Tutus & Tiaras Virtual Run

Today was my next virtual race.  I was supposed to do it by the end of May, but I was still nursing my hip injury.  Thursday, for the first time, I felt NO pain!  None.  I was planning to get out and run over the weekend, but that didn't happen.

So this morning, I laced up and hit the pavement.  I was so ready to get back into my training!!  It was a beautiful morning, the weather was perfect (55 degrees).  The sun was shining, the scenery was gorgeous.

(33:42, average pace:  10:50 min/mile)

I felt a little tight as I began.  But after the first mile, my hip was feeling pretty good.

I didn't have my Garmin watch on me.  I'll admit, I kind of felt naked without it.  It had been so long since I last ran that it died.  So I relied on my RunKeeper and Nike+ Apps.

By the end of the run, I was so happy to be out there.  

I've missed my running time.  It's my time to escape everything.  I needed that.  It makes me a better momma.

Now to keep on training.  I originally was scheduled to do the Drop 13 half this Saturday.  Well.  After a lot of thought, I've decided to skip that race.  My hip is just BARELY feeling good again and I don't want to take 10 steps backward.  After all, I have some pretty big races to train for this fall!

On a side note:  It is Monday, and I am supposed to weigh in.  I haven't done it yet.  I'm sure it won't be pretty.  The whole "no grains" thing went out the window since Thursday.  But not only did it go out the window, I pretty much shoved everything I could into my pie hole in the mean time.  Yes, it was my anniversary and we splurged.  But we didn't have to splurge for 4 days straight.  Oy Vey!  Luckily, last week I made huge progress so hopefully I'll still be right on track to hit my 3 pounds a week goal.  I'll update ya tomorrow.

Provo City Half Marathon

2 half marathons within a week of each other?  It was done!

During last week, I had a sick little boy.  Like fevers every day since Monday night.  

By Friday, I was tired.  And ready for my Bubba to stop with the sickness!

Little did I know, he was blessing me with the lovely fever!

Friday, I originally planned to be at the expo right when it opened.  

I don't know why, but I always LOVE picking up my race packets!!

But because our day was crazy busy, I had to rearrange things to get there.

The race bib always gets me so excited...

Friday night, I knew I was in trouble.  

I started feeling the body aches.  When I took my temperature, I saw this:

I know I've joked before about thinking about sleeping in.  But I can honestly tell you, I was ready to just bag this race!  I ended up going to bed EARLY.  (I never get to bed early the night before a race!)  By 3:30am, I woke up (without an alarm) and was ready to start getting ready.

I still wasn't feeling 100%, but I was ready to give this race a go!

So there I was, awake at a time no sane person should be, feeding Madison, getting dressed, making breakfast....getting ready to head out the door.  Early mornings are probably what I hate most about running races because I am NOT a morning person!!

By 4:30, I was out the door, ready to pick up my neighbor and head to the race!

By the time we caught our bus and headed up the mountain, I was feeling crummy.  I popped some Ibuprofen and tried to distract myself.

At the top of the canyon we FROZE. 

Yep, I decided I didn't want to deal with bag drops so I took a garbage bag and figured I'd be alright standing by the fires.  No.  I was not alright.  I was freaking cold!  But I got to meet some interesting characters.  All of the big fires were completely surrounded, so we looked over and saw a smaller fire with hardly anyone near it.  As we joined the small group, we learned that we were joining some random campers who hiked up and decided to make their camp at the very spot that hundreds of runners were going to show up at early in the morning.  I'm still a little confused with their story...I use the term "campers" lightly.  These 2 had no tents, no sleeping bags.  They had an ax and a window squeegee.  

Strange.

The fire was small, but we were making it work. 

That is, until some genius tried to get too close and ended up burning his running shoes.  The smell was TERRIBLE.  I came home from the race smelling like his burnt shoes.

Eventually, it was time to line up at the start line.

The sun had finally come up.

Race start time was 7am. 

It was still a little chilly, but I knew once we started I would warm up fast.

As we took off, I was near the 2:20 pacer.

I knew there was NO WAY I'd be finishing with this pacer.  But thought I'd see how long I could keep her in my sight.  I started the race with my neighbor as well, but told her I was sure eventually I'd need to pull back and slow down.  (Which I did.)

However, the first 5-ish miles I kept a close pace with the 2:20's.

