I survived my very first half-marathon!!
I've always had this admiration for moms who stay in shape by running and manage to run in races every other month. I just didn't know how they had the time OR energy to do such a thing!! Now that's me. Getting up at 5:15am three days a week and putting in 3 miles, then doing a long run (8, 10, 13 miles) on Saturday. I really got to the point that I looked forward those Saturday runs. And 8 miles seemed like cake!
Back in November when I ran the Turkey Waddle 5K, my intentions were to bump it up a notch and do the 10K at London's Run. My running partner, Jennie, convinced me that I could do more than that and before I knew it, I was registering for a HALF MARATHON!!!! Seriously, a mere 6 months prior, I clearly recall having a phone conversation with a good friend in which I stated my lack of desire to ever do such a thing. Who gets enjoyment out of running for 2+ hours????!
I've surprised myself, for sure. If anyone told me I would ever do a half-marathon, I would've laughed in their faces!!! And I definitely could NOT have done it on my own. Thanks to a partner who was there by my side to encourage and push me when it was cold outside and I was sure I couldn't go another step.
Going into the race, I didn't really want to set any lofty time goals for myself, I just wanted to complete the thing still standing and RUN the entire way. For grins and giggles, I settled on hoping to finish under 2 hours and 30 minutes.
It was exhilarating and exhausting all at the same time. I ended up running by myself the entire way, just my beepy (metronome) keeping me going. I never felt like I just couldn't go any further (thanks to my Clif Shot Bloks), but I just didn't have it in me to push any harder, especially through those last 2 miles. I felt like I kept a good even pace. I was SO happy to see the finish line and even managed to keep my composure!! Such a good experience!
★ London's Run 2011 ★
Jennie Ricks, Mindi Larson, me before the race
The start line was INSANE!!! Look at all those people!!!You can see me throwing up my I ♥ U hands.
The end is in sight! Comin' in the home stretch....
DONE!!!
Official time -- 2:23:05
Sweet kids ~ my cheerleaders!!
Matt did the balloons.
I love this guy. He's been so supportive and encouraging of my running! ♥
Walkin' it off after the run, waiting for Mindi to finish
We DID it!!!!
Several people have asked me if I'll do it again..... At this point, I don't know. This was a HUGE accomplishment for me. It takes a lot out of you; tons of dedication and training. I'm still going to keep up the running and we'll see where I go from here. I don't even know how many miles I've put on my running shoes since October, but it feels so dang good! Wooooooo!
Official time -- 2:23:05
Sweet kids ~ my cheerleaders!!Matt did the balloons.
I love this guy. He's been so supportive and encouraging of my running! ♥
Walkin' it off after the run, waiting for Mindi to finish
We DID it!!!!
5 comments:
Good job Lindsay! That is a BIG deal. And I LOVE the "Go Mom" balloons. Your blog is so fun to read!
It's been great to watch Lindsay run. I am always excited to see her coming up on the finish line. I'm very proud of her.
Congrats! I'm so glad that is was a good experience for you! You look great by the way. Moms like you are such an inspiration, 4 kids and running a half marathon- awesome! And thank goodness for great running partners!
Yes, the long races take tons of time and training that's why I like mixing it up with 5K's/10K's here and there. Also, now that you are sick of all my running advice, join dailymile.com! It will keep track of all those miles you're putting on your running shoes.
And PS- Aren't supportive husbands the best!
This really is awesome. I put a half marathon on my to-do list, but lately I've been having IT band pain and can't run more than about 3 miles before it kills me. It's also really difficult to find time to run with my husband's crazy schedule, but I'm still set on running a half marathon someday!
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