Been There. Run That 13.1 Miles

"In running, it doesn't matter whether you come in first, middle of the pack, or last. You can say, 'I finished.' There is a lot of satisfaction in that." ~Fred Lebow

photo by: E. S. Brown, Jr

I can proudly say that I ran my first half marathon and I accomplished my goal of running all 13.1 miles without walking. Since this was my first, I had nothing to compare it to besides running a 10K through the Marine Corps Marathon. I know for sure that sticking to the training plan for 12 weeks got me to the finish line and my body wasn't sore for several days.

The day before the race, my husband and I met at Bertucci's Italian Restaurant in Springfield, VA for our carbo-load. In addition to their warm delicious rolls, I ordered the Shrimp Rossini; sauteed shrimp in a spicy tomato sauce tossed with spaghetti. He enjoyed the Lobster and Basil with Smoked Mozzarella Ravioli. For breakfast, I ate oatmeal sweetened with honey and a banana. The goal was to eat something light, easy to digest and filling. May be I was a bit anxious because I wasn't able to eat everything.

photo by: Mrs. O

We took our spot in the expected finish time of 2:30 - 2:59. We figured we'd finish in that time since it took us about two hours to run ten miles. While waiting in line, we chatted and cracked jokes with people around us. The funniest was that all the runners paid a fee and got up early to run 13.1 miles.

Marines and civilians cheered for the runners under clear blue skies and cool temperatures. I got the most energy when we ran past musicians or spectators who were giving free high fives. I also feel that I connected with spectators on a personal level when we made eye contact and smiled at each other. Although there were times the run was challenging, I remembered to smile and say thank you to those were were cheering.

The energy of the crowd and the sights and sounds along the course made the miles seem to fly by mile after mile. In addition to running the entire course, my goal was to take advantage of every water station along the way. I alternated between water and gatorade. I felt that as long as I stayed hydrated, I'd have good energy to the finish line.

photo by Mrs. O

I almost cried when I saw mile marker 13. I was filled with joy that I was able to run the entire course. I threw fist pumps in the air and sometimes raised my hands up in celebration. Looking back, I had fun and I'll run the Marine Corps Historic Half again next year. I'll run during the summer but it won't be as many miles as I did during my training. I missed attending group fitness classes and I'm glad I can go back to the gym more than once a week. My next half marathon will be the Woodrow Wilson Bridge Half Marathon in October. Here's to your health!