My Times
Overall Rank 667
5-Mile Split 55:26
10-Mile Split 1:56:14
Half-Marathon 2:35:02
Chip Time 5:40:00
Final Time 5:45:19
Pace Per Mile 13:11

WE DID IT — Debbie, Karrie, me, and 2,000 of our closest marathon friends. !!

It was a warm day in Jacksonville, Florida, and we had a later than usual race start as they waited for the low tide (we ran 2.5mi on the beach). At 8:30, we were off and running. Kare led the pack with her fast pace, and we didn’t see her again until the end. Deb and I ran together for the first two miles, and then she lost me when she took off running again after a short walk break. I followed behind with my steady pace, and just tried to stay in front of the 5:30 pacer group.

Early on, it was a challenge to run on the sand and in the hot and humid Florida air. It’s not quite the same as running on the Mount Vernon Trail in D.C. in 40 degree weather. But, there were lots of families along the path and the fire department who were ready with their hoses and sprinklers to cool us down. There were so many people along the way that it kept you going and kept you motivated. I also carried my phone with me, so the regular calls from Kare’s dad and Kare toward the end kept me upbeat.

I was running strong (or at least as fast as I expected to) until somewhere between mile 15 and 17. I started loosing a little steam here, or maybe this is where I caught up with the cute guy and I was just trying to keep pace with him. I think I lost him around mile 22, and I just hit a wall at mile 24, when I saw a huge bridge in front of me. Kare had already warned me that it was a tough climb and just to walk it, so I did.

It was all down hill (literally) after that. And I knew I needed to run in at the end, but my feet, my hips, my calves, and my knees were killing me, and all I wanted to do was walk. But, with the finish line in sight, I started running again, and running, and running, and running. It was a lot farther off than I thought. I started to stop for a bit and walk, but then I heard Karrie’s voice on the sidelines cheering me on. The emotions started to get to me here, and I thought I was going to break down and cry, either from sheer exhaustion and pain or elation that I was actually finishing my first marathon. I had to keep running now. Then, I saw Kare’s dad, and her mom handed me flowers. Then, right at the finish line was my big sis, cheering and holding a big sign. All those cheers kept me going strong right over the finish line.

So all in all, my first marathon has been a surreal experience, but I am SOOOO happy that I did it. And I know there is no way I would have made it this far with out all of the support and love from my friends.

Now, once my muscles recover, the blisters heal, and the sunburn fades, who’s ready for the next adventure?

P.S. more pictures on the Photos page.

Marathon Course Map: http://www.mapmyrun.com/run/united-states/fl/jacksonville/598191651

We’re almost done! About a month left, and I can’t wait to be finished with all this running. I’m still excited to be running a marathon, but the aches in my legs, knees, and back are quickly tempering all the excitement.

I finished an 18 miler this past weekend and was most upset about having to get up early and spend the entire morning running on my last free Saturday before the Spring school semester starts. But, all in all, it wasn’t that bad. I didn’t even have to use the Icy Hot bandages that I had bought at Target on Friday in anticipation of all the pain I would be in on Saturday afternoon.

I really am blessed to be running with such great scenery in D.C., and the weather has been so unusually warm this winter. I don’t think I would make it very long if I had to bundle up in my fleece pants and jacket, earmuffs, gloves, and scarf every weekend. I’m glad we’ll be running in Florida this February.

My first ever half marathon and my first major hurdle in marathon training – ACCOMPLISHED.

MRP’s D.C. Half Marathon started a half hour later then planned, or right on time according to MRP time. The beginning was a little slow – 13.1 miles can be daunting, and I didn’t want to wear myself out too soon. But, as I came up to the Memorial Bridge, things were starting to get a little better. It’s so inspiring to run in D.C., surrounded by Lincoln, Washington, and Jefferson. And it didn’t hurt that at that point I knew I was almost half-way through the run (and past most of the suicidally fast bikers on the Mount Vernon Trail). Things sped up too, as I swerved around all the tourist on the Mall.

Along the way, I dutifully ate my GU and chugged it down with water. The GU experience was a lot better this time than in the past. (You don’t want to know.) If you’ve never had the opportunity to taste one of these lovely packets, I suggest you stay away from them, unless absolutely necessary. And if absolutely necessary, only take them with water, NOT gatorade.

Also, I made a running buddy on the path that made things go by a little faster. He had to be 70-years old, and he was just moving right along. I passed him first, not thinking I’d see him again. Then, 10 minutes later, when I had slowed down to walk, he passed me by and said, “Good Morning.” I passed him again when I started running, and he’d pass me when I’d stop to walk. I think we parted ways around mile 5, but I kept thinking, if he can do this, then certainly I can do this.

By mile 9, I was starting to feel the pain. I was already back on the Virginia side of my route, so I knew I wasn’t too far from my car. But, my hip starting hurting so bad, and it was almost easier to run than walk. I stopped for a few minutes to stretch it out, but I knew I had to just keep plugging away. See, I had told a couple friends what I was doing, and they said they would meet me at the end. They expected me around 11-11:15, but with my late start, I wasn’t going to get there until 11:45, without stopping along the way.

So, I pushed through to mile 12, thinking I was going to die and wondering how in the world I was going to make it through twice this distance. Then, at the end of a long straight away, I saw my friends standing with signs and cheering. That definitely picked me up. They ran along behind me as I finished the last mile and awarded me a “First Place” ribbon at the end.

All in all, it was a good experience. I’m proud to be able to say that I’ve run a half marathon, and despite the pain, I’m really looking forward to the full marathon in February. But, I couldn’t do any of this without my friends.

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A little more on the half marathon itself. Officially, it was “The Nike+ Women’s Half Marathon – A race to benefit The Leukemia & Lymphoma Society.” But, MRP’s D.C. Half Marathon had a nice ring to it, too.

The Nike+ Women’s Half Marathon was a “Virtual” Half Marathon event. There was no distinct course or start time, and you could run in any city. You just had to run the 13.1 miles on October 21. Your distance and time are tracked by your own Nike+ system. After you upload your run to the Nike web site, Nike will then send out official finishers medals and t-shirts. (I thought it was a neat idea and incentive to get people running across the country, even if you couldn’t make it to an official race.)

This Nike advertising slogan is keeping me going these days — that and the motivation of two best friends who have decided to join me in one of my many crazy pursuits. Some of you have heard me talk about running a marathon for years, and in all honesty, it really takes me that long to make some decisions. But in this case, my 30th birthday is serving as a drop-dead deadline for this decision.

There are so many things that I’ve said I wanted to do before I turned 30 — go skydiving, be fluent in a foreign language, run a marathon. Not that 30 is a magic number by any means, but just a nice round number to pick as a goal. So, come February 17, I will be able to say that I completed at least one of my goals by running the National Breast Cancer Marathon in Jacksonville, Florida.

It’s tough going right now, fitting in running, school, and a job. These are really the only things that I’m doing these days. But, all of the hard work will be worth it in the end. I just know it.

I’ve added a Nike+ widget to the top of this page, so you can see what I’ve been up to lately (or at least how far I’ve been running). I figure the more people I tell, the more who will keep me accountable to my goals.

However, when I’m done with 26.2 miles, I don’t think I’ll have the same smile and energy that I had in this picture after crossing the finish line of the Race for the Cure 5K earlier this year.