13.1 I Run

That was the catchy saying on the shirt I received for running the half marathon on Saturday. 13.1 miles of pure enjoyment. Not really. I don't particularly like to run, in fact, it is always quite painful but I'm glad I did it. Saturday morning as Jer and I took the bus to the start I was wondering why I had paid money to get up really early on a Saturday morning, pump, and run 13 miles, but it was a pretty good experience. I decided while I was pregnant that I was going to do this to get back in shape, and it was really good to have this race looming out there forcing me to run. It is has been crazy to juggle my running with Jer's running while still nursing Ian, but we made it. Most of my training has been done in the morning while I'd rather be sleeping or at night in the dark. I ran a few times the end of June and then started on a half marathon program for beginners after the fourth of July. It was a little frustrating to start from scratch, but I've made a lot of progress.

I made it through the race without needing a potty stop and ran faster than I had hoped, finishing in 1 hour 58 minutes. I have two toenails that didn't quite survive the journey and will probably leave me shortly but that's the only casualty (except the wicked migraine I had after). Both of those things were to be expected though. I have bad feet...never survived a backpacking trip without blisters or loss of toenails or both, and I get migraines after intense exercise. I looked for some pictures of me looking refreshed and wonderful at the finish and there weren't any so here is what I do have.


Me walking it off a bit after crossing the finish.


My parents brought the kids to cheer us on at the finish which was really fun. Before the race Luke was asking me if we would win, and I told him definitely not...I think he was a little disappointed. There were about 2,200 runners this year.

Here we are...hot, sweaty, tired, and best of all...finished! Did I mention that 13 miles was hard on my old knees??? Complaining aside, I am definitely considering doing this next year again with more time to train and I am going to run a full marathon...someday.


Luke brought his camera and was taking pictures of us at the finish. He got some "good ones."
After the photo shoot we headed to the feed area to eat, drink, and take a load off for a minute. You get a few looks when you're nursing your baby after the race, but I wasn't the only one. We did have lots of friends that ran as well, so it was fun to talk to everyone at the finish.

As mentioned above, running is not really my thing. I don't love it, and it requires quite a bit of suffering. Because it's so hard though it is more effective than any other exercise in my opinion. I started jogging in college and was quite dedicated for a while and have since been a here and there and a couple of times a week jogger. I have mostly done other things for exercise until now. I have run and run alone since Ian's birth. I have developed a love-hate relationship with it. I love how I feel after and am glad I did it...I mostly hate it while running.

So, here are a few truths I've learned about running the past two months:
**What goes down must come up. Where I live I always get to start with downhill but unfortunately that means I must conquer a big hill at the end of each and every run to get home.
**Running on the road provides incentive because you have to get back home! It's easy to wuss out on the treadmill, but when you're still a few miles from home keeping your body moving is really the only option.
**Music is essential! My iPod conked out on mile 2 of an 8-miler, and I suffered. Listening to yourself huff and puff is not pretty.
**Accidents do happen. Being a thirty-something woman who recently gave birth and running don't always go together. I'll just leave it at that.
**Running in the morning is strangely refreshing once you're up. Running home in the dark can get creepy.
**I'm a gadget girl. Jer bought me a Garmin GPS watch for our anniversary that tells me my distance and pace, and I love it. It is the best gadget ever. I am constantly in a race against that virtual partner in my watch.
**Looks can be deceiving. Some of the people that passed me on the run were older, heavier, you name it, yet ran right past me. That is not a confidence booster.

Well, enough rambling about running. Now I've got to come up with something else to work toward so I don't become a couch potato. Since this post is pretty much all about me here's what else I'm up to (besides the obvious)...I'm taking two classes for my master's degree, and I'm already behind. One is called "Cancer Biology" and should be really good, the other is another "Current Issues in Biology" and is sure to be horrible. I just finished my first year "teaching" for a private online high school. I am actually picking up a bigger student load now so my checks aren't quite as pitiful...especially since it only requires a few hours a week. I'd really like to work on my digital scrapbooking or just read a book if some spare time magically appears!

Next time I will return to posts featuring my cute kids instead of sweaty old people!