Race Recap

I did it! I finished my first half marathon yesterday. The Dallas Rock N Roll Half Marathon benefiting Susan G. Komen was an awesome first race!

Let's see if I can do this race justice...

We got up about 5:30 and headed out about 6. I debated shorts vs. tights and finally settled on tights. Then I debated my new shoes (which I suspected were causing my big toe/foot pain) vs. my old shoes (which need to be retired) and decided on the trusty Asics (saying a prayer of "God, bless these shoes" as I laced them up). My parents, kids and hubby dropped me off in downtown Dallas close to the start where I made my way to the Aloft hotel to meet up with the Komen fundraisers/runners. I was so thankful for that warm lobby! It was quite chilly, especially that early. My hubby drove my parents and kids to Fair Park to wait at the finish line while he took DART to find me at the start and then again at the halfway point.

I had quite a wait but got to down a granola bar and enjoy real bathrooms before we paraded past all of the corrals to ours...corral 11. There I was able to meet up with Marsha and Margie, two of my Team BFF's from the walk in November. My hubby got to stay with me until the start, and I really appreciated having his calming influence there with me (plus I got to keep my fleece jacket and gloves on as long as possible). Shad and his buddy Rusty joined us in our corral as well. I've never run with anyone, but Shad said he'd run with me at my pace...so I took him up on it. It was great to have company on the run, especially knowing he'd done this 18 times before!

We started off pretty easy. I tried not to watch my Garmin too much, knowing I can get too focused on how slow I am and how much farther I have to go. We did a pretty good job of keeping the pace between 10 and 11 minutes/mile. I felt great the whole time!

Chad made it to the stop at around halfway (right at 6.8, I think). I was so happy to see him! I ran over and gave him a kiss and kept on running.

I was thrilled when we hit 10 miles, knowing I'd only run 10 or more twice before. And I was just as thrilled when we passed 11, knowing I'd now gone farther than ever and was still feeling great. My legs were getting heavy, especially my right quad/hip area, but thankfully, my big toe/foot never gave me an issue.

Right at the end, Shad backed off and let me finish...and finish I did! I did get to see my mom and kids at this point (although it was kind of a blur, but I did wave). I need to plug in my Garmin to see how much faster I was going, but I felt amazing nearing the finish line. An announcer was telling the first-timers to cheer, so I did :) I was completely pumped crossing the finish line! I'll share that link in another post.

The finish line was a little confusing. I'd done the wave start at White Rock for the marathon relay, but I didn't have to maneuver the finish area. They had all the food/drinks set up right at the end. I did make sure to get my picture taken!

I connected with my parents and texted my hubby so we could all meet up at the Komen VIP tent, where I scarfed down a piece of a turkey sandwich. I was so ready for a shower, so we didn't stay too long, but I did run into a college classmate who also ran the half for Komen.

Overall, it was an amazing experience. After having such a horrible run last weekend, I was terrified...but I kept telling myself that this was a mental thing and that I had trained right and trained well and had this...and I can't get over how good (no, make that amazing!) I felt the whole way! I'm pretty sure I smiled the entire time (ok, maybe not every second...). And to top it off, I finished in 2:20:31...under my goal!

I'm sure I'll think of things I left out and add a few things, but here it is in a nutshell.