So I ran my 1/2 marathon - that's 13.1 miles!!!
Copy and Past from my note on Facebook:
Where to start? 5AM wake up call sucks!
I decided 2 years ago I wanted to run a half marathon at some point. Always way to scared of the daunting amount of miles. I trained for this race, until 4 weeks ago. I ended up with 2 severe ear infections that took me 3 weeks to get over. I was in so much pain I could barely function let alone go running after all vertigo is an issue when you have infections. Then my daughter was diagnosed with a hip disease and all my concentration went to her over that next week while we were helping her through. I could barely get 1 mile in here and there. I lost all concentration on this race, but I paid for it and had some training in, so dammit I was going to do it!
I'm picky about which races I do. I must be able to receive a finishing medal, to me its proof I did it as a reminder! I think its important for my children to visually be able to see this.
Alex helped me warm up and guided me through. I looked at him before the race started, tears brimming my eyes as I said, "I'm scared." He told me he knew I could do it. Its just a run afterall!
So we started the race off with a 'bang'. Literally. Those guns always scare me!
I decided to run the 1st mile completely through to give myself a good start off and used it as my warm up before I turned on my interval timer. I probably ended up running about 1 1/2 all the way through. There were over 100 of us just in the 1/2 marathon, and another 100 or so doing the marathon. The marathon was the last Boston Qualifier available for anyone wishing to run Boston.
Mile 2 came up with gatorade or water as your choice. Very watered down gatorade! I was kinda sad! Achilles started aching.
Mile 3 came and I was still doing amazingly well. But I was getting pretty pissed off that the trail people had a side by sides running up and down the course (I mean that was great for anyone that wasn't doing well). But when they were behind you because you were close to last place...........ANNOYING. It was so grating on my nerves, I felt like I was being pushed, and my concentration was going out the door because all I could hear was the motor behind me. Little did I know my husband was running up the course to get positioned for me and he was thinking "she's going to get PISSED!" Luckily he drove past me and was off my ass, cuz I couldn't of handled that for much longer.
Mile 4 came with gatorade or water again. Mile 4 was also supposed to have my husband available to me. But the race ended up being on a bike trail and we did out and back. I wasn't sure where it was going to be at in the first place. So no goo for me. I was shitting myself. I just didn't plan this well. My achilles tendons finally relaxed.
Mile 5 came and went and this was when I hit uncharted territory. I have never run over 5.22 miles! But I felt FANTASTIC! It was around this time that I felt like my body was purifying itself. I felt so CLEAN! I felt FREE! I gave birth 2 times, naturally. I can run 13 miles!!! I kept telling myself!
Mile 6 came and I was so happy to see it because it meant I was ALMOST 1/2 way done, and was my turn around!
Mile 7 I started tightening up in my feet. I wear vibram 5 finger shoes, and my toes were hurting so bad on my left foot! I stopped at a bench to apply a bandage to my right foot, I've had trouble with this foot blistering since high school in the same damn spot! However I pulled my leg up to the bench and my leg muscle rolled and it was so painful I quickly put my leg straight to release it or I was done for right that moment.
A guy pedals bye me, "YOU GOT THIS GIRL! you are ROCKING it!"
Mile 8 came, I see a blue shirt......WHAT! ALEX!!! Oh thank God! He gave me orange slices, my goo (for non runners this is a THICK gel you eat, gives you a boost of energy). I should of had one at mile 4 but I forgot to grab one and he was supposed to be at mile 4 for me, but it was just messed up!! He asked how I was doing and I said GREAT! I felt fantastic, my pace was awesome for myself! I drank some gatorade we bought, and then took it with me for the rest of the course! Thank God I had it!At this point in the race, I felt great, I had no negativity in my mind at all.
Mile 9 - for whatever reason I broke down. Mentally. I didn't cry or go nuts or anything, its just I started falling apart. Mile 9 wasn't coming and wasn't coming and wasn't coming. I was wondering when I'd ever see it. FINALLY there it was. I was starting to get a little bit annoyed with my timer. getting pissy when it dinged me to run, happy when it dinged me to walk. working towards Mile 11.....I just kept picking names off my hand running for them. Its all I could do to get through it.
Mile 10 - Its all just a 5K from here! The girls that were stationed there to hand out drinks said! I had thought it myself as well! I walked. I HAD to give myself a break. My ankles were getting sore, my toes were hurting me again. I walked the ENTIRE way to mile 11. And I wasn't mad at myself at all. I let that timer ding itself to death.
