I did it!!!

I finished a 1/2 Marathon!!....barely :o)

I don't really have pics to share because we didn't bring our camera. Figured it would be a pain to try to carry with us for a full 13 miles. We were right.

So the morning was pretty cold. The race started at 7am and was down at the VA Beach ocean front. We jumped out of bed at about 5:30 and through on our clothing. I got a brush through my hair and across my teeth and off we went.

There was a surprising amount of people on the road for 6am on a Saturday morning until we realized they were all going the same place we were.

There were 6030 people in the race, or at least that finished. There was a full marathon going on at the same time. It was pretty crazy.

D went up to his corral. He's way faster than me, and I hung back in mine. He kept asking me if I wanted him to run me. I just wanted to put my ipod in and go at my own pace, I knew it was the only way I was going to finish. And he had a goal of finishing it in 2 hours, which he missed by only 9 minutes. Pretty awesome I would say since we haven't been training all that much!

The race was actually along a really beautiful area. I stayed with the same pack of people for most of the race. It's fun to see all the different t-shirt's that people wear, and costumes since the Shamrock race. One girl had on a shirt that's back read "I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me" Every time she passed me I would repeat it in my head. :o) I loved her shirt!!

There were a ton of water and Gatorade stops. And even a beer stop or 2... CRAZY. Who wants beer when they are running 13 miles? Apparently lots of people...not me!

At about mile 4 I was thinking I was going to be hard pressed to finish.

At mile 7 I was pretty excited because I had gone farther than ever and I didn't feel too badly.

By mile 10 I was over it...lol partly because I thought I had already passed mile marker 10 and was bummed to think I had that much farther to go.

It came down to the last blocks on the board walk. The sun was shining there were a ton of people and the end was literally in sight. My legs were SCREAMING at me and my heart was pounding.

I had about 6 blocks to go when I kind of pooped out and started walking. I had actually run most of the way. A young lady that had been in my 'pack' came past me, and said "Come on momma lets go, don't stop now!" So I paced with her to the end. We came within yards of the end... I saw D's face just over the line... I pushed the last couple of feet with oomph then collapsed into his arms in tears.

I did it! I did it! A whole friggin half marathon!!! In just over 3 hours. Yep I am slow, but I finished!!

I came home and felt like someone had drained every last piece of energy from my body. :o)

It's something I never thought I would or could do. I would love to do another, but this time I will sure train better! :o) There's a half near my 4oth birthday... maybe I will do that one.