13.1 Miles? Are you crazy??

This is what I said to myself when I decided that I was going to run my first half marathon. That was 9 years ago and to this day I still have no idea what made me want to run one. I was almost 33 years old at the time, was not a runner by any means, and yet, found myself signing up for my very first half marathon, which was only 7 weeks away! Sure, I was in good health, decent shape, but never had I ran that far. I had ran a 5k a few months before this but NEVER did I have any desire to run longer than that. However, I remember I simply woke up one morning that January and told my husband,

“I am going to run the Shamrock’n ½ marathon in March”.

He asked if I knew that the race was only 7 weeks away and did I have time to train properly for it? I told him I would make it work and that I would finish it in under two and a half hours! Maybe it was having two small children at home and feeling a little stuck in the same old routine. Maybe it was just needing a challenge. Maybe running that 5k prior and being passed by a woman, older than me AND pushing a double jogging stroller, lit some kind of fire within myself to prove I could totally do that too. Or maybe it was pure insanity! Whatever it was, I just felt I needed to do this.

So for the next 7 weeks I juggled 2 kids (preschool and first grader), my volunteer in the classroom commitments, my running schedule, my weight training schedule and working at our retail store when needed. I also began to tell everyone that I talked to that I was going to run my first half marathon. I did this because then I couldn’t back out. Those 7 weeks were tough. There were days I was so tired that I didn’t think I could actually complete a training run. But I did. On one training run my calves started to burn. Like, really burn, as if someone had poured hot fire inside of them! They cramped up so bad that I didn’t know if it was a sign that this was the dumbest idea I had ever had. Yet, I had committed to it (and had already told everyone about it so there was no turning back now, right?). So I went to a local running store and the knowledgeable staff told me I needed new shoes that were specific to my running gait. I agreed, but inside my head I remember thinking, “what is a running gait???”. Well, those running store people were right! My new shoes made all the difference in the world, and so I continued with my training. Over the weeks I actually began finding myself looking forward to those runs. It was really the only time I had to myself where I could truly just let things melt away….stress, anxiety, tiredness, self doubt, fear….you know, all the things that us as moms carry with us ALL. THE. TIME. When race day came, I was nervous, but ready to see what I could do! I remember while I was running I just kept a good pace and kept saying to myself,

"I’ve got this! I can do this! I’ve given birth to two babies, this is nothing!”

I ran that race by putting one foot in front of the other, one mile at a time. When I came to the 12 mile marker, I remember thinking, “Holy cow! I am almost done and I’m on pace to finish in my goal time!” As I rounded that last corner and stepped across the finish line I immediately looked at my Garmin watch and saw it said 2:22. I did it!! I finished my first half marathon in under two and a half hours and trained for it in 7 weeks! I felt amazing! Okay, I physically felt like I was going to puke, but deep down I felt awesome! I felt so proud of myself for pushing myself, both physically and mentally, and finishing something that I never thought I could do. My husband and girls were there watching me cross that finish line and although they were young, and probably don’t remember, having them see me finish something I had set my mind to do was an incredible moment. It made me realize how important it was not only for me, but for them, to know that no matter how scary something may seem, how big an obstacle may look, or how impossible it may feel, if you commit yourself, put in the time needed and work hard for something then you really can DO ANYTHING YOU SET YOUR MIND TO DO!!!

I have since ran two more half marathons (and about a half dozen mud runs). I actually ran that same half marathon two years later and I smashed my time! I finished in 2 hours 3 minutes!! A year or so after that I did my last half marathon, just barely under 2 ½ hours, and finished it with injuries to both hip flexors. I am now almost 42 years old, still having issues with my hips from training for that last half marathon, but I still lift weights, have started incorporating yoga into my fitness routine and have been considering to begin slowly training for another race. It may not be a half marathon, but I have the confidence now to know I can at least finish a 10k and if these hips hold up maybe another half one day.

When I look at my girls, who are older now and who know that I have some injuries, I believe that it is even more important now to show them that no matter how old you are, what obstacles you may think you have in your way, that if you set your mind to do something, it can be done!! All it takes is hard work, time and willingness to grow!