Layton 1/2 Marathon

Well, I did it!

I ran the Layton half marathon yesterday. It was a rough road getting there, but I did it! I had spent a lot of time training and faithfully stuck to my training schedule. A month before the race, I got sick. REALLY sick. I was down for three weeks, and unable to run during this time. Every Saturday that passed absolutely made me sick. I knew how hard I had worked to get to this point, and it was very difficult for me not to be able to run.

This is me during my sickness. This picture just doesn't do the infection in my eyes justice. They were red with purple eyelids and big black bags underneath. Even the bridge of my nose was swollen. I could barely open them, let alone see out of them. I looked like I had been in a boxing match.

When I was finally able to run again, I jumped at the opportunity. I ran 6 miles, and it was the most difficult run I had ever done. I came home with a headache and was sick to my stomach. I was very disappointed, and my confidence plummeted. How in the world was I going to run 13 miles ten days from now, if I couldn't even run 6? A couple of days later, I ran 8 and felt much better about myself.

Race day came quickly. I was really nervous. I ran with two friends, Kiersten Peterson and Gary Bowers, and my sister in law, Ashley. I told them I didn't want them to run with me, because I wanted them to do the best that they could. Ashley insisted on staying with me, and I am grateful that she did.

The race started out great. Around mile 4, my knee started to hurt, but I decided that I had worked too hard for too long to give up. I pushed through, but by mile 12, I was spent. My knees were so sore. I wanted to stop and walk so badly, but Ashley kept me going. She kept saying, "Just keep going. You're doing great. You only have one more mile left. You can do it!" What an awesome sister in law I have! There's no doubt in my mind that she could have finished way faster than I did, but she wanted to run with me.

I had set a goal to finish in 2:10. I finished a bit longer than I would have liked, and didn't reach my goal, but still feel so proud of myself. I ran the entire way, and never stopped to walk. I thought I would be disappointed in myself, but I'm not at all. I did the best job that I could, and there is NO WAY that I could have run any faster. Considering that a year ago, I never thought I would be able to run again, just finishing feels like a victory to me!

After the race, I was so sore. My knees and hips were aching, and my calves were so tight that I had a hard time just standing up. After a short nap and a few hot baths, I am feeling much better today.

I signed up to run the Ogden 1/2 Marathon next May. I am shooting for 2:10 :)