I DID IT!

I don’t know how, but I did it.

Now I’ll confess that the longest I had ever run before Saturday was definitely less than 5 miles. I’ve TRIED to cultivate myself into a runner, I really have. But whenever I set out with big plans for great distances, I ALWAYS get bored, decide this sucks and tell myself, “I’m just not a runner”. I’m good with the 30-45 minute three to four miles, but that’s all I’ve ever had any success with.

I registered myself for this half marathon back in February when I was just starting to feel good about my new running habit, and had visions of becoming one of those running type people. As my lack of distance running ability became clear, and then I got my new job, I started to find the prospect of running 13.1 miles REALLY FUNNY. Ha. Three times further than I regularly run? Riiiiiiiiight.

I decided to not stress about it, though, and just run as far as I could, walk whenever I felt like it, and just consider it a fun morning of exercise.

You guys, it was so fun. I think I smiled the whole time. It’s quite a thing to see, running with 40,000 people. You may recall, the last time I attempted a major race, I was 30 weeks pregnant (Totally insane. I know this now.) and last. LAA-AAAST. Last. So I was pretty much alone the whole time. I kept waiting for the people to thin out on Saturday, but they never did. I was almost stepping on other runners most of the time, but it was so cool to have all that energy around you.

So I just started out, all pumped up of course, and just kept running. When I passed the 6 mile sign and I still felt pretty good, one of the voices in my head started freaking out. “Six miles? SIX MILES! OMG!” and then of course I had to remind that voice to calm the heck down, as there was still a long way to go.

So, obviously, the key to my running success, is 40,000 running partners, a band every mile, cute families sitting on their lawns with their coffee cheering me on, little kids giving high fives, cheerleading squads chanting Go Runners Go, and frequent water and goo stations manned by volunteers who hold it out to you, so you can grab it as you run by and feel like some sort of Olympian.

Around mile 11 or so, I started to feel like maybe I would like to stop soon, please. Luckily, that was right when we came out of the I-90 tunnel and into the city. It was so cool! There were tons of people lining the route with signs and noise makers, and lots of cops and lights and sirens, and the music was reverberating off all the buildings. It kept me going!

When I saw the 13 mile sign, I kind of couldn’t believe it. I actually started to get a little emotional. I couldn’t then, and I still can’t now, believe I did it. I. DID. IT. I didn’t die, I didn’t hurt myself, I didn’t even get a blister. I even finished in a really respectable time, 2:33. This is crazy kick-ass for a non-running person who didn’t exactly train so much.

When I crossed the finish line and got my medal, I felt this huge wave of emotion about to turn me into a blubbering mess, but I was also out of breath. My chest started tightening up and I had to be all, dude, get a hold of yourself. Breathing is very good and necessary at this juncture.

I’m so proud of myself, and so very amazed at what my body can do. I had SUCH a wonderful time. So if you are reading this and want to know if I want to do a race with you, the answer is yes. Yes! Definitely. (Except for you, Rachel, and that swimming to Alcatraz shit you mentioned. Hell. No.)