About three weeks ago, right after I had completed a very rough and discouraging 11 mile training run, my very sweet and supportive husband (sarcasm implied) turns to me and says "would it make you feel better if I ran it with you? I could probably do one long training run and be good to go." I slapped him. Not really, but I wanted to. While I'm sure he meant it in the most loving way possible...it was the very worst thing to say to me in that moment. But he did redeem himself on Saturday, being Mr. Mom and braving the seas of people to be there with Allie when I finished. He was walking around for two hours searching for me without a cell phone, the fact that he found me was a miracle. I looked over and I saw his frantic face walking up the stairs with Allie in one hand, a diaper bag in the other, and a man behind him carrying the stroller up the stairs. And despite the fact that Allie's clothes were on backwards and her diaper was full of poop, I was so very proud of him :). I actually felt really bad, he was trying so hard to be at the finish line when I finished, and it just didn't work out for him. He looked more exhausted then I was. I think he has a new found respect for Mom's.
My official finishing time was 2 hours, 38 minutes, and 1 second (though my Nike GPS begs to differ). Most people would be disappointed with this time. I, however, was ecstatic. I was just happy to have crossed the finish line on my feet and not on a stretcher. Everyone keeps asking me if I would do it again, and now that my body has had 2 full days to recover, I would say yes. While I'm normally not the competitive type, I'm suddenly finding the urge to run another one just so I can shoot for a better time. Who is this girl that has taken over my body?!?!?!
It's all mental really, if you convince yourself that you're a runner, then you'll become a runner. It's kind of like the time I taught myself how to ski in Lake Tahoe by having a dream I was a good skier. I went from spending 4 days on my butt in the snow, to flying down the slopes like a pro...overnight. Maybe not a pro, but I did make a huge improvement, all because of a dream I had. Sound crazy? Well it kind of is, but it really happened. I think the self help books call this 'the power of positive thinking.'
My advice to anyone who calls themselves a 'non-runner' like myself and thinks they could never complete a half marathon, is to just give it a try. If I can do it, trust me, you can too. And if that's not enough inspiration for you, take a look at this gal.
Almost to the starting line!
She's my super hero. Seriously, she's amazing. If you don't know her story, please take a minute and go here. While she is a seasoned marathoner built for running, her current situation makes it a lot more difficult. But despite everything, she made the half marathon look like a walk in the park. I was so proud to run side by side with her for the first 4 miles or so on Saturday. She is truly an inspiration to everyone around her. I'm so proud of you Ashley, you are unstoppable and I know you're going to kick that cancer's a**.
We did it!
The best prize of all was seeing this sweet face. Although, she didn't seem too impressed.
My biggest cheerleaders. Even though her clothes are on backwards, I was super impressed he remembered to put a sun hat on her. Good Daddy.
I ended up finishing the race with my friend Michelle from Morgan Keegan.
Ashley & Zafer
Thank you all for your support and encouragement. And a special thank you to those who donated to St. Jude to help sponsor my run, it really meant a lot to me and it's such a great cause. I ended up raising $575 in only 3 weeks, not too shabby!
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