I was feeling great, little did I know how great I was actually running.

Mile 1 and 2 were a very good downhill grade.  

I rocked those miles with a 10:20 pace and then a 9:55 pace.  

Seriously, 9:55!!!  I haven't ran that fast in maybe ever!?

Mile 3 I slowed down some.  At this point we were on the trail and I knew I was starting off way to strong if I wanted to have the energy to see 13.1 miles.

The course for the first 6-7 miles was all in the canyon.  I LOVED it.  

I was nervous knowing that the course in the canyon was all on the trail, but I ended up loving it!  Plenty of room to run and not feel bottlenecked.

Honestly, it was probably one of the prettiest runs I've been on!

The temperature was perfect too!

(MUCH better than last weeks race!)

Once we left the canyon, they closed down part of the road along University Avenue.  This was a straight run for the last part of the run.  There was traffic along the side of us, but I felt the city police officers did a great job at regulating turns for the cars in between the runners.  I wasn't stopped at all.  While I thought it was great, the drivers were probably annoyed because traffic was a mess along University.  

Note to Utah residents...especially Utah County residents:  avoid University Ave  during the Provo City Half Marathon, you'll thank me later!

Much of these miles blended in.  I was really just feeling a groove and going with it.  I knew I wasn't as fast as I was in the canyon, but I was okay with it.  

Mile 9 I pulled off to use the restroom.  (At least I think it was 9) 

My stomach felt so heavy all morning.  

Unfortunately, it didn't help.

That was my slowest mile at a 13:00 pace.

After that mile, I knew I was going to set a PR.  I just didn't know how much of one.

I kept looking at my Garmin, trying to calculate how fast I could finish.

My legs were TIRED!

And my hip, OH MY HIP!  

But I didn't want to stop, I tried not to walk.

I felt like I really did the best I could possibly do.  I didn't wimp out and walk just because I was tired of running.  The only times I walked were because I really needed it!

During the last 3 miles, the 5k-ers came zipping by.  

I hated them.

They had fresh legs.  And they only had to go 3.1 total miles.

But as much as I hated them, it was an energy boost I needed!

I downed about 7 energy beans and began trying to pick up my pace.

It was hard.  And I wanted to just walk to the finish.

But I knew I would be so disappointed if I didn't leave EVERYTHING out on the course.

So on I pushed.  And ran.  And pushed.

I remember seeing the finish line and thinking it was a lot closer than it was.  

I kept thinking, "Oh!  There it is, now I can run the rest."

Nope.  Had to walk.

It felt like I could see the end, but that it was never going to end!

As I looked at my watch, I realized my time was far better than I thought it could be.

You see, last week, I BARELY finished in under 3 hours. 

And my best half was a 2:50-something from when I was pregnant with Madison.

So honestly, I wasn't sure what to expect of myself...especially after running a half the week before.

I hoped to set a PR, and I even through out the number 2:45.

But inside, deep where I don't let people in, I thought:  

"What if I saw 2:30...wouldn't that be amazing!?"

As I was coming down those last 1.5 - 2 miles I realized I could do something amazing.

I realized that if I gave it my all, I could maybe finish under 2:35.

As I thought about that, and about how hard I worked out on the course I wanted to cry.

Except I couldn't.  Because I was too excited and tired.

But I spent the last part of my race reflecting on how amazed I am at my body.

You see, I may not be at my goal weight.  And I may not even be where I hoped to be in my journey of losing this baby weight.  I may get really frustrated with the scale.  

But Saturday, I was proud!

I was proud of myself and what my body was able to do.

Never, NEVER did I dream I could finish 2 half marathons within a week of each other.

But I did.

And I finished in 2:33:42.

I was so damn proud.

And amazed.

And shocked.

I realized I am much stronger than I give myself credit for.  

And what a beautiful birthday present that was to myself!

After finishing, I couldn't help but smile.

I knew I was stronger and better than I thought I could be at this moment.

I ended my 31st year on an amazing high, and look forward to my 32nd year being the best yet!

After crossing the finish line, it was such a party. 

I've never been fast enough to be around when the party was happening.  

I soaked it all in!

So many people!  So much fun!

My cute neighbor even waited in line with me for a post-race massage!  

(For an hour an a half!!!!)

(But the massage was so gooooood!)

This race was a big moment for me.  

