Monday, September 9, 2013

13.1 Miles. 21K's

Wow! Running a half marathon in my thirties was way harder than in my twenties! I had no idea how it would go seeing I ran the last three weeks of training with a stroller. The morning of the race I was exhausted after a non stop three weeks, Max waking up with night terrors the whole night before and nerves. It was a blur as I started and I missed Sam and Max at the start line cheering me on to my start. My feet hit the pavement with 1300 other people and I thought, "What the heck am I doing?!?!? I'm not a runner! I'm a bored mommy that thought running would make her less crazy."  But I ran and I ran and I ran. My music blaring, my heart pumping and my arms enjoying the sunshine I ran my heart out. It was my best run in ages! I loved it. Sam stopped along the way and I smiled huge giving him a thumbs up. As we all tore around a corner and headed down the long 10k (6 mile) final stretch I felt awesome. Then I hit the last thirty minutes and I wondered why the heck people run these. I was hot and tired and just wanted to be done. All the while people older than my parents were passing me left and right. Who knew the Masters category was so tough. These oldies were not messing around. 

I hit the 2k left sign and I did a little dance of joy. I think I forgot 2k's is over a mile. Then it happened. I saw a hill. Boo! Luckily Eye of the Tiger came on right then and I had this Rocky surge of power. Until I got to the top. I kept saying what goes up must come down and after this I'm in the home stretch. Except the next big hill. Boo!!!  Why oh why did I do this again?  Luckily again a great song (Katy Perry's Roar) came on and I hustled my booty to finish. Something didn't feel right but I kept going. My tenacity (aka stubbornness) kicked in and I kept going. I was so close I had run two hours and five minutes what was ten more? A lot! 
Finally I saw the end and I took off sprinting staring at the huge clock realising I was going to come in under my goal. I crossed the line and was that woman. I just stopped and bent over and put my hands on my knees and couldn't move. (You thought I was going to say I threw up didn't you? That came later...)

Sam and Max were waiting for me right at the end. I walked to them and saw their huge smiles (well Sam's, Max was sick and sleeping on Sam. Poor buddy!) I wasn't thirsty which should have been my first clue. I was dehydrated. I've been dehydrated one other time in life and it was just as awful. I spent the afternoon sick, I will spare you details but it wasn't pretty. Once I figured it out a couple hours later I began siping water and slowly came back to life. I was silly and just didn't drink enough prior, didn't drink at all the stations and got entirely too hot. I think I was so excited to be hot and enjoying the beautiful day my brain took a vacation. 

I still feel a bit off tonight and my stomach isn't quite right, so maybe I have a bug too but either way I did it! I ran 13.1 miles (21k's) without stopping. I'm glad it's over and 24 hours later I feel proud of what I accomplished in this crazy season of life I'm in currently. 

Here's some pictures from the day:





Dying. Absolutely dying but I finished!


Happy to be done! And I came in 124th ahead of 1190 people. Not too shabby for an oldie! 

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