Chilly 1/2 Marathon

Last November I ran my 3rd 5K on Thanksgiving Day of 2009. I decided at that point I needed a new goal; I needed to do something more than a 5K. My friend Kelly and I, have been our weight loss/healthier life style journey together, she decided she wanted to do a 1/2 Marathon and I decided to start training for a triathlon. Kelly was doing crazy runs, she would be running 6 and 8 mile runs and I thought she was crazy. I was sticking with running 3 miles and I was fine with that. Five months ago Kelly ran her 1/2 Marathon and I was SO proud of her, I could not believe she had completed such a task. The next day my friend Gloria got this bright idea that we should run a 1/2 marathon as well. I was not feeling excited about this idea at all! She somehow talked me into signing up for a 1/2 marathon that day 5 months away. Kelly had a 20 week training program that she said I could do. I reluctantly signed up and got sick instantly afterward; I doubted myself a lot and my ability to actually run 13.1 miles. I knew this was a huge commitment because if I didn't follow the training schedule I didn't think I could run the race. The training schedule was pretty intense, it had me running 4-5 days a week. Not to mention I was still training for my triathlon at the time.
Flash forward 5 months and I can honestly say I have been "running like a mother." I was lucky enough to train with my pals, Nicole and Kelly as well as my Tuesday night running group. There were some runs I ran by myself and was amazed that one person could run 10 miles by themselves. I really love running with friends, it is great to talk and catch up, it makes the time go by quickly. I will say training for a 1/2 Marathon takes a lot of time and dedication.
(side note: Along the way Gloria (who got me to sign up for the race) decides she hates running and so I made Kelly run the race with me)

Here we are on race day. Kelly and I at 6 a.m. ready to run.

The name of the Marathon was the Chilly 1/2 Marathon and it benefits the American Liver Foundation. I was getting really nervous it was gonna be freezing the day of the race, as it usually is mid November. But the weather Gods were so good to me and it was a good 40 degrees during the race. Don't get me wrong, it was cold and I couldn't feel my toes for the first 3 miles, but it could have been SOOO much colder.

Here we are at the end of the race. I was so happy to see my little family and wonderful friends. I was trying to get Berke's attention in this picture but he was too fascinated by his sticks to cheer his mom on.

HOLY CRAP!!! I FINISHED in 2 hours 18 minutes and 50 seconds. My goal was to finish is 2 1/2 hours, so I met that goal with no problem. The race was great, there were a few hills, one steep hill and some crazy running through traffic. The course was beautiful through the neighborhoods of Newton (nice big beautiful homes) by Boston College Campus. Kelly was a FABULOUS running partner. We just kept giving each other pounds and cheers every time we made it up a hill or made it past another mile marker. We seriously had smiles on our faces the entire race, it was so awesome. The race day adrenaline was huge for me on race day, I was able to shave off 30 seconds of each mile we ran.

I am happy to report I ran the entire race. I stopped only to eat twice for about 30-45 seconds. We ate at 6 miles and again at 10 1/2. I was starting to get pooped at 10 1/2 miles and that chocolate GU really gave me that extra ump that I needed. At mile 12 I started tearing up, I just could NOT believe that I was doing this, that I was actually able and capable of running 13.1 miles in this body of mine. I had made so many excuses for so many years about how I didn't have a runners body which seemed like a good excuse at the time. Hear me out people, ANYTHING is possible that you put your mind to. I never EVER thought I would do something like this.

Here we are with our medals. Wahoo, we did it!

Oh how I love my sweet family; they support me every step of the way. Best cheering section EVER!

My sweet friends were there at the finish line as well. Gloria and Stef are NOT morning people, yet they woke up early to support me and Kel. I cannot say enough wonderful things about the fabulous friends I have. My friend Tracie also came out to cheer me on, she surprised me at mile 6 1/2 and 9; I was not expecting her at all and it was such a great pick me up.

People keep asking me if a Marathon is next and the answer is......not anytime in the near future. The 1/2 was a huge time commitment and it took a lot more time than I wanted away from my family; at this time in my life I just don't have the time to put into training for a full. I am gonna take the winter to do some toning, classes and just enjoy different workouts. I am really ready for a break from running day in and day out; however I don't think I will be able to go with out running.
A huge thanks to everyone who supported me on this journey, weather through cheering me on, running with me, sending me texts, facebook messages, e-mails, etc. I really appreciate everyone supporting me so much.

A day after the marathon and all I can say is my body has never felt so sore. Ouch!