The Mighty Niagara Half Marathon!

For the past couple months I have been training for a half marathon. When I signed up for it I knew that it would be alot of work to get myself ready, and there were times that I wished that I didn't have to spend so much time running. But, Running is like a bug that you catch: it hurts so good! There is nothing like waking up sore the morning after a hard run, digging in that last mile when every joint and muscle in your legs wants you to stop. Its so rewarding!! So after weeks of going to bed early so I could get up early to run, dragging myself out of bed in the morning to go run, and packing on the miles- I did it! And I want to do it again!:) (Tho I'm just now starting to feel that way) I wanted to blog about it while it is still fresh in my memory so I won't forget. The week of the race Krew and Brody got a nasty cold. I mean nasty. Of course I had to contract this cold. Thats what being a mom is all about! I did my best to stay away but the day before my throat felt like a million knives were slicing it :) Then I got my race bib. My number was 666. I had no Idea what this meant until one of my friends informed me that it is satans' favorite number or something. Fantastic. On Friday I went to the grocery store and something caught my eye -5 hour energy drink. 5 hours of energy? This looked very promising to someone who is about to run as hard as they can for 2 hours straight. I bought it and came up with a cunning plan to drink half of it that afternoon and if I liked it I would drink the other half before the race. So, that afternoon I drank half of the magic potion. For a girl who doesn't even drink pop this 5 hour energy kinda lit me up. I started sweating profusely, I was hotter than hell and I just was shaking. I couldn't stop. I did not like it one bit. I tried to stay positive. I spent 60.00 on this dang race and Heaven knows how much time preparing for it- I was going to run it come hell or high water! The husband took me out to Olive Garden the night before and we did a little carb loading which I had been looking forward to. I tried to go to sleep early that night but it was so hard because I was so congested I literally couldn't breath! Finally sleep came. But not for long, I woke up and looked at the clock 3:15- wide awake, puking my guts out, congested, and SO NERVOUS. I got my stuff together and off I went. While I was waiting for the race to start I forced down a peanut butter and honey sandwich, grabbed a fist full of cough drops and tried to make use of the ladies room a couple times. When they told us to line up at the starting line I WAS SO EXCITED! There were pacers for people to run with and I decided I would do just that because I usually have a problem with going out of the gates fast. This race was no exception. I wanted to start with the 1:50 pacer and eventually pass him. I started running thinking that because I was sick it would be alot harder but I was feeling good so what do I do? I pass the pacer 1 mile in. . . By mile 4 I was barely in front of the pacer. I was pounding my cough drops and breathing like a horse. I didn't want the pacer to catch me so I hung on for another 3 miles. At mile 7 I was running right with the pacer. I could tell that my body was having a harder time that it should when I still had 6 miles to go. by mile 7.5 I let that pacer get in front of me. Doug met me at mile 8 to run with me. When he started running the pacer was about 100 yards in front of me and he knew that was my goal time. "Lets go chase him down!" he said. I had envisioned that at this point in the race I would just want it so bad that I would turn it on run the last few miles the fastest. All I wanted so bad was to stop! haha So, When doug said this I just started crying! I think he realized how spent I was, how tired I was, and how disappointed I was to watch that hour fifty min pacer slowly run away. He was a good coach tho. I dug deep and hung in there for the last few miles. I learned to love my husband on a whole new level that day :) I know that sounds silly but I really did. I was so grateful to him for helping me and motivating me through the last few miles. I knew that whatever time I got he was going to be proud of me. I crossed the finish line 1 hour 55 min. And I'm not kidding crossing that finish line was like getting to heaven. I seriously felt the spirit! I was absolutely exhausted. I knew that I had givin it 100%. Everyone was clapping- I ran right into my friends Denyse that I ran it with and she gave me a big hug. Best feeling in the world. Here are a couple pics pre race, feeling good.

On the way home I kept telling Doug that I was sore. He said well you did just run 13 miles. I told him no my bones hurt, my spine! He felt my head and I of course was burning up! I had the flu bug! I spent the next 2 days curled up on the couch freezing cold yet burning up and my spine ached like you wouldn't believe. (i'm sure that running for two hours in the rain didn't help the cause) So I missed out on all the post race celebrating which I was a little bummed about but my one in a million husband took good care of me. Did I mention that I love him on a different level now. I wouldn't trade him for the world! :) He's a keeper. I'm already itching a little bit to do another one . . . but then I remember how much it hurt and I think twice. lol. I'm sure its just like having a baby. Once you forget how hard it is you sign up for another one.