Mile 11 - I picked back up and ran. I kissed my finger that said, "Hunter". I said, "This is for you little buddy!" Thinking of how he was born a preemie baby and couldn't even breath when he was born. How far he's come, what is this 13 miles anyhow according to the start of his life? Nothing!!! Nothing compares to him being a fighter. I can do this!!! I'm almost there.
Mile 12, I'm back where I started! There were people cheering by the road I had to cross! The guy that stopped traffic for me was like "YOU ALMOST have this! Just a bit farther!!!!" So easy to smile and be happy even if you feel like you are dying a little.
I crossed the road and ran up to the path that we took over, and kept going. Then they had us running in grass for a bit across the back side of a field. What a weird sensation! I heard music blaring, that means i'm really close! I'm getting there, I can hear people cheering!
As I hit this last part of the race, I kissed my finger with Evie's name on it. I said, "this one is for you baby!" It was the most emotional part of the race, happy I was almost done, sad for my baby girl who cannot run. tears brimmed many times but I was able to keep it in to finish it through.
I enter the stadium area, where I hear "Mindy Carnathan, runner #273, Rimersburg, PA" Pretty cool! I had to run around the track to the other side through the timer, where I was told, "ok you are done! Here's your medal!" He put it around my neck. There was never a more satisfying thing to have happen! I'm so glad I chose this race to get a finishing medal because it was so worth it.
Alex met up with me and gave me a big hug and kiss and said, "I'm so proud of you! You did it!" I'm proud of myself. I'm not sure its all sunk in yet, what I did. My legs feel it though. I'm in a huge amount of pain at the moment.I went over got a cookie, 2 oranges, a banana and water and ate them down as I was getting dizzy and light headed. I think it was just exhaustion. There are people that try these, that don't finish! I did it! I FINISHED THIS! I didn't give 2 craps about where I placed. All I was there for was to finish. I was running for my daughter who cannot run due to Legg Calve Perthes Disease. I was running for myself.
Would I run another one? Sure! Not for quite awhile! Full Marathon - I have NO DESIRE!!! Although I told my husband when he ran 13 miles that he was effing crazy. Look who's effing crazy now!
Where to start? 5AM wake up call sucks!
I decided 2 years ago I wanted to run a half marathon at some point. Always way to scared of the daunting amount of miles. I trained for this race, until 4 weeks ago. I ended up with 2 severe ear infections that took me 3 weeks to get over. I was in so much pain I could barely function let alone go running after all vertigo is an issue when you have infections. Then my daughter was diagnosed with a hip disease and all my concentration went to her over that next week while we were helping her through. I could barely get 1 mile in here and there. I lost all concentration on this race, but I paid for it and had some training in, so dammit I was going to do it!
I'm picky about which races I do. I must be able to receive a finishing medal, to me its proof I did it as a reminder! I think its important for my children to visually be able to see this.
Alex helped me warm up and guided me through. I looked at him before the race started, tears brimming my eyes as I said, "I'm scared." He told me he knew I could do it. Its just a run afterall!
So we started the race off with a 'bang'. Literally. Those guns always scare me!
I decided to run the 1st mile completely through to give myself a good start off and used it as my warm up before I turned on my interval timer. I probably ended up running about 1 1/2 all the way through. There were over 100 of us just in the 1/2 marathon, and another 100 or so doing the marathon. The marathon was the last Boston Qualifier available for anyone wishing to run Boston.
Mile 2 came up with gatorade or water as your choice. Very watered down gatorade! I was kinda sad! Achilles started aching.
Mile 3 came and I was still doing amazingly well. But I was getting pretty pissed off that the trail people had a side by sides running up and down the course (I mean that was great for anyone that wasn't doing well). But when they were behind you because you were close to last place...........ANNOYING. It was so grating on my nerves, I felt like I was being pushed, and my concentration was going out the door because all I could hear was the motor behind me. Little did I know my husband was running up the course to get positioned for me and he was thinking "she's going to get PISSED!" Luckily he drove past me and was off my ass, cuz I couldn't of handled that for much longer.
Mile 4 came with gatorade or water again. Mile 4 was also supposed to have my husband available to me. But the race ended up being on a bike trail and we did out and back. I wasn't sure where it was going to be at in the first place. So no goo for me. I was shitting myself. I just didn't plan this well. My achilles tendons finally relaxed.
