Cross off on the ol' bucket list

I guess it's not really my bucket list but it might as well be.  I finally competed and completed my first half marathon.  It has been a long time coming and finally I was able to do it.  My goal was to do it last October however I got runner's knee and was down for a good month.  Sooo I had to wait a year because there weren't any other races after my injury and I wouldn't have been ready.

Originally I wanted to do an Olympic Distance Triathlon however, I got a job and then had to stop training because I didn't have time.  My awesome of a husband, Chris said "well why don't you train for a half marathon... you haven't done that yet." So I did.

Yesterday, October 27th (so I can remember the date later on ... this is pretty much a journal) Chris and I woke up at 5:45a.m. and got ready to drive one hour to Boston, GA.  It's about 10 miles east of Thomasville, GA.  Seriously this is one of the cutest towns I have ever been too.  The downtown it's self was barely a quarter of a mile.  Just think cute old southern town with lots of cows and cotton.  The race started at 8a.m. and went 6.5 miles out and then we turned around and went right back.  It was down Old Highway 84.  Again... lots of cows and cotton.  But it was very pretty, definitely not things I see on my regular runs.

I started off feeling really good and there were only a few hills.  The whole way back I run right beside this one guy.  He was keeping a really good pace that I liked.  When we had been running next to each other for about a mile or two on the way back he said "wow that is some headwind" as we were running up a hill.  I then said that I hope I wasn't slowing him down I just really liked his pace.  He said that I was helping him.  Plus he had a pace watch thing so that was another reason.  But he told me our pace and how well we were doing.

The last mile WAS SO HARD.  I'm not going to lie.  I was really tired by then.  I mean, I had run 12 miles by myself before but in a race it's a lot harder.  My running buddy at the last mile ran a little faster... or I slowed down.  Either way we were separated.  As I came to the finish lie I saw and heard Chris cheering me on.  I had the best cheering section.

My time was 1:48:13 which is about a 8:24 pace.  Not too bad for my first one.  I owe it to my running buddy.

I was the 60th person to finish out of maybe 200 or less runners.  I'm not sure out of how many women but I was in at least the top 15 or 20.

Best cheerleader =)

I placed first in the women's 20-24 age group.  I had NO plan to place I just wanted to finish.

I'm happy I finally accomplished this goal.  Things are about to change in Kendal's work out routine.  Chris and I have been talking lately and we decided that it's best for me to not be running such long distances anymore.  I need to get my body back on track.  To understand what I mean by that go here.  

Chris is so supportive of me.  He has gone and cheered me on for two triathlons and a couple races.  It really means a lot to me that he supports me in these goals and things I want to do.  I'm excited and ready for a work out change.  I truly have noticed how my body is not what it was like even a year ago.  I'm planning on running low milage (3-5 miles) and doing a lot more weight lifting.  Hopefully soon some good news in the Hargrett home.