I Actually Did It!!

I can now officially say that I have run a half marathon! I feel so cool. I actually started getting excited during the week leading up to the big day. After Mindy and I ran 11.5 miles the Saturday before, I knew that I could actually do it and was looking forward to accomplishing this goal. I was even more excited and proud of myself when we went to pick up our packets the night before the race and I was able to pass by the 5k table and go to the half marathon table instead. I resisted the urge to stick out my tongue and say, "neener neener neener" ;o)

My spirits were slightly dampened when we woke to snow that morning, but it didn't last long. The excitement and energy of the crowd made up for it. It really is an awesome feeling to run with so many people who have worked as hard as you have to get to that point. I guess I have neglected to mention that it was the Thanksgiving Point half marathon on April 30th. We ran all through the gardens, grounds, and golf course at Thanksgiving Point, and it was so beautiful. Even though it was slightly chilly (which didn't matter once we started to run), it was a perfect morning. The thin layer of snow just added to the beauty of everything. I have already decided that I want to do this run again next year, and I have Mindy to thank for getting me into this running business. She was an awesome running partner and I loved spending so much one-on-one time with her during our training. I made her high five me at every mile marker and when I saw the 12 mile mark I got all choked-up and teary-eyed. Mindy said, "Yay! That's the farthest you've ever run!", and it hit me that I had just run 12 miles and with just over one mile to go I was going to reach my goal. It was a great feeling. I think I had a perma-grin from that point until I reached the finish line.

Brian started snapping photos as Mindy and I turned the corner and ran down the final stretch to the finish line. When I looked back at the pictures he took, I was amused at our exact same movements. I guess if you run together, you start running in sync with each other.

It was so fun having my husband and children there to cheer me on as I crossed the finish line. Part of the reason I want to continue running is to be an example to my children and show them that exercise is important. After we finished our race, we had to hurry over to the kid's 1 mile fun run. When we got there, the race had already started, but we did it anyway. My kids started out strong, but the "fun" of the run quickly died and they proceeded to whine and tell me how tired they were, that they needed to go to the bathroom, that they were thirsty, etc. We came in dead last. I think they'll take after me and not catch the running bug until they are in their 30s! Oh well. They each got a medal and were quite proud of it. They had no idea how badly they had done and even told Grandmom and Grandpa the next day that they had won the race and showed off their medals!

Next up? I'm thinking of doing the South Jordan half marathon on July 9th. Anyone want to join me?