.
Mile 4: merging onto highway 27 up a huge hill by the lookouts stadium. Made it without walking. I’m a beast.
Mile 5: running on a major highway and it was about 5 degrees colder up there. Still feeling great. Making friends.
Mile 6: manufactures road. Smell bacon from food works brunch. Still feeling good. More water. Can drink without spilling now. I’m a champion.
Mile 7: somewhere back near Coolidge. Up the hill to merge onto veterans bridge. More hills. Killing me here.
Mile 8: left ankle (post tib tendonitis issues from extra navicular bone) starts to get ticked off. Under arm chaffing begins. This is where it got rough.
Mile 9: riverwalk and my top level goal time pace man (2:30) passes me and i can’t catch him. Ankle and under arms still burning. Someone handed me warm yellow Gatorade and I spit it out thinking it was water. I pass the lonely 6 hour marathon pacer man because who would torture themselves for 6 hours?
Mile 10: turned around back down Amnicola highway now. Officially just praying to finish. This is when my mental strength had to overcome because my physical strength/body was weary.
Mile 11: walked a hill to get a break, ankle actually hurts more. So running again. Telling myself I will never do this again. Then comes battery place hill by UTC arena. This is just cruel now. Drink a blue Powerade and pretend it’s kyptonite.
Mile 12: my uncle john is texting me and I’m reading on my watch. I’m thinking about my family at the finish line and just wanting to get there to see them. Extremely motivational touching song plays and I start bawling through the art district. Coming across walking bridge I can see the finish line. I got a burst of energy and felt no more pain.
Mile 13: turning the corner off Frazier and coasting down hill to the finish line. I got my phone out to take a picture of my little fan club because that’s why I was there in the first place. Smiles and tears through the finish line and I made it. I ran a half marathon. Like who am I?
After: just intense cramping/burning in my legs/butt but a major high. Felt on top of the world with my family there with me and giving me hugs, love and high fives.
Will I do another one? Maybe one day. It was a great course in a familiar place and faces. I would love to sub 2:30 one day. My goal this winter is speed and leg strength focus.
I have Learned so much through this experience. From just becoming more consistent with exercise on my Apple Watch rings, to doing couch to 5k, to building up my training miles week by week. To a 10k race and multiple PB since the weather cooled off to this half.
Most of you are thinking this is crazy. Why would anyone want to do this? And I know what you mean. I was that girl for 34 years. But ever since I became a mother twice with my own health challenged and compromised and I see what I see day in and day out with my job- it was just the kick in the butt I needed for a major lifestyle and mindset change. I have always had a healthy ish life but never to this extreme. It did not happen over night. Are there other people out there that run and eat better than me? Oh yeah. But everyone has their own journey and story. If the things I eat, oils I use, chemicals I abstain from and body I take care of all gives me chance at a better quality and longer life to enjoy my family and watch more sunrises, then I’m going to do it. One day at a time.
Dream big. It’s never to late to start something new. God will guide you and lead you every step of the way. Even when your in the thick of miles 8-11, He is there to pull you across the bridge to rest in His goodness.
The Gut Gospel 