This race helped me see that I am usually too hard on myself.

I usually don't give myself enough credit.

And I need to be kinder to me.

That is my resolution for my 32nd year.

To allow myself to be proud, even when I'm not where I'd like to be.

Because Saturday blew my mind!  

And I can't wait for another race like this one.

My only criticism about the race:

They needed more liquids at the finish!

They only had dixie cups for us that were half full.

Please, Run13 race directors, next year splurge on the bottles of water.  Or even chocolate milk!

Will I run Provo City Half Marathon again?

DEFINITELY!  

(Race 6 out of 14 is now complete)

Tulip Festival Half

Let's start off by saying that Saturday's weather = TERRIBLE.

I woke up to the sound of rain at 5:30am.  I knew I was in trouble.  I wished at that moment (for a split second) that I would be okay being a quitter.

I wasn't.

So I dressed, made my breakfast (toast, peanut butter, with a banana sliced on top) and got ready to leave.

Only, I wanted my running gloves.  And I couldn't find them ANYWHERE.  So I opted to grab hand warmers instead.  Note to future race self:  if it's scheduled to rain, find your gloves the night before.

I left the house, only to realize I left my garmin watch at home.  UGH.  So I turned back around because no runner can run without knowing their pace....right?

I arrived at Thanksgiving Point in plenty of time.  Honestly, I loved that I lived so close to this race.  It let me sleep in a little longer than most races.  I arrived at 6:30am (start time was 7:00am).  I sat in my car for about 15 min, gaining the courage to open the door to the wind and rain.  

Here I am pre-race.  Can you tell how excited I was about Mother Nature's little trick?  I had a space blanket to wrap up in, but honestly...I wished I would have had a poncho.  Or a garbage bag.  I was really, really dumb.  By the time I got to the start line (yes, the STARTING line) I was soaked.  I knew from there that it was going to be a long few hours.

As the race started, they warned us about hypothermia.  Yes, it was that chilly and wet.  

As the gun went off, I started my music and tried to get lost in in.  The first mile I felt good.  Real good.  My legs felt great.  Actually the first 3 miles were great.  I kept a good, steady pace.  There was a little bit of a climb, but nothing too bad.

By the time we hit 4 or 5 miles in, we were in the Thanksgiving Point gardens.  This was the point of the race I was excited about.  This was actually why I opted to do this race.  I had never been to the Tulip Festival but have seen pictures and heard it was beautiful and amazing.  We were able to wind all through the gardens on our run, seeing beautiful tulips like these:

The gardens are beautiful, and on a sunny day I probably would have enjoyed them even more.

I remember passing the huge waterfalls as we were getting ready to leave the gardens.  They were so pretty...this picture does them no justice.

As we left the gardens, we entered hell the golf course.

I read some other race recaps for previous years before this race.  All of the posts I read mentioned the terrible hills along the golf course.  I thought they were over exaggerating.  I thought they couldn't be THAT BAD.  

They were.

Miles 7-9 I hated.  Like full on cursing 4 letter words under my breath (and some 5 lettered ones too).  If you don't believe me, go golf Thanksgiving Point and imagine running a half marathon up those ridiculous hills!  And then imagine doing it in the POURING RAIN!

By this point in the race, I was over it.  I was so cold.  I was soaked to the bone.  There was running water coming down the hills, forming puddles at the bottom.  Yikes.

Hey.  On the positive side, several volunteers decided that I won the wet t-shirt contest.  All I kept thinking was thank goodness I wore my black sports bra.  Yikes, that could have been embarrassing...

At one point in the race, it was raining so hard that I tried to wear my glasses just so I could keep my eyes open.  Even that didn't work, the glasses kept fogging up.

Mile 8 was probably my most mentally difficult mile.  The hills were stupid.  I hated the weather.  I could see the other runners passing back on the golf course, headed to the finish line.  Blah.

At mile 10, my phone shut off.  Completely.  I lost all music and Nike+ and Runkeeper tracking.  I was bugged.  I knew it wasn't dead.  But it had gotten so wet that it powered off.  So the last 3 miles I spent music-less, in the pouring rain.  

At mile 11 I could hear the finish line announcer.  They were congratulating and awarding prizes to the ridiculously fast runners.  I hated them.  But I kept pushing.

