I finished the half-marathon in two hours and thirty minutes.
I was so nervous before the start. That's when the whole thing about having to run thirteen entire miles kind of hit me. I recalled the race map I'd seen in an email a few days prior – the course was a big loop, so even if I decided I wanted to duck out at some point, I'd be faced with one of two choices: walk it and finish anyway, or hail a cab. Actually, scratch that, I didn't have any money with me, so the second choice would have been to feign some kind of full body muscle spasm or compromised breathing situation so I could be taken by ambulance to the nearest hospital, where hopefully someone would allow me to telephone my family members to arrange my retrieval.
Wait, scratch that again, because I did have one gold dollar coin in my pocket, but I'm not sure how far that would have gotten me. Around mile two, the woman in front of me kicked it, and I pocketed it. It didn't occur to me right then that it was probably HER dollar, but it likely was, and I didn't even attempt to return it to her, so it serves me right that as we jogged past her a few moments later, my running partner said something to me about how her phone was falling out of her bra, and in return, I said something about maybe taking it out and putting it in her underwear instead, and then I kind of jokingly apologized to Dollar Coin Lady for mentioning someone's unmentionables within earshot. And Dollar Coin Lady kind of laughed and said she was carrying everything in her underwear, too, which... YEAH. PROBABLY THAT COIN I PICKED UP OFF THE GROUND. Serves me right, I guess. (I rinsed my hands as best I could at the next water stop.)
We started the race at the very back of the pack. There were seven of us who planned to run together for as long as possible, and I think there were only about five people starting the race behind us. (When I said back of the pack, I meant it.) We figured that if it was harder than we thought, at least we wouldn't be in anyone's way, and if it turned out to be easier? Well, passing people feels good, so we'd have the opportunity to pass, oh, EVERYONE. We took the first three miles pretty slow, but after taking a potty break and then throwing back a couple cups of water at the three-mile marker, my friend Michelle and I started breaking away from the pack. We stuck together the rest of the race, and if you want the best advice I have about How To Run a Half-Marathon or Other Race of Ridiculous Distance, it would be RUN WITH A FRIEND.
I was lucky – I'd never run with Michelle before, but we paced with each other perfectly. If one of us needed to slow down, the other was more than willing to do the same. We encouraged each other up hills, we chatted about our kids and our husbands, we laughed together at the man dressed in a tiger costume standing on top of his car which was blaring “Eye of the Tiger,” we ripped open our free energy gel packs together at mile eight and then threw them to the ground when we discovered how disgusting energy gel packs taste. (VANILLA = HURL.) The most amazing thing of all is that this was Michelle's first race. EVER. In fact, up until four months ago, Michelle wasn't even a runner. I was intimidated by my first 5K, and here was Michelle, running thirteen miles on her maiden voyage. It was awesome.
(And when I say “running thirteen miles,” I mean it. We ran the entire time, stopping only for water stations and that lone potty break. I'm not sure I ever thought that was an actual possibility, even though I trained for this thing for SIX WHOLE MONTHS, even though I never went more than two or three days without running, even though I always ran at least three miles whenever I went out.)
The first three miles were a breeze – we were full of energy and anticipation and adrenaline. Miles three through six were much the same, as we hadn't run out of things to talk about. Miles six through eight were harder, but took us around a big picturesque lake, so we had something to look at. But by the time we got to mile eight, we decided we needed to start making some small goals so that we didn't think as much about still having five to go. At mile eight, we decided we'd call our husbands at mile ten to let them know we were about 35 minutes away from finishing, so they knew to head toward the finish line. And we had heard that at mile ten, the remainder of the course was pretty much downhill. But the best thing about miles ten through thirteen was that we ran through some pretty spirited neighborhoods filled with people who were shouting encouragement and handing out gummy bears, bite-sized Snickers and (no joke) Bloody Marys.
And I knew from my phone call that at mile eleven, my husband and my kid were waiting to see me run past. That was a total motivator. All through mile ten, Michelle and I talked about it and then, when we hit the marker for mile eleven, all we did was scour the sidewalks for them. Except my husband is either a liar or unable to count, because we didn't actually see them until mile TWELVE POINT FIVE. But it was worth the wait – nothing was as thrilling as seeing my kid perched on my husband's shoulders, both of them smiling and clapping and cheering as I jogged by. It was the extra oomph I needed to drag my body over the finish line, grinning like a sweating, stinky fool who would refuse one of those dorky-looking tin foil blankets and then wish harder than anything that she'd taken one when it turned out that Michelle's phone didn't work any more (it came into contact with too much boob sweat, we assume) and we spent almost an hour borrowing strangers' phones and searching for our families, while I FROZE TO DEATH.
I am proud of myself for a lot of reasons. I am proud that I did this, first of all. Proud that I was willing to consider it and proud that I followed through with it. Proud that I completed it, and in what I consider a respectable time. But I am probably more proud that I feel like I've officially become A Runner. And it's not the 13 miles that made me one; it's more that I feel like I'm GOOD at running and that makes me ENJOY running. And I'm not a NATURALLY GOOD runner, but it is something I have worked really hard at, and something that I have pursued with intensity and devotion, and something that makes me feel good and changes and shapes my body and along with all of that, I have come to love it.
I love running. I never thought I'd say that, I never thought I'd be here. I thought I'd be the kind of person who tolerated running, who knew what it could do for her body and her health and therefore would do it if she had to, but it turns out that I love it. There is no other form of exercise I've ever tried that I have enjoyed so much. I can't wait to get out the door some days; I'm disappointed if a day goes by and I haven't gotten the chance to lace up my Asics and hit the trail.
I'm a runner.
