TBT: My First Half Marathon

For Throwback Thursday, I thought I'd share the story of my first half marathon.

I started running in the spring of 2012.  In the back of my mind, I knew I wanted to run the Disney Princess Half Marathon "someday".  But, it was a pipe dream.  Not an imminent activity.

After completing a few 5K's that first spring/summer, some running friends put this crazy bug in my head...  what about a half marathon?  No...  I couldn't run that far already.  Or, could I?

By the end of the summer, I was signed up for 2 half marathons:  Smuttynose Rockfest Half Marathon and the Disney Princess Half Marathon.   Rockfest was at the end of September, the day after my daughters 3rd birthday.  I had trained up to 10 miles.  Training had gone well and I was feeling nervous, but excited about my first half.  I was running this one so that I could feel confident and enjoy the Princess Half.

I met up with a new friend pre-race, but lost her in the chaos just before the start.  I had a friend (who is an amazing runner) that was running the full marathon that day.  My one goal was to finish the half before she finished the full.  Seriously.

I started out and like most newbies made the mistake of going out too fast.  By mile 9, I was ready to be done.  Plus, it was rainy and cold.  Once I started to walk, I got even colder.  By mile 10, by back was killing me.

The course is near the ocean and the last stretch is on the road along the beach.  I kept moving forward, longing to just sit on the curb and wait for someone, anyone, to come pick me up despite being able to see and hear the finish line just down the road.  I was miserable and was convinced that I would never again run a half marathon (ahahahahahahahaha!) 

Around mile 12, a friend who has already finished the half and was on her way back to her car saw me and jumped back on the course to help me.  She could tell I was struggling.  We walked a mile together and she talked the whole time.  I was too cold and exhausted to answer, but she just chatted away.  Finally, she split off and I finished the last .1 on my own.  The woman I had met up with pre-race was waiting for me at the finish line.

I was so happy to be done and felt awful.  I did reach my goal:  My full-marathon friend arrived at the finish line about 10 minutes after I did.  I was too miserable to enjoy the post race festivities, so I jumped in my car and headed home.  I ended up having to pull over on the side of the road to puke, and then sat there crying.  I never wanted to run another half marathon.  I had already spent hundreds of dollars on the registration and tickets for our trip to the Princess Half.  How was I going to go home and tell hubby I changed my mind and didn't want to do it??

I got home, showered, ate and napped while hubby took our kids to a birthday party.  By the time I got up, I looked at that medal and knew I was hooked.  Miserable experience or not, I had finished a half marathon.  There was no turning back.