My last mile, I have to say I was most proud of myself.  I wanted to quit.  I wanted to walk.  But I didn't.  In fact, I kicked it into high gear and it ended up being my 2nd best split time.  I was passing people left and right.  (Okay, not left and right....but I passed probably 5 people.)  By the time I turned to go into the chute I knew I was done.  I knew a hot bath awaited me!  

As I was running that last little bit, I got a little choked up.  I can think of 2 races where I've actually gotten choked up.  But I got all teary in this one.  As I reflected how terrible the weather was it reminded me of the marathon I did before (because the weather was of equal crappiness in both races).  I was proud of myself.  I was proud that I showed up for the Tulip Half in the crummy weather (many didn't!).  I was proud that I put one foot in front of another and finished!  I knew at that moment that the long journey I have ahead to lose all this weight would be one I could do because I DO HARD THINGS!  

(I crossed the finish line in just under 3 hours...2:56:54 is what my Garmin had me at and 2:59:06 is what the race chip had me at...I stopped a few times taking pictures so I'm going with my Garmin pace.  I originally hoped to be closer to the 2:45:00 mark.  And honestly, had it not been raining....and if there weren't those nasty hills I think I would have been pretty close to that pace.)

Originally Jason was planning to bring the kids to the finish line, and my mom had always been planning to come.  I knew this race would be slow for me even in the best conditions.  My pace just hasn't gotten back to what it used to be yet.  Then, when I saw it was going to be raining, I told Jason to keep the kids at home.  There was no sense in having them soaking wet.  And I told my mom to not worry about driving down either.

Well, my mom didn't listen.  And as I got close to crossing the finish line, I saw her with her camera.  (In her heavy coat, I might add...)  Thanks Mom!  As much as I told you to stay at home warm, I really loved having you there to support me.

So if this post wasn't long enough already....here are the good and the bad from the Thanksgiving Point Tulip Half Marathon:

The BAD:  

• clearly the rain!  and the cold!
• And the hills!!
• not having a hat to keep the rain out of my face
• not having a long sleeved running shirt!  (You'll notice I had a long sleeved shirt, but it was cotton.  And it held all the water in.  All my long sleeved running shirts were too tight and I wouldn't have been comfortable running in them.  Only, I didn't realize this until late Friday night.  So I ran, looking ridiculous in my soaked...and HEAVY...shirt.)

The GOOD:

• The tulips were beautiful
• The volunteers out on the course were energetic (even the little kids that had to be no older than 8 or 9 who were soaked!)
• The oranges!!  I can't say enough about the orange slices!  They had them at several aid stations and I was in heaven!  Every race director should have oranges along the course!
• The finish line food!!!  This race knew how to make a girl happy when she's soaking wet after the race.  They had chocolate milk, bagels, bread with jam, ice cream sandwiches (LOTS of those left...HA!), and cookies.  Ohhhhh, the cookies!  I was impressed because typically when I've ran a race at a slow pace, usually they have packed up all the food (or ran out!).  I was SO impressed with how much they had available to me.  Take note again, any future race directors!  Even the slow runners need food at the end.  So thank you to the volunteers who could have easily packed up in the rain and headed home.  Thank you for waiting it out, even for the runners who came in an hour after me!  It almost makes me want to run this race again.  Almost.
• The medal:

I LOVED the medal they hung around my neck!  The tulip is so cute.  And what I loved even more:  The fact that they had different medals for the different races.  (There was a 5k and a kids run this same day.)  I've seen other races hand out the same medal to all participants.  But Thanksgiving Point made sure to have a medal just for the half-ers.  (Another tip race directors should learn from!)

All in all, I'm glad I ran this race.  (And I'm even more glad I'm done with it!)

Would I run it again?  .........despite all the good (and there was a lot of good!) I don't know that I would because of those nasty hills on the golf course.  (And the rain is still hazing my thoughts too.)  I won't ever say never, but it would take a lot for me to jump into this race again next year.

My advice to anyone who is thinking of running this race:  go golf Thanksgiving Point's golf course first so you know what lies ahead as you start this race.....

Lake Nona Pig Run

Saturday I ran the Lake Nona Pig Run.  Race 4 out of 14 is complete.  The run itself was held in Florida, but I did the virtual option.  The run was done to raise money for the fight agains childhood cancer.  Amazingly, they raised 35,000 for this cause!!!

