Ten months and one day ago, I had the scariest, most unexpected experience happen to me: my son was born 2.5 months early due to internal bleeding from my uterus. I was in the hospital for a week, having to recover from multiple blood transfusions and the emergency c-section. I was in pain for six weeks. After my recovery, I was so busy caring for my two precious children under the age of two (one of whom was quarantined to the house, since he was a preemie), we reluctantly decided to cancel our gym membership that was only being put to sporadic use.
But anyone who knows me also knows that I'm not one to just sit still. And I'm also not one who is motivated to work out just "because." And so, in December, I (slowly) ran a short little 5K in the Smokies with some friends. Easy-peasy.
But what's 3.1 miles when I've run too many half marathons to count, as well as two fulls? I needed even more of a challenge.
And so I signed up for the Country Music Half Marathon. I didn't really have much expectation for it - I really only "train" when I can. My goal was to simply finish, and to do so faster than last year's five-months-pregnant time of 3:15 or so.
All week long I was keeping tabs on the weather. The rain was making me second-guess myself. Maybe I shouldn't run, after all. Lissie and Justin won't really want to be watching me in the rain, anyway, so why bother having them wake up early to take me? It's not like I trained anyway.
Justin, in good supportive husband fashion, encouraged me to just do it. And do it I did. We woke up early, had my banana and toast, poked holes in a couple of garbage bags - one for me, one for Lissie - and were on our merry, cold, rainy way.
We were early, so we popped into Panera to stay dry, warm, and let Lissie carb up.
I got to my corall just in time for a moment of silence for Boston.
Lissie had fun in her umbrella and makeshift raincoat.
She even ran up to me to give me a good luck kiss just before takeoff.
It was cold and rainy the ENTIRE time. And, to be honest, I'm pretty sure that's the reason I ran it so well. I zoned everyone out and just ran. Since I've stopped tracking my times, I didn't wear my trusty Garmin, nor did I even pay attention to what the clock said when I crossed the start line. So I.Just.Ran. I didn't even notice the first few mile markers had passed, and when I reached the 5K mark, I was convinced that they had placed it in the wrong spot because I felt like I was running it fast. And then 10K came....and then 10 Miles. And I still felt good. No stopping. No walking. No needing to take a bathroom break. I just ran. And then, just like that, it was done.
I thought that I may have beaten my personal record, made back in 2007 - pre-marriage, pre-kids - but had no idea since I didn't track my time. All I knew, was that Justin and Lissie were going to pick me up at 11am (I estimated being finished around 10:30 but not out of the stadium until 11) and it wasn't even 10 yet!
Finally, we made it home to shower before a celebratory lunch at none other than Five Guys (which was reminiscent to my celebratory meal post-Marine Corps Marathon in 2006). I just checked the live results a few minutes ago, and yes, indeed, I beat my record, having completed my seventh (eighth?) half marathon in a whopping two hours and sixteen minutes!
I've already got my next half in the books - the Women's Half Marathon in September - but now, I'm sort of thinking that perhaps next year, I'll have to try my hand at another full.....
Who's with me?
No comments:
Post a Comment