I had Kennedy in June of 2015 and we moved to Alabama in August. In one of our first weeks in the ward a family had us over for dinner and we got talking about running. Initially I was asked if I wanted to try to train for a half that October and I thought no way. (A couple times I thought that maybe I could do it, but I'm glad I said no. I was not ready at all.) But we found one in March, and because southern Alabama doesn't get cold and icy during the winter I would be able to train all the way up to the race. So I began!
I was already pushing Kennedy in her stroller on little runs, but I don't think I was running more than a couple miles at this point. But man, it was so fun! We woke up and once it was warm enough (usually about 9 am) we headed out together. I loved exploring our new little place. Initially I always turned right every time we ran, because that was the direction I knew. But one day I went left, and I'm so glad I did! If you turn right you had to cross the street all the time to stay on the sidewalk, but on the left it continued for miles! Also it led to the Montrose area of Daphne which was so beautiful. Trees hung over the streets and the homes were beautiful. I think back to that long road often.
Some days you know you need to run but have absolutely zero desire to. But you force yourself to, and then strangely and magically you find yourself going further than ever. (This has happened to me over and over. I force myself to just go a block, but then after that I see a turn I've never taken and just like that curiosity forces me to keep going.)
On Saturdays I met with a couple ladies in the ward (Natalie, Titi, Megan, Jennifer) at 5 am and ran our long distances. We started at the library a mile from my house. (which was awesome. I loved not having to drive far--especially since I had to wake up earlier to nurse Kennedy one more time before heading out.) Our first week we ran 5 miles together and I felt so tough. We kept increasing the distance to 7..to 8..to 9... AND THEN WE RAN TEN MILES! I had done a 15K once so I had gone 9.3 but I was so proud the day we went 10.
It was just Titi and me that day. We parked our cars at the Grand Hotel in Fairhope, drove to my home, and then ran the ten miles to the car. s At the very end I broke off and ran as fast as I could and man. It was just so fun. I loved it. (I had been using the Nike running app and found that my last mile time was 8:11 or something crazy like that. Whaaaa?! i was so proud.) The road to the hotel is awesome. You run through Montrose, up and down some hills and over bridges, past downtown and all the shops, directly above the beach for a mile or so, and then finish up past the well manicured homes. It was the best run ever.
(Then Derek and I loaded up Kennedy, drove to the airport to get Jessica, and then drove 8 hours to Orlando for HARRY POTTER WORLD!!!!! so much fun. OH my heavens so good. I was stiff though, that's for sure. That trip still needs a blog post. Because for real. So good.)
The day I ran 12 miles was great except it was so dark when we started that I tripped on a bump in the sidewalk on our first mile. I had a huge cut on my knee and it hurt the whole time. But, I still did it and finished up by gutting it out to the Narnia battle song. Not a bad day.
The week of the race came and one of my feet was starting to hurt a little bit. Oh shoot, I thought. Just in time. I remember being really stressed about it and I was reading in an older journal right before my 15K and THE EXACT SAME THING WAS GOING ON THEN TOO! I had prayed really hard back then and the race had gone smoothly so I hoped that if I prayed the same way it would be ok again. (And it was.) But that was a tender mercy to have stumbled on that journal entry right before the race.
When I have a long run or a race ahead of me I'm always mega worried about my digestive system. Am I gonna have to go during the race?? (They didn't have any porta potties so THANK HEAVENS I DIDN'T!!) I'm always trying to figure out what to eat and get the timing just perfectly. Seriously it's one of the hardest and most stressful things about a race for me. Apparently it's important to other people too, because the line for the bathroom before the race was about a million people long.
The morning of the race we all met at Jennifer's house and she drove us out. It was kind of a scary ride! We all knew what we had to do and we were all worried for different reasons. My concerns: 1) making sure I was worry free during the race as far as bathrooms were concerned 2) hoping Kennedy would be ok without me. Up to this point I hadn't been away from her for more than a couple hours 3) I was still nursing Kennedy and didn't know how uncomfortable I'd be waiting so long to nurse her.. Right as we arrived at the check in location (we were the first ones there. None of us knew how early to come so we were so early!), my milk came in. Awe. Some. I was nice and full for the race and sooooo ready to nurse my girl by the end of those 13 miles!!! The other ladies had other concerns. A couple of them had stake meetings later that afternoon they hoped they could be there for. One of them was worried she hadn't trained enough. Another's period had just started that morning. Perfect timing all around. But we started talking about what kind of music motivates us most and that helped to get us excited again.