The run was technically a 5k.  But, I turned it in to a 10 miler.  You know, because I'm crazy like that!  Normally on my long runs, I run a course where Jason drives with me to drop off a car and then takes me to my starting point.  Then I just run to the car without thinking.  This time, I did it a little different.  I found a loop to run, but while I was running it I realized the last 4-ish miles were a steady climb uphill.  

I hate stead climbs.  I would rather have a giant hill to conquer and then have the course level out.  The steady inclines feel like they are never going to end...

I originally planned to do the run in the morning, like I do all my long runs.  Only, I couldn't.  So it became an afternoon run....I HATE afternoon runs.  I feel so much better first thing in the morning.  I like it to be cooler, and mostly I just hate sitting around thinking (or dreading) my long run for the day.  I was worried I'd back out and make some excuse.  But I didn't.  

I set out slow on this run on purpose.  I was trying to follow a set pace each mile.  (I even wrote the times on my arm so I could check my pace as I was in my run.)  The first 5 miles this worked perfectly!  Each mile I was getting faster and faster just as I wanted.  Then the steady incline came and I threw my expected times out the window.  I realized I just needed to finish.  I secretly hoped to finish in under 2 hours.  (which would have been a 12min/mile pace)  I finished just over that (2:07:33).  

I am posting this picture, but just know I hate it.  I see all my flaws.  I have picked it apart up and down.  But because I'm the queen of never taking pictures of myself when I'm heavy...I'm trying to change.  I need to have something to be able to compare back to as I continue to progress.

The medal itself is so cute!  I loved the little piggy...and if I'm being honest, it's this pig bling that was the reason I signed up for the race.  

After this virtual race I was sore.  My hips ACHED.  But I took it easy afterwards and now I'm feeling 100% and ready for my half this Saturday.  (At least I was feeling ready until I saw the weather forecast....cold, and rainy.  Ugh.)

St. Paddys Race

Back on St. Patricks Day, I ran my very first virtual race.  I wasn't sure what to expect.  But I knew I needed to add some virtual races to get all my 14 races in this year.  This race was done by Fib, Fab, and Lean.  Basically, I signed up then printed my bib for race day.  

With the virtual races, typically you have a range of dates that you can complete your race in.  I had a 3 mile run scheduled for the 17th, so I opted to make that my race day and do a little more to hit the 5k.  

The route I ran was one I had run before.  It started with a long incline of a hill.  But the second half was mostly all downhill.  I wasn't pushing myself, just wanted a comfortable run.  The weather was a bit overcast (as you can see from the picture above).  But I loved the route I ran, because as I turn and come down the hill toward the end of the run I get to see a view that is incredible!  There, in the distance is Mt. Timp and Utah Lake.  Each time I run and see this view, it makes me so grateful for where I live...for what my body can do!

I finished the race in 36:57 (11:48 min/mile pace).  Definitely not my fastest 5k, but I was pleased.  You see, I'm doing this to better myself.  And by getting out there and getting it done, I'm making the progress.

After the race I was mailed this awesome bling.  Normally, they send the bling out to arrive the week you are racing.  However, they had some quality issues with the original race medals and had to have them remade.  I just received my bling last week.

All in all, I was very impressed with Fit, Fab, and Lean's race.  I will be doing another race with them the end of May (only this time it will be a 1/2 marathon).  If you are looking for a virtual race, I suggest giving them a try!  They have a virtual race every single month.  The medals are GREAT quality, the race fees all go toward a charity.  It's a great cause if you're like me and like to run for bling!

(I was in no way sponsored by Fit, Fab, and Lean for this post.  Actually, they have no idea I'm even writing it.  I paid for my race entry, and all opinions are my own.)

RAD Giveaway!

*giveaway has ended, comments no longer accepted

Just when you thought your Wednesday couldn't get any better, boy oh boy do I have some exciting news to share!

Last year, St. George held their very first Color Me Rad 5k.  I was SO excited, and anxious to sign up.  Then.  I realized it was on a Saturday morning.  And ALL of my Saturday's consisted of nursing clinicals.  Sadly, I had to watch all the social media outlets of all my friends (and strangers) participating in the race I so badly wished I could be apart of.

It was then, I decided that one day I would run that race.  And I would include my girls in it too....

(I mean look at this mom and daughter, how cute is that!?)

