My First Half Marathon!

Pre-race

                                                             

Around mile 4.  

Running up the first "mini mountain."

Passing the walkers!

Blowin' it up around mile 10!  

At the top of the last major hill around 10.5 miles.  Someone requested one of my awesome high fives! Turn up the volume while watching.

Around mile 11.

The home stretch!

I did it. I really, really did it.  I ran my first half marathon.  All my training paid off.  I was so nervous the night before I was only able to sleep for 3 hours.  When I woke up, I felt great.  Prerace everything went as planned except for I wanted to go to the bathroom before the race started.  I didn't realize there was a huge line for the bathrooms until I walked over to the area of where they were.  The porta potties were on one side of the road and the line was on the other side.  There was about five lines for twenty porta potties. I still do not understand why people didn't line up directly in front of each one.  Being the noob that I am, I decided to forgo the bathroom and get lined up for the race, I didn't want it to start without me.  While waiting for the race to begin, I realize that I had plenty of time and could have waited to use the bathrooms.  Oh well, now I know for next time.

13.1 'nuff said!

Me kissing my medal

The first part of the race I had my music shut off so I would not start too fast.  Since I didn't use the bathroom before the race, I decided to go at the first bathroom stop.  I figured there would not be that many people waiting and it would be easier to catch up to my pace earlier rather than later.  After my bathroom break, I concentrated on my breathing and getting into my groove.  Around mile five was the first major hill or "mini mountain" as I like to call it.  I turned on my music and cruised up the mini mountain.  I passed a few people on the way up!  On the way down, I picked up some speed and passed a few more people.  Miles six through ten had quite a few rolling hills.  I was in my zone at that time and started passing people.  Some people started walking but me, I just kept going.  I was waiting for mile ten.  The "mini mountain" on mile ten was on everyone's mind.  It was either going to make me or break me.  Luckily, I had some support waiting for me.  I had my friends and family waiting on the hills to give me a high five as I passed them.  If there was a reward for the most high fives given, I think I would have won it.  I passed so many people on the way to the top of the hill.  When I finally arrived to the top and I ran the whole way up,  I read a sign that made me laugh.  It read, "I didn't wake up this early to watch you walk."  Good thing I wasn't walking, huh?  After that mountain, there was one more hill and then it was all downhill till the finish.  I killed the last two miles.  I felt like I was in a dream.  With about a half a mile left, I started to tear up.  I could not believe that I was going to finish and that I felt so amazing.  I figured I would be dragging, huffing and puffing, or something.  As I rounded the final corner, I started to pick up speed and sprinted to the finish line! My official chip time was 2:15:28.  Not bad for my first half marathon.