13.1

pre-race photo (brrr...it was COLD!)

pressing on...

man, it feels good to be done!

i'm always nervous that i'm going to be a has-been. that i'll be that person who says, "oh yeah, i ran a marathon...back in the day". i realized after signing up for the charleston half marathon that i haven't run a half since 2007! i was averaging about 2/year before that point, so i was oh so ready to run a half for the first time since getting married AND having a baby! it was about time!

speaking of time, i was very pleased with mine. how do you tell people your time and be very proud of it, without sounding like you are bragging about your time? i don't know. but i am very proud of my finishing time, so i will tell you that, no credit to myself (i was worn out!), God enabled my legs to run this race faster than any of my previous races, and for that i am thankful! i was able to push myself physically and prove to myself, as silly as it sounds, that i'm not a has-been after all! about 6 miles in, i was done. i could feel my body wearing down as the fatigue set in. i remember breathing an audible prayer, something like "God, i'm giving You this race". shortly after that, i ran alongside a girl who i could tell was about the same pace as me-- i had been trailing her up to that point (so maybe not exactly the same pace). i quickly decided that i needed to make a new friend! thanks, patti, for the encouragement-- it was nice to meet you! i also credit my sweet sweet husband who, not only got up super-early on a saturday morning in the freezing cold to be my ride, my biggest fan, and my personal photographer, but who also drove to various points along the race course to cheer me on! brian, you are the best! it was such a joy to see his smiling, encouraging face during the race!

this post is a bit discombobulated. but one more thing. at the end of every race, each runner is given a medallion for that particular race. i have these all in boxes in our attic from previous races, not wanting to throw away the memories, but at the same time thinking it's a bit silly to save them all. well, i decided to write my finishing times on the back of each, take off the ribbon, and create christmas ornaments. voila! a keepsake that serves a practical purpose-- i'm all about that!