Alas, this day has come!

Yep.  You read right people!

Color Me Rad 5k is again coming to St. George, Utah on September 28th and I'm going to be taking a trip back down to the city I love in order to make that race my first post-baby race.  I am SO excited!

My girls are THRILLED at the idea, especially after I showed them pictures like this...

I'm a little nervous getting back into the swing of exercising again...but I need it.  I need it not only for my physical well-being, but for my emotional and mental health well-being!  Exercising makes me a happier person, a better mommy.  My body is aching to get started and I can't wait for this fun race!

From what I was told last year, the race is a TON of FUN!  Imagine color, lots of it!  I mean, seriously...just look at the pictures for yourself!

What I love most is that there will be people of every size, age, and fitness level participating.  There will be moms with strollers, friends running in groups, couples running together!  It looks like a big RAD party.

So mark it on your calendar SEPTEMBER 28th, and head over to their website to check out all the details but more importantly GET REGISTERED!  Come meet up with me and lets have a Rad Run together!  It is definitely not too late to sign up!

When you register...make sure to register under my team!  (In Progress for Good, last name Bowling)  I'm doing the 9am heat and would love to have you join me!

Want to know how your Wednesday just got a little more exciting?!  The people over at Color Me Rad 5k have offered to give TWO of my local readers an entry into this race!!!  Yep.  You read that right.  The giveaway starts today and will end on the 28th at midnight so you don't have much time.  You have a few options to enter:

First entry:  leave a comment on this blog telling us about a Color Me Rad race you ran....or if you haven't ran one, why you are excited to run in this one!

Second entry:  click the link on rafflecopter to "like" In Progress For Good's Facebook page

Third entry (and mandatory one):  click the link on rafflecopter to "like" Color Me Rad 5k on Facebook.

It's that easy!  Friday morning I'll announce our winner!  So spread the word, lets all GET REGISTERED for Color Me Rad 5k in St. George and make it a big ol' party!

While this post and giveaway was sponsored by Color Me Rad 5k, the thoughts and opinions in the post are solely mine.  
Want to learn more about the Color Me Rad races or worried about if the color is safe for young kids?  You can get all those details HERE.

13.1

The day came.  And it was full of excitement.  My stomach was in knots.  Seriously, I was in the bathroom all morning...nervous.

Why would I be nervous?  Oh.  I don't know.  Maybe because I was running 13.1 miles and had ran only ONCE since Christmas.  (Smart, right?)  But I knew I had to try.  I had a lot of people asking me what I hoped to finish in, what my goal was.  Honestly, my goal was to start.  To keep my heart rate within a safe range, and to hopefully finish.  I knew I'd be lucky to finish under 3hrs with the lack of training this last month.  (You lose endurance and speed so quickly when you stop running....)

Saturday morning there was a nervous buzz around the house.  My mom and I got up and dressed, got a bite to eat.  Before we knew it, it was time to head over to the starting line.  It was a little chilly outside (frost on the windows) but I could tell it was going to be an absolutely BEAUTIFUL day!  I was not disappointed...

As we arrived at the starting line, we met up with my sister-in-law and her twin sister.  I believe it was both of their first half marathon's too.  We stayed inside the convention center until right before race time to stay warm.  It was fun counting down the time with them!

(Emilea, Felice (my sis-in-law), my mom, me)

As we went outside, it was time to line up.  I clearly made my way to the back of the pack.  I was not expecting any sort of crazy pace.  It seems like by the time we got in line, the gun went off.  It was SO FAST.  And just like that....we were running!

I began the race with my mom.  I was planning to stay with her as long as possible.  (But in my head, I knew I would have to drop behind eventually to not over exert myself.)

We ran the first 3 miles together.  It was fun!  So fun!  I was feeling great, but I noticed on my Garmin watch that my heart rate was jumping up into the 170's and I had vowed to myself to stay under that to make sure I wasn't putting this pregnancy at risk.  I slowed, and told my mom to keep going...knowing she would do awesome.  (And she did!)

After my mom pulled a head, I teared up for a moment.  Knowing this run was different than I had originally planned.  But also at the fact that I was still able to use my body in ways I never could with a previous pregnancy.  I felt strong, and yet vulnerable at the same time.

I quickly got lost in my surroundings.  I love people watching!  So watching all the runners and the spectators, it's a magical thing during a race!

