I signed up for his race not knowing a single person who was signing up for it. I was in this all alone. A couple of years ago, I wouldn't have even done a 5K alone. I wasn't brave enough, I needed someone next to me, ANYONE, to make me feel like I wasn't alone.
Now I'm ok with doing something alone, even though it's still scary. I have enough confidence now that I can stand on my own two feet. It would have been nice to have a running buddy, but I wasn't going to choose not to do it just because no one was doing it with me.
My husband and my two boys dropped me off at the starting point. I had about 15 minutes, and because I'm a shy person, I just piddled around on my phone pretending to be busy while I waited.
People think New Mexico is always warm, but it isn't. It may not get as cold as the northern states, but I assure you that it still gets plenty cold. It was actually warm this morning (by warm, I mean 50ish), but a wind was kicking up and a cold front was moving through right during the race. Ominous clouds hung out on the horizon and the weather indicated that it was probably going to rain soon. It seems a bit cruel since rain in NM is rare, and today is just not a good day for it.
Thankfully, I was dressed in a ton of layers, bundled up to keep warm, and I lightly jogged in place to stay warm and ready to go.
FINALLY, it was time to begin. Right as the MC started talking, someone I had met recently noticed me and said an enthusiastic "hello!!!" and we kind of reintroduced ourselves. I can't even describe the feeling of relief at just knowing one other human being in this race. It felt nice to know someone, even if we weren't running together.
The horn finally blew, and I was standing way at the back because I'm not a fast runner. It's kind of as a way to be courteous of the faster runners who are competing, I stay out of their way knowing that they are just going to have to go around me if I start in front of them. You kind of have to walk forward for a while until people spread out and you can break into a jog. I always start off slow anyways. I feel like sprinting in the very beginning is not a good idea, you want to pace yourself and take it easy and steady.
The first mile was brutal. Almost all of it was up a steep hill going up the base of the mountainside. I had not trained on hills at ALL. What was I THINKING??? Lesson learned: you should always consider the terrain and the incline of your run, not just the distance. That was a rookie mistake, and not one I'll make again.
I hit my stride through the following miles. There were a lot of hills but they were manageable. I kept a fairly steady pace, and kept up easily with the people around me. I actually got to enjoy a lot of it at this point. People's Christmas decorations were cheerful, and the houses and yards on this street are fun to look at.
And then.... I hit about 4.5 miles. I wanted to DIE. It went from gentle hills to a constant upward hike. We were climbing higher into the mountains. Thus far I had run without stopping to walk. I was so determined to keep going without walking but I had to walk at this point. My poor legs were SCREAMING. Not only were we in a constant and unrelenting upward climb, but we were also running into a harsh New Mexico wind made even worse by intermittent bouts of light rain.
I just focused on getting halfway. I would take it one step at a time, and I vowed to make it to the turnaround point, and that was my immediate goal. I try not to think about all the miles I have left, I just think, "almost halfway...." or "almost 3/4 of the way", it helps break it down into manageable pieces.
When I hit the turnaround point, it was all downhill for a while and it was glorious!!!! I cannot even begin to say how nice it was to just build up some momentum and run down the slope. I tried to use it to get some speed but without losing good form or putting too much pressure on my legs. It was amazing though, I was able to run another 2-3 miles straight without stopping, a welcome reward after running uphill for so long.
We proceeded to run through the mountain park in which we get to see the iconic "Lady of the Mountain". It really does look like a woman lying on the horizon. This was my favorite part of the entire run. The mountain park is so pretty, a paved pathway with scenic picnic areas and pretty cacti all along the path.
The last 2 miles were awful. I felt like nomatter how far I ran, At the same time though, I felt so proud, I made it this far and I was going to finish. My husband and my sons kept stopping along the route to cheer me on. Seeing three of the people I love the very most cheering and my little boys saying they loved me.... words cannot describe the happiness that gave me.
Finally, I was headed back down that steep hill I ran up in the beginning. At this point I didn't get a lot of relief from the descent. My body was about spent. I was ready to stop but I could see the finish line now. No stopping, I told myself to keep going.
Finally, FINALLY FINALLY..... I stepped through the arc and heard the little chip beep as I made my way through at 3:03:53. A woman handed me my finishers medal. I didn't even put it around my neck, I just smiled, thanked her and headed towards my husband and kids. We got into the car. Relief. Warmth. I'm done.
I went home, took a long, hot shower, ate a huge salad (yes, that's what I was craving; a giant salad with grilled chicken), and took a four hour nap.
It has been over 48 hours since I started my race at this point, and I am still sore. I feel like I got hit by a bus, but I also feel a little badass. That feeling of pride hasn't faded a bit and it reminds me of what I'm capable of doing.
There was a time I couldn't even run a single block. Now I can run 13.1 miles (with some walking sprinkled in). That is a major accomplishment, and made all the good moments and the difficult moments totally worth it.
I am an average person. I'm not very tall, I'm not thin, I'm not a stereotypical runner. If I can do it, I would venture to say that almost anyone can. If you can dream it, you can do it.
Now I need to figure out what's next. Immediately, I want to recover and start "Hammer and Chisel", and hopefully train for Air Force PT testing. Ultimately though, I want to start leaning out and building up muscle. I am done being flabby. I'm done feeling weighed down by the extra fat hanging on to my frame. I am ready to get it off, and that is going to take a lot of dedication and work, but I WILL do it, just like I finished this Half-marathon. One step at a time.
No comments:
Post a Comment