I am so excited for you! I was thinking about you last Saturday.
The first race I ever ran was a measly little 10k but I felt like the most amazing person alive afterward. I considered myself a legit Runner that day too. GO EMILY!
Posted by: A'Dell | Wednesday, October 14, 2009 at 09:34 PM
Bloody Marys? And Snickers. So...breakfast.
Posted by: Swistle | Wednesday, October 14, 2009 at 10:08 PM
Congrats! Now you got the bug, and you'll be planning your next race before you know it.
I had a similar experience, family-wise, when I ran the NYC marathon. I knew my husband and baby would be on First Ave, right around mile 20, but they were really closer to 22. That was the longest 2 miles of my life, but seeing them was the happiest moment of my life.
Posted by: Elizabeth | Wednesday, October 14, 2009 at 10:33 PM
I am so proud of you!!!
Posted by: Carrie | Wednesday, October 14, 2009 at 11:10 PM
I am delurking to say you're awesome!
Posted by: Gina | Wednesday, October 14, 2009 at 11:18 PM
Delurking to say Congratulations! What a great accomplishment. You SHOULD be proud of yourself.
I was bit by the bug this year too, although I'm still not a "runner". I've managed to do two 1/2 marathons in the last couple months (3:20 and 3:06) but I walked most of it. Although on the 2nd one, I did run more and more frequently, which is why the faster time. I still would like to work up to running for longer distances but now the weather is conspiring against me.
I just joined a gym in hopes to continue training over the fall/winter and them try again next year.
Good luck! It's an awesome accomplishment.
Posted by: Kate | Thursday, October 15, 2009 at 12:28 AM
Well done!!!
Posted by: Tiah | Thursday, October 15, 2009 at 12:39 AM
Congratulations! You should be really proud of yourself, and I'm glad you are.
Posted by: Allison | Thursday, October 15, 2009 at 07:51 AM
I am not a runner, but want to be one so badly. I just never get motivated enough to start doing it.
After reading the part about seeing your husband and child cheering you on, I got tears in my eyes. That might have been just the motivation I needed.
Posted by: Sincerely, Jenni | Thursday, October 15, 2009 at 09:45 AM
Congratulations!!! You are motivated!!! Yay!
Post Idea!!! What's your evening schedule like? I got two kids too and am trying to figure out how to do the dinner thing and still find some me time to start running...
Posted by: Katie | Thursday, October 15, 2009 at 10:26 AM
Congratulations! Sounds like an incredible experience.
Posted by: Mrs. D | Thursday, October 15, 2009 at 10:27 AM
Way to go! Congratulations! And, so cool that you love running now ... I hope I get there some day. At this point it is still absolute torture so reading this gives me hope.
Posted by: Vanessa | Thursday, October 15, 2009 at 11:05 AM
Congratulations! I have been reading your blog for a while and absolutely love it!
While this is totally off topic I just have to say that while pregnant with my first child we nicknamed him "Cletus the fetus" and well, I felt pretty original until I read that you had the same nickname waaay before me :)
Posted by: Wiz | Thursday, October 15, 2009 at 11:12 AM
LOVE! I want to be a runner too!
how did you start? I'm reasonably athletic, but I've never been able to "get into" running, though I've always desperately wanted to. tell me!
Posted by: chatty cricket | Thursday, October 15, 2009 at 11:41 AM
You ARE a runner. Now I feel kinda bad when we were all pushing more wine at you on Friday night so that you'd be, uh, too incapacitated to make us all jog (or feel guilty about NOT jogging) on Saturday morning!! :) Seriously, great job. I'm going to find myself a race for this spring and go for it!
Posted by: Manda | Thursday, October 15, 2009 at 12:54 PM
And by "Friday night" I meant IN SAC-TOWN. DUH.
Posted by: Manda | Thursday, October 15, 2009 at 12:55 PM
Awesome! I started running about 2 years ago and have since run 7 half marathons and too many small races to count (or care). I love it. I now am part of a running group and I agree that running with people is the only way to do it. I will run a marathon one day-just loving the 1/2's too much to get crazy enough to run a full. Keep it up!
Posted by: Amy | Thursday, October 15, 2009 at 01:31 PM
Congrats! Sounds like you and Michelle had a great day.
Posted by: Daily Tragedies | Thursday, October 15, 2009 at 01:34 PM
Woohoo! Congrats!
I feel exactly the same way. I ran my first half in May and am running my second on Sunday. It's totally addicting.
Posted by: rosalicious | Thursday, October 15, 2009 at 01:38 PM
That is such an awesome story - you made me tear up. I'm doing my first 1/2 marathon next month and i'm feeling exactly the same as you. I'm scared, but i have been training and so i am pretty sure I can do it but .....
anyway - thanks for sharing. Awesome story and congratulations! you ARE a runner!
Posted by: Beth B. | Thursday, October 15, 2009 at 01:43 PM
Congratulations! You are awesome! This post made me smile so big for you:)
Posted by: Jen @ lifelove'n'wine | Thursday, October 15, 2009 at 01:59 PM
Very inspiring! What training schedule did you follow to even get up to 3 miles? I'm struggling!
Posted by: Rebecca | Thursday, October 15, 2009 at 04:29 PM
CONGRATULATIONS EMILY! You are a runner, an awesome mommy, and a great writer.
Posted by: KimPossible | Thursday, October 15, 2009 at 04:31 PM
Emily, this is amazing to me! Congrats! You inspire me to get off my hump and do Something!!!
Posted by: Aimee | Thursday, October 15, 2009 at 05:30 PM
You are awesome! And I lolled about the coin thing.
Posted by: anne nahm | Thursday, October 15, 2009 at 07:37 PM