{Saint George Half}

Last week was the big week... I had a couple easy runs, 3, 3, and then 2 miles on Wednesday that was it.  I had checked off all the days on the half marathon training sheet.

Friday after lunch my sister and I took off for our race.   We picked up our packets, drove the route (as much as we could drive), headed to Kneaders for dinner and then spent the rest of the evening relaxing at the hotel.

I never would have signed up to run this race if I would have known how busy the rest of my family would have been this weekend.  Wade signed up for a health fair booth, and we didn't realize it was the same weekend.  Avery was invited to a birthday party that Grandpa took her too.  Gage had a scout Pow-Wow to attend and his leaders made sure he made it to the Legacy Center at the end to find Wade. My awesome sister in law took care of 3 of the kids almost the whole day. And to top it off Gage had a Jr. Jazz game that afternoon too.  It took a whole village to take care of my family that day.

Saturday morning we both woke up pretty early...Kathy at 4, and me at 5.  We are crazy. The race didn't even start until 9, but we are just early people. 

2 sisters.

One marathon.

Our brother also ran his own half Saturday morning too...he really kicked our time too.  So if you combined it all together we all ran an ultra.

Here we go, right over the start line.  I have no idea how those fancy running bloggers take great pictures of themselves running.  Not the best picture of myself, I'm surprised it even turned out.

I thought the course was really good.  There was a good hill around mile 7.  I was really nervous about this.  Normally by mile 7, I am really having to push myself, and then add a hill?  I was really nervous.  But we just kept going and we could see the top.  I just tell myself I can do hard things over and over.  If I have had 5 babies, I can certainly run to the top of a hill.  We walked through most of the aide stations..mostly because I can't drink and run at the same time, but other than that, we ran the whole time!

Some of the course was along a really pretty trail that went along the red rock and over the river.  It was really pretty and the weather was so nice.

After about mile 11 my hips were killing me, my legs felt fine, but my hips just really hurt.  Maybe because I'm a girl.  I have no idea, but hopefully I can do some better stretches or strengthening exercises and get better next time.

And then before we knew it...we finished......

(look at all that gu bulging from my flip belt! haha)

My goal going into this was to run most of the time, and to try and finish around 2 and half hours.  There were pacers running the race, so we just stayed ahead of the 2:30 pacer and we did it.  

My chip time was 2:22:53

I know, it might not be the best half-marathon time, but I felt really great about it.  I beat my goal time by about 8 minutes and it was my first race.  8 minutes might not sound like a lot if you aren't a runner...but I think if you are a runner you understand 8 minutes is a big deal!

I was really bummed at the end of the race to find out that my running app had failed to record any of the race.  I guess I can't complain because it's a free app.  It has either failed or recorded my last 3 long runs wrong.  It's a little frustrating.  I love looking at the split information,so my sister sent me the info from her Garmin.

At certain aide stations they were handing out gu.  We already had our energy snack ready (fig newtons) but we grabbed one anyway.  Then I kept finding unopened gu along the side of the course.  I am a nut, or cheap, or something.... but that stuff is like $1.50 a piece...so anytime I saw one, I grabbed them.  We came back with quite the haul of gu. haha.

After the race and a quick shower, we headed to Cracker Barrel for our after race meal.  Since my sister had to speak in church and I had a church meeting bright and early at 6:30 the next day, we made a really quick turn around trip and headed home.  But first, we had to pick up a Swig drink, from the original Swig, for the road.

Raspberry Dream Diet Dr. Pepper is the perfect post half-marathon treat.

In the end I think it was fun quick trip.  I am really happy with my time and think it's a great place to start.  It gives me something to really push for to beat next time:)  I am looking forward to doing another half in the fall.

I am so glad my sister agreed to run this with me.  She is a marathon runner.  This wasn't probably very hard for her at all.  But she stayed with me and encouraged me the whole time.  She is a big inspiration to me.  She even let me cross the finish line first.

I am glad last year I decided to set a couple goals for myself.  I am glad I have stuck this out.  9 months ago I had a hard time with a mile.  Since then I've run two 5k's, a 10k and now a half marathon. I could even walk the next day.  (Maybe this means I should push it a little more next time?)  I originally started running because I really wanted to lose a couple more pounds from baby weight.  I haven't taken off a single pound in the past couple months,  But I am stronger.  You should see my calf muscles.  I can do things I could not do.  Running makes me feel better.  I was going to take today off, but ended up in a kinda funk mood this afternoon, so I decided to do a quick 2.5 mile run on the treadmill and ended up feeling much better.

I guess at the end of the day,

I might not be fast. 

I might not have lost 10 pounds.  

But I am strong.  I am moving.  I enjoy it.

I am a runner.

Now I get to pick which one I want to run in the fall....

Running

So I've decided I needed to start running.  I think it's the 20 extra pounds I've put on since moving here having something to do with me starting.  yes it's true, so don't try to tell me it's not.  stress eating at its finest. stress?  in my life this past year?  two years?  I haven't had any stress?  But if you had me that pan of brownies, I'll be glad to take care of it for you.  And once I quit nursing Lucy last fall that really did me in. Finished me off and sealed the deal.  those pounds were here to stay. But either way, some of it has to go, and I'm sure someday my body will thank me for it.

My dad runs.  All growing up he ran 8 miles a day, 10 miles on the saturday and took Sunday off.  My sister runs.  She runs marathons.  My other sister runs.  My other sister rides a bike.  My brother runs.  My other brother bikes.  So....maybe it's in my genes and I need to get with it.  I ran track in junior high.  Then I quit track and was a cheerleader, but I ran here and there all through high school just to keep in shape.  That was a long time ago.  I'm glad I live by my sister and she puts up with my slow pace.  She's pretty patient with me because I'm a big whiner.

I've been riding the bike at our house 5 miles every morning or night the last couple months, but this month I signed up for a race and decided to go for it.  

And run.

I started by running to work every morning.  It's about .75 miles there, then I work and run home for a 1.5 total.  A good start.  Then the days got hotter by the time I got off work...plus I was working in between, which is a huge workout itself, so I decided I needed to just bite the bullet and get up early enough to run routes before going to work.  Good thing I don't have to look pretty go work cleaning the school.

Here we are on National Running Day.  Going for a run together!

So I worked my way up and I was running 2.5 miles consistently every day the week of the race without walking.  I think that sounds huge and tiny at the same time.  All my running friends can laugh at me.  But I had to start somewhere.

Then race day came.  3.1 miles.

                                                 

Our pre-race selfie.  Ready to go!

I ran the entire race. Which was my goal.  My time wasn't that great, 34 minutes.  But I ran.

Here we are at the finish!  Wade even had 2 cold Diet Cokes for Kathy and I waiting for us right over the finish line.

And then as a reward for finishing my first race we took a trip to the Waffle Love truck.  I'm pretty sure it was more calories than I burned running, but it was worth every single drop.  So good.

~~

Not sure I'm calling myself an official runner yet.  But the more I do it, the more I have found myself enjoying it.  Plus, it's time by myself, or at least without kids asking me a millions questions or tattling on someone else.  I really think I feel better on the days that I go.  I'm sticking with shorter 2-3 mile daily runs during the week right now, but Saturday I ran the farthest I've gone so far, 4.37 miles.

My goal is to be able to consistently go 5 miles a day.  Then I'd like to work on my time.  

I've got my eye on a couple races in the fall. 

Who wants to go with me?