Mile 5 came and went and this was when I hit uncharted territory. I have never run over 5.22 miles! But I felt FANTASTIC! It was around this time that I felt like my body was purifying itself. I felt so CLEAN! I felt FREE! I gave birth 2 times, naturally. I can run 13 miles!!! I kept telling myself!
Mile 6 came and I was so happy to see it because it meant I was ALMOST 1/2 way done, and was my turn around!
Mile 7 I started tightening up in my feet. I wear vibram 5 finger shoes, and my toes were hurting so bad on my left foot! I stopped at a bench to apply a bandage to my right foot, I've had trouble with this foot blistering since high school in the same damn spot! However I pulled my leg up to the bench and my leg muscle rolled and it was so painful I quickly put my leg straight to release it or I was done for right that moment.
A guy pedals bye me, "YOU GOT THIS GIRL! you are ROCKING it!"
Mile 8 came, I see a blue shirt......WHAT! ALEX!!! Oh thank God! He gave me orange slices, my goo (for non runners this is a THICK gel you eat, gives you a boost of energy). I should of had one at mile 4 but I forgot to grab one and he was supposed to be at mile 4 for me, but it was just messed up!! He asked how I was doing and I said GREAT! I felt fantastic, my pace was awesome for myself! I drank some gatorade we bought, and then took it with me for the rest of the course! Thank God I had it!At this point in the race, I felt great, I had no negativity in my mind at all.
Mile 9 - for whatever reason I broke down. Mentally. I didn't cry or go nuts or anything, its just I started falling apart. Mile 9 wasn't coming and wasn't coming and wasn't coming. I was wondering when I'd ever see it. FINALLY there it was. I was starting to get a little bit annoyed with my timer. getting pissy when it dinged me to run, happy when it dinged me to walk. working towards Mile 11.....I just kept picking names off my hand running for them. Its all I could do to get through it.
Mile 10 - Its all just a 5K from here! The girls that were stationed there to hand out drinks said! I had thought it myself as well! I walked. I HAD to give myself a break. My ankles were getting sore, my toes were hurting me again. I walked the ENTIRE way to mile 11. And I wasn't mad at myself at all. I let that timer ding itself to death.
Mile 11 - I picked back up and ran. I kissed my finger that said, "Hunter". I said, "This is for you little buddy!" Thinking of how he was born a preemie baby and couldn't even breath when he was born. How far he's come, what is this 13 miles anyhow according to the start of his life? Nothing!!! Nothing compares to him being a fighter. I can do this!!! I'm almost there.
Mile 12, I'm back where I started! There were people cheering by the road I had to cross! The guy that stopped traffic for me was like "YOU ALMOST have this! Just a bit farther!!!!" So easy to smile and be happy even if you feel like you are dying a little.
I crossed the road and ran up to the path that we took over, and kept going. Then they had us running in grass for a bit across the back side of a field. What a weird sensation! I heard music blaring, that means i'm really close! I'm getting there, I can hear people cheering!
As I hit this last part of the race, I kissed my finger with Evie's name on it. I said, "this one is for you baby!" It was the most emotional part of the race, happy I was almost done, sad for my baby girl who cannot run. tears brimmed many times but I was able to keep it in to finish it through.
I enter the stadium area, where I hear "Mindy Carnathan, runner #273, Rimersburg, PA" Pretty cool! I had to run around the track to the other side through the timer, where I was told, "ok you are done! Here's your medal!" He put it around my neck. There was never a more satisfying thing to have happen! I'm so glad I chose this race to get a finishing medal because it was so worth it.
Alex met up with me and gave me a big hug and kiss and said, "I'm so proud of you! You did it!" I'm proud of myself. I'm not sure its all sunk in yet, what I did. My legs feel it though. I'm in a huge amount of pain at the moment.I went over got a cookie, 2 oranges, a banana and water and ate them down as I was getting dizzy and light headed. I think it was just exhaustion. There are people that try these, that don't finish! I did it! I FINISHED THIS! I didn't give 2 craps about where I placed. All I was there for was to finish. I was running for my daughter who cannot run due to Legg Calve Perthes Disease. I was running for myself.
Would I run another one? Sure! Not for quite awhile! Full Marathon - I have NO DESIRE!!! Although I told my husband when he ran 13 miles that he was effing crazy. Look who's effing crazy now!