13.1

CHICAGO DISTANCE CLASSIC

Half Marathon Finisher

I have to tell you that this running thing has taken me even farther than I ever thought I could go! I think back to last December when I started running on my treadmill to combat all the sweets I was eating over the holidays, and now I've run a half marathon. (Strange thing is, after all the miles I've run, I still haven't lost any weight. That's not right--or fair!)

So was it hard? I guess I would have to say it was challenging but do-able. I found that my lung capacity was good meaning I wasn't breathing hard, but my legs were very tired and my arches hurt. I was definitely ready to see the finish line!

One has to wonder.....if I wasn't breathing hard, could I have run faster? Probably. But, with this being my first half-marathon, I wasn't really sure what to expect. I think just finishing was more important than scoring a good finishing time, so I was afraid to run too hard for fear of dying in the end and having to crawl across the finish line! Plus, since this was my first half-marathon, I knew that no matter what my finishing time was it would be a PR (personal record). Looking back, I think I could have pushed myself a little bit more. But now I have a time to beat: 2 hours, 8 minutes and 42 seconds. (For those of you keeping score at home, I ran 13.1 miles at an average pace of 9 minutes and 49 seconds per mile.) They say that no matter when you start running that you can improve for 10 years. I guess my times at 46 will shatter my current PR's!

Below are some pictures with my teammates from Team in Training. It was AWESOME to run wearing my PURPLE Leukemia & Lymphoma Society jersey! The crowd goes crazy when you go by! It was really encouraging. And it helped me remember every step of the way that my pain was nothing compared to what those with cancer experience! I thanked God for good health and running ability (and prayed that he would carry me through to the finish line! He is faithful!!)




Until next time......