Half Marathon

A few months ago I had the crazy idea of running a half marathon. It all started when I attended a TEAM PAWS event with my dog walker/friend Katie and was inspired by all of the fellow TEAM PAWS members that were a part of the team, racing for such a great cause. I had this tickle in my heart, saying...do it... come on... sign up. So, sure enough, I did it. I signed up, knowing whole heartily when I left the event that I needed to raise $500 for PAWS Chicago, I was committed to running the race and I was a member of the PAWS pact. I felt nervous and excited knowing this would be the hardest thing I have ever done.

I will admit, I'm not a runner. My sister was the star athlete. She played soccer in college, helped coach her college soccer team and is now a high school coach. I was the girly girl that was in a sorority. I ran, A mile and boy I was winded! I knew I had a lot of work to do to train for this race.

So I bought a pair of Brooks running shoes, followed Hal Higdon's half marathon training program and ran my butt off. What a mental game running is!! I came a long way from the first few miles where I kept thinking, "I'm tired", "I can't do this", "Should I walk"? to actually getting in shape to run consistent miles each day. While training, I found this article hysterical and so true: 75 Thoughts Ever Jogger Has While Running. I eventually made it to 8 miles! I was literally jumping up and down telling my husband when this day came. My sister joined me on a long run and of course was able to easily run 7 miles without training. I begged her to join me for the Rock and Roll and she signed up so we were able to run Rock and Roll together! We had a blast. It was tough, that is for sure. But such a rewarding feeling in the end.

I learned a few things throughout the process:
I can run a whole lot more than I thought I could.
Running hurts but feels so great in the end.
Running makes me happy.
Running is 85% mental. I gained such mental strength throughout the process.
Training takes time. But commitment is key to success.
My family was my number one supporters (already knew) but affirmed.
My sister is my rock and best friend. She made sure I didn't let my nerves get the best of me. Although she could have ran faster, she never left my side. She got me through the race. We even held hands at the finish line.
I am lucky to be able to run. I am fortunate to be healthy. I am strong.