At this point in the race, I was very familiar with the route.  I had ran it many times before.  I knew just what to expect.  It was probably the most challenging part of the route (in regards to elevation) but I felt great.  I would run and run and run until my heart rate reached the maximum I was okay with.  Then I'd walk and let it drop back down.  This was the only way I knew I could run the race without pushing myself and risking anything.

Each of the aid stations were no more than 3 miles apart.  I stopped each time and guzzled lots of water, and some gatorade, hoping to prevent dehydration.

As I ran up one particular hill, I was feeling kind of blah.  I was again wishing to have been able to keep up with my mom, I was thinking about where she was on the course.  I ended up pulling out my phone during one of my walking periods.  I sent Jason a text.  Told him I had dropped behind.  He was very sweet and told me I was doing great!  To just worry about my pace, and to run at a pace that I was comfortable with.  I felt reassured.

I was 1/2 done.

As I turned onto a main road, it was a lot of fun.  (And a lot of work!)  It was the yuckiest hill of the route.  I'm not going to lie.  I walked a lot of that hill.  But during that stretch I was greeted by my cute neighbor honking and waving.  Then Jason passed by with the kids in our car, honking and waving.  It was the burst of energy I needed!

As I ran down that hill, it was mile 8 and I was running strong.  I looked at my Garmin after the race and besides those first 3 miles, mile 8 was my best.  A high 10:00 min/mile split.  It was at that point that I saw my cute kids and husband along the course.  He had pulled off and the girls had their homemade signs, cheering me on!  I ate it up!  Jason told me I was only about a minute behind my mom and sister-in-law at this point.  I felt good about that!  I said quick goodbyes and knew I'd see them next at the finish line.

The last 5 miles are done on the trail.  I had never run the trail before.  I wasn't prepared for how boring it was.  womp, womp, womp.  I tried to get lost in my music.  I tried to focus on other things.  I tried to let my mind wander.  Mostly, I just kept moving forward.  Knowing the faster I went, the faster I'd be done.

As I rounded the corner to 11 miles, I saw my dear neighbor and her family!  I teared up.  I had no idea they planned to be at that rest stop.  She gave me a hug, told me how amazing I was.  (I felt far from it at that point!)  I guzzled a bunch of water and gatorade.  I was tired.  I wanted to be done.  Seeing her gave me a push though.  It gave me the motivation to keep putting one foot in front of the other.  I remember looking at my clock at that moment and seeing 2:09 and thinking I could really finish this thing in the high 2:30's possibly!  I was excited and ready to push!

Then, the last 2.1 miles happened.  Those last 2.1 miles were hard.  Like really hard!  I'd take a step and my calves would buckle with charlie horse type cramps.  I'd have to stop and stretch them out, then start jogging again.  Rinse, and repeat!  I kept praying that they would just go away so I could finish this thing strong!  Or at least for a banana...  But each step I'd take, they'd cramp up.  Then as I'd stretch the calves, my shins would get a terrible cramp.  I'm not exaggerating when I say I was less than hopeful about finishing the race.  I could barely take a step without needing to stretch it out...

I was about 1.5 miles out and stretching against a wall when I saw someone walking back toward me.  It was my sweet neighbor.  He asked if I was ready to finish this thing....  I wanted to tell him no.  Just go tell Jason to get the car and come pick me up.  But my pride was too much to admit that I wanted to quit.  (Although, I'm sure he could probably tell...)

We started jogging slowly, I started talking to him.  Asking him how he'd done.  (You know, the guy who decided to run this race just a week prior...he, who is such a stellar runner that he only needed to run like 6 training runs before the half to finish sub-2hour...)  (Yeah, I wanted to slap him too...)  :)

I honestly don't remember much else we talked about, just that he was taking my mind off the hellish last mile!  I could see where the finish line was.  I knew it was just ahead, but my calves were doing anything they could to keep me from that finish line.  We had to stop a few times so I could stretch them out.  But as I neared the last bend I knew I wanted to finish strong.  I knew there would be no walking across the finish line.  So one last stop to stretch and I was off...as we hit mile 13, the course turns and the last 0.1 miles is a straight shot to the finish line.  Curtis told me I'd done great, and that the last tenth was mine....he then stepped off with his family who were there cheering me on.

