My First Half Marathon!

So....as many of you know....I ran my first HALF MARATHON last Sunday! 

It was amazing! 

Well let me start from the beginning! 

I got inspired to start training in July when my sister said she was going to train one.  When I ran up to five miles she said, "Hey let's run a half marathon together...!" and we were signed up for one while she was in Texas! It was very fun training (long distance) with her, and being encouraged by one another and then getting to do it together.  

My whole life I never thought I would do this...I was not a runner, and I had never even WANTED to do this...it wasn't even on my bucket list.  The first time I ever thought, wow a half marathon would be fun was when I went with a friend to watch her big sister run one.  That was the first time I ever got inspired.  (And that was 2-3 years ago)

Anyways, on Saturday we had our first Naturally-Fit Sisters Expo...which went awesome by the way.  So after we were done we went to eat at Olive Garden (had to get that pre-race pasta meal in right!?? :-) Then we drove three hours to stay in Ft. Worth! We got to bed after midnight...not a great start, and woke up around 6am. 

I had a Builder Bar for breakfast....one of my favorite meal bars, with 20 grams of Protein in one.  And mentally I wasn't nervous, but I started to realize that my body was nervous.  It was a weird thing to be happening, because mentally I was just excited.  I had butterflies in my stomach though and randomly had to go to the bathroom (if you know what I mean). 

Anyways, we got to the race at 7:20am (race started at 8am) and got signed in.  I stretched a lot and went to the bathroom....and my husband and host son got there on time to cheer me on.  (they drove 3 hours that morning). 

Once we started, around the first corner and I hit the first bathroom stop.  I tried to stay so hydrated before the race, and had to go bad, so I thought I might as well go at the first one.  I didn't go to the bathroom again.  I ran the race pretty well and at my consistent pace.  It wasn't until the last two miles that I struggled.  I got really tired and slowed down a lot! 

 I finished the race with my Big Sis at 2 hours 37 minutes!

Afterwards they had massages, and that was an amazing treat :-) 

I was so proud of myself! It is such a huge accomplishment to achieve something like this. I mean it's fun for your friends to say "Wow you did a half!" But the best part is the way you feel about yourself! The pride you have for how strong you were and for conquering something that you set your mind to! I loved that! 

 

SIDENOTE: My friend came and cheered me on....and the Monday after she had a half marathon training plan on her phone and started running! She was inspired just like I was after I went to my first half as a spectator! I am so excited for her, and have a new desire to take a new person with me to each half I do so that maybe they will be inspired! I want everyone to feel the way I felt after achieving this goal!