You see the Snapchats before, and you see the victory pics after, but what you don't see is the weeks of training and the two to three hours of shoes meeting pavement. For first timers, like yours truly, we dream and fixate on what the experience will be like and almost go crazy with anxiety because we just want to get through it without social embarrassment or passing out. Luckily, none of those things happened, but I did have a few key thoughts I wanted to share with you guys.
Mile 1: Wow it’s not as intimidating as I thought…
No lie, the week leading up to the race, I was a wreck slightly because I had a stomach virus for three days and because I realized I had no clue what was going on. So many thoughts were steamrolling through my head. Where is my corral again? What if I’m the slowest one? How many water stations will there be? What if I have to go to the bathroom RIGHT THEN and the next one isn’t for a mile? Luckily the majority of these questions were answered by the emails I received from the race website and a quick look at a map.
Mile 2: OK, I got this.
By the second mile, the butterflies are passing away and it’s sinking in that you are doing this. I always love the second mile because by now my body is fully awake, and I get to take in everything that is happening around me.
Mile 3: So glad I started running four months ago.
Yeah, that might be a little long for just a half, but follow me here. I will admit I am not the best about diligently keeping a workout/running schedule; so I allotted myself time for this shindig, and thank goodness. In between getting sick (thanks, cold and flu season) and being in 19 hours this semester, some weeks my shoes were left cold in the closet. I knew I could push out three miles to begin with but without training, even my sporadic kind, I would have been walking the next 10 miles.
Mile 4: Why did I bring so much stuff?!
So back to the anxious control freak thing. I definitely brought a little too much baggage to this race; a rookie mistake I could have avoided by listening to people, but hey, experience is the best teacher. As I said before, I had been sick the days leading up to the race so every little pocket was crammed with Kleenex. I had my shirt and my jacket that I definitely didn’t need, and then carried my sunglasses, phone, more Kleenex, and chapstick. That may not seem like a lot but after 13 miles all that felt like I was running with rocks tied to my waist. Truthfully, I could have just thrown the jacket on the sidewalk but it’s Arctyrex and it’s my favorite, so I suffered.
Mile 5: I should have invested in a better pair of headphones.
You know, classic iPhone headphones are great and all, but they aren’t that comfortable for running that long. Constantly readjusting and slipping became very annoying and made me rethink how much I'm willing to spend on the next pair.
Mile 6: Spectators are awesome and the signs make the race worth it.
I’m not even lying when I say this. Every time I would want to take a break I would see another group of people cheering us on and it would keep me going. For some reason, every group of people just added to the fuel and kept me in really good spirits. I had some of the most fun I’ve ever had running this race and it was all because of the people cheering on strangers. There were people with huge clappers; there were people with their dogs. My favorites were the people dressed up as bananas on Gorilla Hill and the people handing out popsicle sticks by Heritage Hills; y’all were awesome.
Mile 7: So so happy I’m running this with a friend!
Thank the Lord I ran with my friend Katrina! She helped me keep pace and when we felt one another slacking, we encouraged one another to keep it up. Plus, it’s always more fun when you accomplish something like this with another person; it makes for cuter pictures at the finish line!
Mile 8: Man we are so close, let’s keep going!
I like to call this mentality the false fanatic. It’s when you get that mid-run burst, and you are excited to have been running like you have been. You feel like you can step it up and keep pounding toward the finish line with no qualms. But honey, you have another five miles to go…
Mile 9: I think my knees fell off...
Yep, you just came down from that little pick-me-up you just had, and it sucks. This is when I started feeling the pressure in my knees, and I had to let up a little bit. Mile 9 and 10 were probably the worst part of the race, but it was totally worth it.
Mile 10: Literally focus on anything but your body.
Like I said, I was hurting, like really, really hurting, but I just focused on anything besides the burning in my legs. This gave me time to contemplate some things, and it even got a little emotional. Since I was forcing my mind elsewhere, I realized I was three miles away from finishing a life goal of mine. I got to think about the impact the Murray bombing had on my city and how some of the people I was running beside had lived through it and lost loved ones. I was running beside firefighters and marines that had all their gear on, and they were running in remembrance; it was very moving and very inspiring.
Mile 11: Two miles has never felt so long.
The energy definitely started picking up with everyone, and it was more challenging due to the wind, but realizing you were just two miles away made you want to scream!
Mile 12: Sprint, sprint, sprint.
The road is so familiar because I realize I am a mile away from the finish line and it was like I got a shot of Red Bull. You want it over with, you want to see the banner, you want to see your friends and family and you want to see some ice bags on your knees. The only frustrating thing was knowing I could sprint faster if I could actually feel my knees.
Mile 13: This just happened.
Take it in, take it all in. Sprinting the last distance made me really thankful for the ability I have and made me more confident than any dress or makeup could. During the race I was passed by people who I thought wouldn’t be able to, and I passed people that definitely looked more in shape than I. The entire time I realized we weren’t racing against one another; you are just racing yourself. You are pushing your body because you know you are capable of more. That’s why I started running, and that’s why marathons are so addicting; because you want to go harder and go longer than you have before. I decided to run my first half-marathon, the first of many, hopefully, because I could and I want to run while I still can.