Running through the finish line chute is exhilarating.  I was trying to focus on running...and not letting my calves give out on me...but yet trying to look through the crowd to find faces I recognized.  I heard the cheering long before I saw the faces.  As I crossed the finish line, I felt amazing.  I forgot for a moment about all the bad and hard, and just lived in the moment!

Then, I almost fell because of the spasms.  As I bent down, I saw my mom...cheering me on.  I saw the smile on her own face...and for one more second, I wished I could have seen her as she crossed her finish line.

As they gave me my medal, I felt amazing.  I had so much support from friends, family, neighbors!  My kids were thrilled.  Well.  2 of my kids were thrilled.  The other was TICKED!  Like seriously M.A.D. She was mad because I didn't register HER for the race!  She wanted to cross the finish line and receive a medal and she made sure we heard about it all afternoon!

After receiving my medal, it was kind of a blur.  I turned in my chip, realizing I had no idea what my time even was.  But it didn't matter.  I finished the whole 13.1 fricking miles while carrying another human in my belly.  I was able to cross this half marathon off my bucket list, even if my plans along the way had changed.  I finished.

But I couldn't have finished without you.  Each of you!  From your emails, comments, FB messages, texts, phone calls, letters.  I have been overwhelmed at the amount of support I've received!  I feel blessed to have such amazing people in my life...those who were cheering for me at the finish line, and those who were there in thought!

It's now been a couple days and the excitement and exhilaration is still there.  There is something addicting about a finish line.  There's something about putting in all the time and effort in training, and then crossing that line and feeling the accomplishment!  I crave it.

And that is why I know this will not be my last race!  In fact, I have lots of races I hope to run in the future....

So you might be wondering what my official time was.  I wondered to after I got home Saturday afternoon.  Finally, I looked it up.  I came in at 2:50:03.  While I surely wasn't the fastest (by a long shot), I also wasn't the slowest.  But even if I had been...I'd still have been faster than if I'd been sitting on my couch all morning!  After all, unless you are a massively professional runner, isn't it all about putting forth your best effort?  And that's what I did.  I put forth the best I had for this moment.  And I finished.

And guess what, you can too!  Maybe you've never run a day in your life.  Or maybe you run every day!  Where ever you are in your journey, you too can accomplish greatness!  You too, can cross finish lines along the way!  You too, have a cheering section, rooting you along!  You too, have the strength to become your best self!  So maybe it's a literal race you want to run...or maybe your finish line is referring to something else.  Either way, step out and let yourself be strong!

Weekend review

The weekend came and went in a flash!!!

And just like that.  It's over.

Here's the recap.

Family came down to visit.

It was great!

We celebrated Mikayla's birthday in style...

swimming and all!

My mom, my hubby, and I ran the Swiss Days 5K race on Saturday morning.

It was the first race I've ever ran with either of them!

It was fun chatting at the starting line!

As for the race.  I was hoping to finish under the 30:00 mark.

My time:  30:16.  Dang.  So close.

Guess I'll be running another sometime soon!

The rest of the weekend was FULL (jam-pack full) of family time!

Some how the kids found time to play on my iPhone...

Throw SEVERAL temper tantrums...

And lose a very first tooth....

It was a great weekend, the kids enjoyed having their grandparents down...

and now I'm beat!

Who?

Who has two thumbs, wakes up at 6:05 am, and runs a 5K on a Saturday morning?

THIS GIRL!

(me, post race...about to get rid of my awful stink in the shower...)

That's right friends.  I finished.  Not only did I finish, but I finished WITHOUT WALKING!

(Major win in my book!)

It was fun to know 3 other girls that were running it...not that I actually ran with any of them, but it was fun before and after the race to have someone there!  :)

As for how I did...I'm pretty happy with my results.  I knew I wanted to finish under the 35 minute mark.  (That's the pace the app puts me at and I wanted to be ahead...)

I finished 3.1 miles in 31:40 min/mile.  Pace of 10:10 min/mile.

(Not too shabby from the almost 16:00 min/mile I started at the beginning of July...)

Now, onto bigger and better things.  10K is my next step....

Not too late...

It's not too late, my friends!  (My local friends.)

You can still register to run THIS RACE with me on Saturday!

I'm getting excited actually.  Today, my ankle feels 100% walking around on it.  I'm going to test it out tonight with a 30 min run...