Prairie Fire--The Race

*Hi there. Yes! Another blog break! But I have a good excuse! I've been having issues getting logged into my flickr account. So frustrating.  I have several things I'd like to blog about. I always give the excuse "I'm living life instead of writing about it", but there are a few things I'd like to get into my blog, so I don't forget! This is one of them!! I hope that as the fall settles in, I can find a little more time for writing!! Thanks for sticking with me! =) * 

Sunday, October 11th, 2015.

I FINISHED Prairie Fire 1/2 Marathon.

13.1 Miles

I used a training plan that was16 weeks.  I ended up having the last week disrupted due to a murder suspect on the run in our county. True story!! So I was a little nervous as I'd only been able to hit 9 miles.

I'd also like to add that I didn't lose ONE.STINKING.POUND through training. (But I maintained at least!)  But did lose 3  the week after the race.  I was SO hungry during the last 6 weeks. I wanted to eat all the time.  I could never ever train for a full...I'd probably gain 50 lbs.

I had wanted to "quietly"  dedicate my very first half to my Dad, and wanted a piece him of him with me. So ended up putting his 7 year AA sobriety chip on my shoe lace, and tucking it inside. I love it so much..I think it will just stay there forever.


 

30 seconds before start. This is when I started thinking "What in the world do I think I am doing??"

 

 


You know those zombie movies? Where everyone is still walking with arms straight out?? Yep. That's totally how it was those last 3.  I tried to run. My body felt like it was underwater.  I walked. Like a zombie. For 3 miles.

See..told ya! Zombies! ;)

The most amazing experience through this entire thing..is doing something your mind is telling you is totally insane and you must stop. And plowing through and finishing anyway.

I ended up hitting a pretty hard wall around mile 10. Was CERTAIN mile 11 wasn't ever going to com.

I also can't tell you what exactly happened at mile 12.5. But I totally emotionally fell apart. You would think after 12.5 miles the excitement would carry you in, but it doesn't. You start to think you are never going to get there or WON'T be able to make it there.  I could HEAR the finish line, and the cheers. But I was convinced I wasn't going to make it.

 I can tell you what song came through my headphones at this time. The One I'm Running to by 7eventh Time Down.   Not a coincidence I'm sure, and I found myself trying to talk myself down from panic, and hanging on to every single word.

And until I hit the bridge that would take me it...I still didn't believe it. As strange as it sounds, I never thought about quitting, but had started to doubt if I would finish. Doesn't make sense, huh?



I don't have a glorious running in, hands in the air victory finish like some.

 

So tired!! Only .10 more to go to the finish line!  

But I finished...13.1!

My sister made me laugh when she saw this.. "There you are working your butt off, and that guy is drinking a beer in the background."  HAHA

First thing I wanted, was a shower.  You know that first shower you take, after you've given birth? Yep--same feeling.

This experience is most definitely in the top 5 proudest moments of my life. There is nothing I can type here that can tell you how I felt.

Some of my favorite moments from the race?

At mile 2, there was a lady with a mega phone yelling "You are ALMOST there"  Ugh. It made me smile and shake my head.

There was app you could download, and people at home could track you, if THEY had the app. It had a "cheer" option.  People at home could pick out the cheesiest of cheers and they could come through my headphones.  This was fantastic.I loved it so much.  I didn't know at the time who they were from, (It saved them, so I could look when I was finished." just that someone I love, was thinking about me.

We ran the course with the full marathon people. There was just 2 different loops where they cut off from us for an extra 6 miles each, and then they would merge back in with us.  Oh gosh...it was like corvettes merging in with a bunch of Yugos.  Those people were like machines. I was in awe of them, and how they were still managing conversations, and would support other runners as they whizzed by us.

The signs were HILARIOUS.

They had bands at many mile points.  It was very cool.

I crossed the line, found Lori, and sat down. My stomach was yucky, but I got part of a Gatorade and a bottle of water down.  I saw and watched the Marathoners coming in, and they were handed 32oz Michelob Ultras as they crossed.  No. Just no.

 

 

I didn't put these away for a week. I just kept picking them up and looking at them. 

It was just an incredible experience. All of it. From training to the race, I learned so much about so many things. I'm not sure 1/2's will ever be "my" thing to do regularly, but am not against doing another one...someday.   Which supports my theory races are a lot like birth, and a little bit of amnesia sets in so you will do it again. HA!