The race enviroment was so funny. It was hippie themed. So people were dressed like hippies, and there was funky music, and it was just so funny.
We warmed up some got in line, and it was time. One of my weird things about running is I have to have my shoes tied PERFECTLY. I stop a few times a run to get them so there isn't any uneven pressure anywhere on my foot. It's this weird thing, but totally real for me. So during the welcome speeches I kept fiddling with my shoe, over and over. Then it was time!
I ran, and ran, and ran, and ran. This part is kind of boring.
Just kidding. I started off pretty fast, trying to pass people and trying not to trip--it was so crowded! You have to be so careful not to fall!
You kind of start to settle into your place though. You find that you're in a group of the same six people just jumping back and forth past each other. Every once in a while someone will really slow down, or really speed up, but beyond that you're with the same little group for the whole race. I had fun trying to keep up with a girl for a couple miles and we chatted a bit about how we hope to finish the race. Eventually she passed me and stayed ahead for several miles. (Finally during the last couple miles I passed her and stayed ahead until the finish line. That always feels good.)
During mile 7 we ran on a main highway where the sides were surrounded with people and there were jumbotrons on. It was so much fun! So many people cheering, and something exciting happening, after nothing to think about. *correction: There was something to think about. Kitty litter. I was listening to my running playlist I had put together for the race and ALL OF THE ADS WERE ABOUT KITTY LITTER! UGH.*
During this fun mile 7 portion I got a lot of my energy back and felt that wonderful euphoria of doing something so hard but so good. I was listening to the National Park's Coracao song at the time (not necessarily a super pump song, but I love the words so it was motivating.) and just loving it. So fun.
(Also on the playlist were One Direction's Drag me Down, Macklemore's Can't Hold Us, Raid on the Castle from Narnia, Separate Ways from Journey--bad choice. THis got old half way through my first listening of it, Boomerang by the Summer Set, Love Runs Out by One Republic, Stitches by Shawn Mendes, WHat do you Mean by JBiebs, Uptown Girl by Billy Joel--another bad choice, Timber by Kesha, Heartbeat by Mat Kearney, Coracao by the National Parks, Bad Blood by Bastille, Laughter Lines by Bastille--you might not think this one is a good running song but IT SO IS., Bleeding out by Imagine Dragons, and Good Feeling by Flo Rida)
After mile 7 it got a little more boring. And long. And oh my goodness it was so hot. We're talking Alabama in March. Where it's humid and sunny. It was so warm! I loved getting to that first Gatorade station. Water is awesome and helps a lot (especially when you pour it on your head!) but I feel like Gatorade helps flood you with life again.)
I"m mad I didn't start speeding up earlier. I like to save my energy for the final sprint at the end, but i was worried that I had an extra loop before the finish line. So I only sprinted right at the end. (And by sprinted I mean ran slightly faster. Not sure how much sprinting anyone can do after a half. Except for those crazy people who run 5 minute miles the whole time.)
I ran through the finish line and could hear Derek and the other husbands from the ward cheering. I finished the race in 2:01. I was so proud!!!! And smelly and tired. I had done my 15K and the average pace was 9:15, but in my half marathon the average pace was 9:18. After becoming a mom! So I was pleased. I still think it'd be SO COOL to run a half under 2 hours sometime. But for now I am totally pleased.
I didn't stretch as much as I should have after the race. We went to the adult session of stake conference and then out to eat with a couple families after that. I was literally hobbling through the restaurant. I was getting double takes by everyone. I looked 80 years older than I was. It. Was. Hilarious. Seriously do your stretches people. Because I didn't and it was pretty crazy.
So that was my half marathon experience! I totally loved it and Im so proud I did it. It was so hard to consistently run while pushing Kennedy in the mornings, and even harder to wake up at 5 on Saturdays to run alone. But I did it and the whole experience from training to racing was one I'd totally do again and hope that I can!
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