Halloween provided a beautiful day to run 13.1 miles and squish my cute nephew's face and fill my stomach with Reese's peanut butter cup miniatures for the remainder of the night! Alternate statement: using photos of my cute nephew Blaine to lure you into reading about my (second!) half marathon! Trick
Running gave me back structure to my days. I was able to appreciate the last bit of nice weather and explore my new neighborhood while on the run! Sometimes Coby would call and we'd catch up as I panted my thoughts through the phone. Treadmill runs (when I got home too late or wanted to finish a long run out of the heat) proved to be equally enjoyable, seeing as Legally Blonde was somehow on EVERY TIME. If I didn't have the movie memorized before, I sure do now! Other stand out moments of training include one, discovering a squished and dried snake (not sure why this was so exciting to me, reminiscent of Arizona maybe?). Two, running past a little girls backyard birthday party since rained out - pink balloons, bounce house and all with cowboy grandpa on the front steps assessing the situation (admiring humans from afar!). And three, awkwardly running and/or high kneeing away from a baby deer because I still haven't recovered from hitting one last summer (but the deer hit me?!).
Race day finally came and luckily I knew a little more of what to expect from last year. I ate my oatmeal and eggs on the bus up the canyon, huddled around a fire with the other "tin foil dinner" runners, and gagged a bunch in the porta potty. Last year I obviously didn't learn NOT to wait to relieve myself... The race itself went by pretty quick. It was a party! My playlist of throwback junior high rap kept me feelin' fast. I still haven't quite figured out pacing, but considering I started training only a month prior I felt pretty good. I stayed with two girls for the first half of the race but didn't find anyone else right at my pace after I broke free. I walked up the last hill, which I was kicking myself for, but then we got stopped at a light? So I guess in the end it was an okay endurance move by me. I was initially happy with my time of 2:05ish, but soon found myself walking around the expo feeling down and wishing I had been faster. But then I noticed the last of the competitors finishing and decided to go to the finish line and cheer them on. Tears, tears you guys! I completely lost it. While most of the other runners and their families had gone home, here were these absolutely incredible people crushing it! We are all athletes, and we all have strong bodies, and we all can do anything! Anything! Maybe even a full marathon? Never say never...
All of that said, it was pure joy spending the rest of Halloween watching Blaine have, what I believe to be, the best night of his lil' puppy dog life. He ran full speed, arms behind his back, head wobbling from house to house. (And I was able to stretch my legs on the neighborhood route {as a cowgirl, if that out of focus picture up there left you wondering})! A most successful Halloween, indeed.
Race day finally came and luckily I knew a little more of what to expect from last year. I ate my oatmeal and eggs on the bus up the canyon, huddled around a fire with the other "tin foil dinner" runners, and gagged a bunch in the porta potty. Last year I obviously didn't learn NOT to wait to relieve myself... The race itself went by pretty quick. It was a party! My playlist of throwback junior high rap kept me feelin' fast. I still haven't quite figured out pacing, but considering I started training only a month prior I felt pretty good. I stayed with two girls for the first half of the race but didn't find anyone else right at my pace after I broke free. I walked up the last hill, which I was kicking myself for, but then we got stopped at a light? So I guess in the end it was an okay endurance move by me. I was initially happy with my time of 2:05ish, but soon found myself walking around the expo feeling down and wishing I had been faster. But then I noticed the last of the competitors finishing and decided to go to the finish line and cheer them on. Tears, tears you guys! I completely lost it. While most of the other runners and their families had gone home, here were these absolutely incredible people crushing it! We are all athletes, and we all have strong bodies, and we all can do anything! Anything! Maybe even a full marathon? Never say never...
All of that said, it was pure joy spending the rest of Halloween watching Blaine have, what I believe to be, the best night of his lil' puppy dog life. He ran full speed, arms behind his back, head wobbling from house to house. (And I was able to stretch my legs on the neighborhood route {as a cowgirl, if that out of focus picture up there left you wondering})! A most successful Halloween, indeed.
No comments :
Post a Comment