Half Marathon

I stepped out my front door Saturday, 6 months after having a baby (after having 4 babies really close together!), and with very little training, and ran a half marathon! I guess I'm not doing so bad for a 32 year old! It was a beautiful fall day. I'll always remember it! 

13.1 miles! I can't believe I did it! I ran from my front door towards Harmons on 8th North and then mostly along the Provo River Trailway until I reached Lakeshore Drive, which is 2 miles from Utah Lake! 

I couldn't have done it without a super supportive husband and family! They were my cheering crowd, my support crew for snacks and drinks, and they made the run so enjoyable!  It was a goal I set in January to do before my birthday. But I never expected it to be so hard to get back into running after having a baby. And then just as I was getting into a good running routine, I'd get sick and progress would stop (this happened 3 TIMES!!). I was discouraged that I might not get to meet my goal. Brian had more faith in me than I did in myself, and promised he'd support me. Since I was running out of time and the good-weather days are quickly leaving, I decided I'd just do it! 

The Thursday night before my run we decided to do it that Saturday! So we did it! I woke up that morning really excited for it, it was a great day, and I felt mentally charged. Plus we took it at our pace, so I could work around Calvin's nap and nursing schedule. I only had to nurse him once along the run.  

This finish sign was such a welcome sight! I had no idea they were going to do this for me! It was the first time I got to run through the finish line ribbon....it's the best one I've EVER seen! The last mile was the toughest and seemed like at least 3 miles itself.

Brian asked me at the finish if I thought I could turn around and run home...and the answer was NO! My body was spent. My lungs and leg muscles were OK but my joints were getting a beating. That, the full marathon, I'll have to train for :)

At the 7.6 mile mark, Jackson became my pacer. He was a perfect running companion and great to talk to. His little legs biked nearly 8 miles that day with me and for me (since he'd have to back-track quite a bit to not get too far ahead of me, so a lot of his riding mileage was doubled up)! He was so fun to have on the journey! He would always point out things along the path, the river, or mountains and comment on how beautiful they were. he said once, "Mom, doesn't that River sounds so peaceful?" I loved that comment from him....that he could feel and enjoy the beauty of where we were.

I'm so glad I did it. Few things feel quite as good as reaching a goal! The first 8 miles when I was running solo, the thought of my family cheering me on and waiting for me at checkpoints and the finish line brought tears to my eyes! I felt so blessed to have such a great group helping me achieve my goal!