Ok so I guess I'll start with my HALF MARATHON! The weekend was great. After fourteen long weeks of training, I flew to Chicago only to run 13.1 miles in the next two days. The weekend was beyond blissful. I had the ability to spend the weekend with one of my best friends from school! It was amazing. I hadn't seen her since September, right before I moved to New York. She picked me up from the airport and that evening Ang and her sister Ashley and I went to an IU (sad face) bar. Great food. Good beer. Memorable laughter!
Friday I spent the day roaming the city of Chicago. At first I was a little closed off to the fact that I could possibly start liking another city. However, as the day went on with a little retail therapy and a lovely visit to another great friend from school, I actually started to really open up to Chicago.
Saturday was race day! I was BEYOND excited to spend the day with all the people that I love. I was running the race because one of my friends from home asked me to run it with her back in December. I remember thinking at that time how crazy the thought of running 13.1 miles actually is but I knew that it was a goal of mine to run a race before I turn 25. I turned 24 in April, of this year, and had no choice but to run the race. I was so excited to get involved in the chaos that is training for a race. I researched and planned and organized my training program. I trained with 3 days of running (to rest the knees in between) and 2 days of cardio /cross training. I originally trained with the notion that I would do spin (the bike on my own-no actual spin class ) or the elliptical. However, it started to become boring and redundant and I looked for ways to avoid actually getting my cross training in. Then started training in the pool combined with yoga on the weekends and that seemed to be it. The missing piece to the puzzle. I would run on Tuesday, Thursday, and Saturday/Sunday and then do candlelight yoga on Sunday nights after church. I've written before about how important it is for me to have a routine for myself and this just proves it even more. At the PEAK moment of my training I was running no less than 6 or 7 miles (granted, this is ALOT for me) and going to candlelight yoga on Sunday nights. And yes, my arms were KILLER!!!
However, this was race day!!!! I had been training for 14 weeks and couldn't wait to get this race over. Running had become so much a part of who I was at the time that I it was consuming me and my relationships that I was building with people. I knew that I had to do this but so much of myself wanted to just throw in the towel. I had to stick it through. I was here. I was ready. I had trained as much as I could. I fought through. Here I go.
My parents drove up to Chicago to come see me race (because lets face it, if they weren't there, I probably would have killed them). But anyways, the race started at 7:00am. Now PLEASE keep in mind, I have NEVER run a race before, nor have my parents ever attended a race, but I was so excited to have them there, fight through the crowds, and cheer me on. Heather and I ran the race and man, I have to say, that besides moving to NY with nothing, it was one of the hardest things I've ever done. The heat index was close to 90 degrees. So high that one runner passed out and was hospitalized due to heat stroke. They had to cancel the race, but in the end Heather and I finished, and not only did we finish but we did it in 3 HOURS!!!!!!!! My goal for the entire race was to run it in 2:30; so to complete the race in 3 hours, I was BEYOND (I know I'm repeating the adj. ) excited!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
I was soooo proud of myself. There were so many moments where I wanted to give up. Whether it was the training or the actual race, the entire thing was one of the hardest things I have EVER done. I was not only training for 14 weeks but I trained by myself, in a city completely different from my best friend.
Overall the race was one of the most exhilarating experiences that I have ever had the chance to experience. I overcame a goal of mine and there is nothing better than accomplishing one of my dreams. Seeing the look on my parent's faces as I finished the race and SPRINTED through the finish line....absolutely priceless.
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| Maybe one of the WORST pictures in my life, but I couldn't be more PROUD of myself. |
For now....
Blairbear
