WARNING: In this post I will be telling it like it is. I'm apologizing before hand for some graphic stories! This post is also filled with pictures!
We left by 5 and thought the last shuttle from the finish left at 6 am to go to the starting line. I 24/ I 40/ I 65 split was grid locked a mile before the split. Luckily I had my iphone handy and mapped another route that took us to LP field. We got their past 6 and there were tons of people still waiting for shuttles.
Sister and I carb loaded the night before at their house. We got up at 4:30 AM (apparently that wasn't earlier enough!!) My Race Number!
We left by 5 and thought the last shuttle from the finish left at 6 am to go to the starting line. I 24/ I 40/ I 65 split was grid locked a mile before the split. Luckily I had my iphone handy and mapped another route that took us to LP field. We got their past 6 and there were tons of people still waiting for shuttles.
Lines for the Porta Potty's were RIDICULOUS!
We stood in this line FOR-EV-ER!
Starting line!!! We started at 7:29 or so.
GOOOOO!!!!!
Look at all those people! 30,000!!!
At about mile 4-5 or so, I finally go the "Runner's High" and ran for I don't know how long and then it hit me and I came back down! The fueling stations were great. Had Cytomax (or Cyto-cleanse, as I might put it later) and water at almost everyone and LOVED the oranges and bananas.Around mile 8 or so, struggling but still trying to smile!!
Sorry this one is a little blurry! Belmont Church Praise Band was AWESOME and so encouraging!
Run Kenzi RUN!!
I'm Proud to be an American!!
The guy on the left carried that American Flag the whole time and the solider on the right wore full army fatigues/backpack for the whole race!
Mile 11 right before the DOWN POUR!!
This part was the toughest for me. Kenzie would reach out her hand to help me along when we would run in spurts...I was in a lot of pain by then. I almost teared up on the last picture from the right because we had almost completed a half marathon!!!
WE DID IT!!! 3 hours 10 minutes and 27 seconds later! I completed my first half marathon!
Hubby, Heather, TJ, Jared and Lindsey were there on the final stretch with signs and cheering us on!!! It was so encouraging and great to see and hear them!!!!! Thank you all for coming out and supporting us!
On the way back to Kenzie's house....took us FOREVER to get out of the parking lot.
* Side note* Here comes the brutally honest part. Skip over if you don't want to read! My youngest brother, who is a cross country/swimmer/ and track star, always told me that a "pre-race poop is totally necessary" well, I didn't have to at Kenzie's and didn't have time before the race. I was fine until about mile 8 or so. The Cytomax (cytocleanse, as I like to put it, was kicking in) and I had to pee so bad. I didn't want to stop so, I just kept going. The more I tried to run, the more it felt like I was going to have an accident. I tried to run as much as I could though. We crossed the finish line and it was pouring the rain so we ran to our car and pretty much sat in our parking spot for 30 minutes. We moved a little bit and I decided I couldn't hold it anymore, so I got out of the car, took an umbrella, and my phone and went to the Ramada inn across the parking lot. I got down to the bathrooms and there was a line. Finally got into a stall and let it all out. We finally got back to Kenzie's and I used the bathroom again, ate waffles and bar-b-cue nachos (random I know. but SO good), used the bathroom again. Took an ice bath for 20 minutes............................
After the ice bath, took a short nap/relaxed on the couch where our friend Leah, gave my legs and feet an awesome rub down!!!! and used the bathroom again. I took a shower and got ready to go out with friends for dinner. We ate at Maggiano's and it was SOO yummy. We had dinner with Jared and Lindsey, Steve and Emily and Amber and Brendan. We had so much fun! We ended up crashing at our friend TJ and Heather's house and when we got there....you guessed it, I used the bathroom again. I pooped 5 times in 1 day...and it was regular poop. That doesn't seem normal.Today, I soaked my feet in Heather's foot bath with Epsom salt and if felt good! I am still in tons of pain in my hips, quads, and hamstrings. I was in pain all over yesterday but my feet and knees feel O.K. today. My toes had and still have big blisters on them the size of TEXAS! I wish they would heal and go away. I've already drained them 3 times....ughhhhh
Thank you for all your encouraging words and prayers these last few months!! They have been a blessing and even though the after-math blows, it was so worth it and will be doing many more in the future!!!I can now say that I have done a half marathon!!!!!! Country Music Half Marathon-it's been real! Women's Half marathon-here I come in a few months!
love it. and I can honestly tell you, I completely agree with your brother. I probably poop twice before a race and pee a million times. since Dad and I didn't care about time, we actually stopped around mile 6 to use the bathroom again. the new line of thought about "carbo loading" the night before the race is if you do carbo load, you will be unloading the rest of the next day (which is obviously true). for the next race, try eating pastas a few times throughout the week prior, and not necessarily the night before. just a thought :) loved reading about your experience!! I definitely started to tear up at the end of my first half too :)
ReplyDeleteSo proud of you!
ReplyDelete*correction to friends who were there: Addiston was there, attempting to run with you!
You did great!