Back in December, I lost 30 lbs. and wanted to do something to make sure I KEPT it off! I had thought about signing up for the Ogden 1/2 marathon, but it was full, so instead I put together a relay team.
You need 5 people, and everyone does a leg for the full marathon. My mom said she'd run the 1st leg (7 miles), I said I'd do the 2nd leg (6 miles), Sarah's friend, Amy, said she'd do the 3rd leg (5 miles), Sarah said she'd do the 4th leg (5 miles), and Dad said he'd do the last leg (3 miles).
From there we all started training......I worked myself up to 4 miles...but I was really struggling, and actually DID NOT like running! The thought that I had to do SIX miles was freaking me out! I just didn't think I'd be ready in time.
Well, Amy, also thought the same thing, and a couple months before she backed out, so I decided to take her 5 mile leg, then we found a sub for the 6 mile leg. So now, my goal was to get up to FIVE miles....that still seemed daunting.
To make matters worse, my dad then got pneumonia, and ended up having it for over FIVE weeks, so we then knew that there was NO way he'd be running his 3 mile leg. It was sad for him, because he's been working really hard to get in shape and would have done great! So then we were really struggling to find ANOTHER sub to cover my dad's leg, but then things got even MORE complicated!!! My mom ended up hurting her back, ONE WEEK before the race...so there was NO WAY that she could run 6 or 7 miles. She then traded with our sub, and prepared for to run the last 3 miles!!!
Was that complicated enough???!!! Believe me...it WAS!!!
The day of the race began at 4:30 am for me. My mom drove me downtown to get on the bus that would take me to my starting point of my leg. I was able to meet up with Sarah, but we were going to different locations so were put on different buses. It was freezing cold, and dark, but the buzz in the air was exciting! I had to sit and wait for a couple hours, but at my starting point I was able to watch all the Half-Marathoners take off at 7am! There were a THOUSAND of them! It was exciting!
Finally, I started to get ready, and started to watch for Marie (a girl I work with at my salon). She showed up earlier than I expected, and OFF I went.....By then the sun was shining, it was getting warmer, and the skies were blue!!! It was a beautiful day! I had my music playing and just paced myself. Well, I felt GREAT!!!! I was totally "in the zone" and LOVING every minute of it! I definitely did NOT pass anyone, they all seemed to zoom by me, but I was enjoying the view of the dam, and the mountains and then the canyon! It was SOOO beautiful!!!
There was one time as I rounded a corner, just before heading down the canyon that a huge crowd was gathered cheering everyone on. Well, I knew no one there, but as they cheered for me, I got really emotional! I was almost done my five miles and I was so happy that I'd come that far! I'd set my goal back in December, and there I was actually accomplishing it!!! What a feeling!
I met Sarah at the end of my five miles, (which I did in one hour!!! The fastest I've ever done!) and just before she took off down the canyon, she convinced me to keep going, because the buses that were to take me down to the finish line were taking forever to load. I had a split second to make up my mind, and because I was still feeling so good, I decided to just keep running!!!! Sarah took off, and I quickly called mom to tell her that Sarah was on her way, so she could watch for her, and off I ran!
Those next five miles were mostly great, my knees did start to hurt for a bit. But I walked for a few minutes, and then was able to run again. The canyon was so beautiful, and I tried to enjoy my surroundings as I ran. At the mouth of the canyon there was another large group of spectators cheering us on, and once again I got emotional, especially as I realized that I'd almost been running now for TEN MILES!!!! Wow!!! Is it ok to be proud of myself???!!!
Sarah called me when she was done her five miles, and mom was then on her way running the last three miles to the finish line. Sarah waited for me, and once we met up I grabbed her arm and convinced her to just run the rest of the way in...only three more miles!!!! So off we went together!!!
It was fun to run with Sarah, we chatted and compared our stories about how things had gone so far. For me those next two miles were tolerable, I enjoyed running alongside the river, and having Sarah with me. If you ask Sarah, she said she was struggling! For sure, I know that I couldn't have gotten to the end without her...it really made a difference having her there.
For BOTH of us, the LAST mile was tough!!! We stopped talking, Put our ear phones back in and just tried to stay focused on the end. We could see the finish line in the distance and it seemed SOOO far away!!!!
Thanks to cell phones, mom was able to find out where we were, and although she already crossed the finish line, she came back to find us, so we could all cross together!
Those last couple blocks, with tons of people screaming and cheering on the sides, and my mom and my sister at my side was a special moment!!! We were almost there! We had done it!!! And I had just done THIRTEEN MILES!!! A HALF-MARATHON!!! Wow!!! I was feeling SOO humble and so blessed to have such a healthy, and strong and capable body to accomplish that! I was holding back the tears and found a burst of energy to hold my head high as I crossed over that finish line!!!!
We did it! We did it! We did it!!!!
From there, we visited with Scott and Sarah's kids, and my dad, got some water, and bags of ice! We were all exhausted and sore, but feeling sooo great! I truly was on a "Runner's High" that lasted for the rest of the day and all night long and even through Sunday! Even now as I reflect back on what I accomplished, I still find myself getting emotional!
It ended up taking me 2 hours and 30 minutes to run my 13 miles, and since I'd never run more than 5 miles in my life, I was SOOO sore that night, and the next couple of days! But the pain somehow seemed worth it, every painful step reminded me what I truly am capable of, even when I didn't believe in myself!
I'm not so sure if I'll ever run another half-marathon on purpose, I'd rather keep to shorter runs so I can protect me knees. But I now have a true love of running, and a desire to keep myself healthy and fit! I've learned a lot about myself through this experience, especially that I should NEVER give up, even when I'm not so sure I can do it....I can do anything I put my mind to! But most importantly, I've learned that I can't do anything ALONE....I need support, I need my friends, I need my family with me, every step of the way...and then I can REALLY do anything!!!! ANYTHING!!!!!
