That's right - this morning was my first half marathon! And I actually met all my goals.. I am very happy with myself and my performance in the race. I was so scared! I kept thinking about how until today I've only run 10.5 miles and I'd have to gut it out - and gut it out I did!
First the weather was terrible. It was raining the whole race. There were two lightning strikes downtown before the race so they had to move the start time. I started slow and just kept going. I did okay and before I knew it I was half way done. That's no biggy - because I've done a 10K before. I talked myself through the whole thing in a crazy sort of way...After I got to mile 9 which is where I figured I'd start having challenges with my attitude and thinking...I started working it backwards. I told myself I only have 4 miles to go. And I do more than that on my regular daily running. Basically, I ignored the fact that I had already run the 9 miles. Then at ten I was like I have a 5K to go and I've done hundreds of those!
Right before I got to mile 11 my knee started acting out. I was hurting from head to toe anyway (thank you cold weather)...but I looked at the 11 mile marker and I thought I have gone further than I have ever gone... and I only have 2 miles to go! And I picked up my pace...I was still really slow - but I started passing all those who had started walking... and I kept pushing and played this silly game in my mind. I thought 2 miles? I can run 2 miles in my sleep...I can run 2 miles up hill...I can run 2 miles on my head.. So I did that for what I thought was about a mile but there was no marker.
The last water stop told us there was one mile to go...so I pushed harder...and then about 3 or 4 blocks down someone told me there was a mile to go... I figured it couldn't be more than a mile by then! And before I knew it some guy said you are almost there guys..5 blocks to go! I asked him if he really said 5 blocks and he said he did. Then I saw the finish line.....I punched it as hard as I could and figured it was just good that I was still moving! lol!
The closer I got to the finish line the happier my heart got. I kept thinking I'm about to do something I've never done! I was smiling from ear to ear!! Then I saw the official time... I was still inside my 3 hour goal!! That included the four minutes I lost because the time started and it was 4 minutes before I crossed the start line.. and the 5 minutes or so that I spent waiting for the porta potty at mile 7!! I was about to cry I was so happy!!
I think I learned a couple of valuable life lessons. First, don't let anyone tell you that you can't do something (even if you're 50). Let pain be a motivator (within reason) not a stopper...and you can talk yourself through anything! There is a way to encourage yourself you may have to be creative to figure out what will work.
No matter what the struggle is in your life find some scriptures that will give you the strength to press on - there is a finish line out there - and we all will get a finisher's metal but we gotta keep running the race!
First the weather was terrible. It was raining the whole race. There were two lightning strikes downtown before the race so they had to move the start time. I started slow and just kept going. I did okay and before I knew it I was half way done. That's no biggy - because I've done a 10K before. I talked myself through the whole thing in a crazy sort of way...After I got to mile 9 which is where I figured I'd start having challenges with my attitude and thinking...I started working it backwards. I told myself I only have 4 miles to go. And I do more than that on my regular daily running. Basically, I ignored the fact that I had already run the 9 miles. Then at ten I was like I have a 5K to go and I've done hundreds of those!
Right before I got to mile 11 my knee started acting out. I was hurting from head to toe anyway (thank you cold weather)...but I looked at the 11 mile marker and I thought I have gone further than I have ever gone... and I only have 2 miles to go! And I picked up my pace...I was still really slow - but I started passing all those who had started walking... and I kept pushing and played this silly game in my mind. I thought 2 miles? I can run 2 miles in my sleep...I can run 2 miles up hill...I can run 2 miles on my head.. So I did that for what I thought was about a mile but there was no marker.
The last water stop told us there was one mile to go...so I pushed harder...and then about 3 or 4 blocks down someone told me there was a mile to go... I figured it couldn't be more than a mile by then! And before I knew it some guy said you are almost there guys..5 blocks to go! I asked him if he really said 5 blocks and he said he did. Then I saw the finish line.....I punched it as hard as I could and figured it was just good that I was still moving! lol!
The closer I got to the finish line the happier my heart got. I kept thinking I'm about to do something I've never done! I was smiling from ear to ear!! Then I saw the official time... I was still inside my 3 hour goal!! That included the four minutes I lost because the time started and it was 4 minutes before I crossed the start line.. and the 5 minutes or so that I spent waiting for the porta potty at mile 7!! I was about to cry I was so happy!!
I think I learned a couple of valuable life lessons. First, don't let anyone tell you that you can't do something (even if you're 50). Let pain be a motivator (within reason) not a stopper...and you can talk yourself through anything! There is a way to encourage yourself you may have to be creative to figure out what will work.
No matter what the struggle is in your life find some scriptures that will give you the strength to press on - there is a finish line out there - and we all will get a finisher's metal but we gotta keep running the race!
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