27MAY13

How do you know if someone has ran a half marathon/marathon or triathalon?  Don't worry they'll tell you! :)  I am sure you have heard a million times that back in Germany before Cristine and I had kids we said we were gonna train to run a half marathon.  We got up to 6 miles in our training and then we both got pregnant with our oldests.  So this has been almost 10 years in the making!  I have a ton of other things to blog but I am just so excited I HAD to get this up!  We started training in January (and I could barely make it 2 miles.) We ran a 10k in March that I did not completely feel ready for but completed and felt good about.  We had some ups and downs, injuries, both of us had colds at different times, good runs and bad runs but we NEVER missed a run.  We ran 3-4 times a week (3 at first then worked up to 4) and our long runs were on Saturdays.  I am so beyond proud to get to say I am officialy a half marathon runner! 

 

Race day started with a 3:30 AM wake up call. The race started at 5:30 and we had about a 45 minute drive.  When we got there the park bathrooms were still locked an there was a HUGE line forming at the porta-potties. We jumped in line and waited about 20 minutes but made it to the starting line just as the National Anthem was being starting. We started a few minutes after everyone else b/c we were still trying to get headphones and Ipods situated.  We were OFF!  We kept a VERY even pace for the first 10 miles and though I am not going to say I forgot I was running I felt REALLY great!  At mile 11 there was a hill.  I KNEW this ahead of time but when you're tired and that hill comes up it feels NEVERENDING (I believe it was only about a mile long...)  Once I finished that hill I was TIRED but I knew I could finish (although the closer we got to the finish line the farther I swear it got!)  I saw Travis, Nate, and all the kids and I knew I had just completed 13.1 miles!  Not only did I complete it but I finished with my Best Friend!  We ran together, we were tired at different times but we finished TOGETHER!  I can't wait to do more races and complete this half marathon again next year!!! 

 

 

5:30 ready to GO!  Don't judge the sweatbands we NEEDED them!!!

I saw Travis long before he saw me I kept waving but he didn't see us till we were right by them.  Almost done!

FINISH LINE!  The time clock says 2:33:41 but like I said we started a few minutes after everyone else. Our chip time was 2:31:03

Finish metals and lots o fluids!

This was the finish place but our view was beautiful while we ran. Lots of beach views!

My kiddos!  Lexi keeps asking when she can do a race with me!

Yep we had these shirts made.  We were gonna run in them but after we started running longer distances we realized cotton was not the best to run in so we grabbed some Pink Under Armour shirts and changed into these at the end which worked perfect since I felt so gross!

The back says We're Only Half Crazy 13 point 1 :)

So happy the family came to the finish line.  And for all the support during training.  Saturdays we would get up really early to run and be gone through breakfast.  They started a new tradition of crepe days where Travis makes crepes with lots of yummy toppings.  By the time I would get home they would all be done eating and the WHOLE kitchen would be spotless.  That is a tradition I plan to continue.  I love running on Saturday mornings!