This is a completely selfish post...nothing about the boys...but in fact it has a lot to do with the boys. They are three of the many reasons I run. They are my motivation sometimes, my humor after long runs and running helps me chase after them! One day after coming in from a run Ryan asked, "Was it a beautiful run mom?" Yes, Ryan it was...every run should be beautiful. Being blessed with the ability and the time that it takes is amazing. It is my time with me and my time with the Lord. We have had many conversations during them. Many decisions have been made and many prayers heard.
About seven years ago I began running or waddling as it looks like (still to this day!). I began running 5Ks with Jon in San Antonio and figuring out that if I exercise I could eat jelly beans and still loose weight. Seriously this was my mentality and still kind of is at times. :) But them I started to see the mental aspect of it. The toughness it requires and the release of stress that it gave me. I loved it.
I have ran numerous 5Ks and a major 10K but had not conquered the half marathon. Training for one of these is not only commitment from you, but with three young kiddos it takes commitment from the entire family. It is hours away from them on Saturday mornings or Sunday afternoons. I want to thank Jon for the HOURS of watching the kiddos while I got my long runs in!
This past Sunday I ran the Oklahoma City Memorial Marathon. Jon had prior commitments for work in Birmingham, so I took along one of my good friends Darcie. I told her, if I was lying on the sidewalk, I needed someone there to come get me and take me home! It was awesome to have a friend there! Having her at the finish line meant soooo much! Thanks Darcie!
I also want to do a race re-cap so I can remember this almost mile for mile!
Start: I got up at 4:00a.m. in order to get to the bus shuttle to take me downtown. I woke up almost every hour watching the clock and thinking about the next day. I met Chris and Susan, a couple from Amarillo at the bus stop. This was his first half as well. We were the first bus of runners to arrive downtown and I decided to take a walk through the memorial. I had never been to it. Very moving that time of morning...birds chirping...and still. I captured a couple of pictures.
I got to the starting/gear check area and met another lady from Nashville that is running a half marathon in every state. I love the running community! Everyone talks to each other and is so personable!
At the start line - there were three corrals. One for the Full, one for the relay and the last for the half marathoners. 27,000 people ran all of these races, so you can imagine the crowds. We had 168 seconds of silence for the 168 people killed in the bombing...very moving.
Observations from the start line: A guy in front of me had two 5 hour energy bottles in his hand....thought it was funny! Two ladies beside me had these awesome t-shirts that said "Marathon Posers". Cracked me up!
Gun goes off - and 15 minutes later I hit the timing mat....yep 15 minutes.
My first mile was WAY to fast - like four minutes faster than my usual mile....that was adrenaline and going downhill. Watched my garmin and SLOWED down a lot.
Ran through Bricktown which was neat.
Jon ran this race last year in pouring down buckets of rain. So I asked him, were there any hills? He told me not really, just a few. Well at mile 2 or so, we had to run over a train overpass...no joke...yeah no hills! Halfway up the hill, Chris, the guy I met earlier taps me on the back and we run together until about mile 10. Great company and nice someone else was keeping my pace.
We ran around the capital and passed fire fighters running the race in Full gear! I am not kidding you! It was amazing.
About mile 5 the rain starts, pretty good downpour, but we are in an older neighborhood and the trees over the street are blocking most of it. So I got wet, but my shoes and socks did not. That was an answered prayer!
Kept my goal pace, even in the rain and the hills that were everywhere!
About mile 10, Chris was fading on me and he told me to go on...so I took off. About two minutes later my Iphone dies. I think it is because of it getting wet and start to panic...but then realize nothing I can do about it now. After the race I figured out it was just a dead battery!
The Full marathoners joined back into our route about mile 11 and that was inspirational! Seeing these people running that pace was amazing. I evaluated myself here and nothing really hurt, just a little tight. Feet were good, no blisters so I picked up the pace. Only two more miles to go!
The crowds were much better downtown and I could feel the energy. I feed off of crowds. Some runners don't, I do. I came in right in at my goal time. Darcie even got video tape of me! Here are a few pics from this weekend.
Picking up my gear at the expo.
Laying it all out the night before.
Carbo Loading at Zios!
4:30 a.m. in the parking lot waiting on the shuttle bus!
The memorial at about 5:30 a.m.
The finish line!
I did it!
