So I ran my very first half marathon last weekend in Busse Woods in Elk Grove and Schaumburg. I think it was fitting that my first official race took place on the same trails my father used to train on all those years ago. In fact, he trained there for the Boston Marathon one winter, a race he would never get to run because he broke his ankle on a patch of ice. I thought a lot about my Dad while running that race (and a lot of other things since it takes me a LONG freaking time to run 13.1 miles...) Here is a small list of things I pondered during the 2 hours 14 minutes, and 38 seconds it took me to run my first race:
1. I couldn't BELIEVE the number of people that ran barefoot! Completely bare!! Never mind that it was 40 degrees outside - how about the insane amount of GOOSE POOP that littered the path! Eeeeeeeeeewwwwwww! This did nothing to help my fear of feet.
2. I was beaten (handily, mind you) by the following: an elderly couple (in their 70's I'm guessing), numerous children (probably Katy's age), all the barefoot runners, and a man in a full turkey suit. The race had some out and back parts so at the 10 mile mark you could see a bunch of people veering off to finish. That meant all those people passed me at least 3 miles ahead of me in the race. I took a little hit to my ego for sure with that turkey guy...
3. I was surprised at how much I enjoyed myself during the race. I was never tired, never bored, and just really stinking proud of how much my training had paid off. It was the first time in a long time I felt a sense of singular accomplishment. I started out all those months ago not even able to run a mile well. I ran through wind, rain, heat, and snow for the last 11 months and never missed a run. I haven't been this committed to something in years. While I ran I thought about all the solo training runs I did, sorting through life's problems along the way. I thought about all the runs I did with friends, and how those runs have cemented new friendships and allowed me to get to know 3 ladies so much better. I thought about how much healthier I feel and how I'm seeing muscles on myself that I never knew existed. And I thought about how much better I feel mentally. I can get pretty stressed out, but this year my stress levels have reached an all time low. I could attribute that to other things as well, but running sure helps your mental state to be sure.
4. Finally, I thought about the fact that in just over 5 months, I am supposed to double the distance and run the Wisconsin Marathon. As I crossed the finish line, one of my first thoughts was "I'll never be able to do it." I wasn't completely spent, but the thought of running another 13.1 miles was enough to make me cry. But as the day wore on and the excitement of the race settled in, I went back to last January when I could barely run down my street. I have 5 months to train for this. I have huge support from my family and friends. My father is giddy with excitement (and he doesn't get giddy). It won't be fast, and it won't be pretty, and it's going to take a lot of ibuprofen - but I can do this. I can do this. I will do this...
No comments:
Post a Comment