Sunday, April 26, 2009

I DID IT!

If you've been reading my blog from the beginning, you may recall this post I made about goals I wanted to one day accomplish. Number 7 on that list was to run a half marathon, and after this weekend, that one was checked off my list! :)
The half marathon was GREAT. As I crossed the finish line I realized that all of my training had really paid off! My goal was to not only finish the race, but do it without stopping a single time. Even during water breaks and such, my feet kept on moving! I didn't stop one single time.My mom was a real trooper throughout the entire weekend. I couldn't have done it without her!....and Shannon! She was there to cheer me on, too! I had the best time hanging out with her and was so glad to have her there.

Now, it's questionable if I'll run another half-marathon, but if I do, I've already compiled a list of things I want to do differently next time. Perhaps this will help you if you're hoping to run one sometime in the future!:
1. wear a sports watch! I HATED not knowing the time while I was running.
2. wear my ipod! There were bands playing throughout a good bit of the race, but there were also periods of "quiet time," when I needed a little pump up music to keep me going! I listened to my ipod all throughout my training and although I enjoyed all that went on during the race, I missed having it.
3. wear my NAME on my shirt! So many people had their names written on their shirts, so people watching could cheer them on! Somehow I think if I'd heard random people saying "GO LT!" throughout the race, it would have been a huge encouragement to me while I was running! :)
4. run with somebody! Although I generally prefer running by myself and I trained entirely by myself, there was a good bit of down time before the race when it would have been nice to have somebody to talk to. I arrived at the race around 5:45 am, rode a shuttle to the starting line, and had to wait for over an hour before the race actually started. It got a little boring being by myself.
5. have more specific plans about WHERE to meet friends/family after the race! Even though I knew there would be 30,000+ people running in the race, I had NO IDEA how many people would be there just watching it and supporting their friends! The crowd was a little intimidating. It literally took me 45 minutes to find Mom and Shannon after I was finished running!
Now I know.
Finally, I leave you with a picture of the newest addition in Shannon's family. She got this adorable little guy the day before I got there, and he's only 7 weeks old. His name is Titan and he's a boxer. I wanted to take him home with me, but Shannon wouldn't let me. Look at that face!

Thanks for keeping up with my running journey these past 4 months! I'm here to tell you that even though my training was very regimented and tough at times, it was totally worth it to say that my goal was accomplished! Today I feel a little like I've been pushed off a cliff, so I'm looking forward to NOT running for a few days!

I hope YOU have a wonderful week!

21 comments:

Laura @ Our Messy Messy Life said...

Yay it's over!!! If you are like me, you'll never run again....but, I don't think you are like me in that respect.

That's crazy that you didn't have any pee stops. How did you do that???

Katie said...

Congrats Laura! Great job!!!!!!

A Southern Girl said...

Congrats! That's awesome! Thanks for your sweet comment and prayers...

Alison said...

Congratulations! How awesome!!

Unknown said...

go go yaya!!!! me, you, kristen - next year!!!

Unknown said...

i just realized i committed to something via the blog. I can only commit if toilets are plentiful on the run.

Kelli said...

Congratulations on completing your 1/2 marathon! That's awesome. I don't blame you for taking some time off! What a great feeling to have accomplished that goal!

The Vineyards said...

Of course you DID IT!!!! Congratulations LT!! And now every time you look at your medal you'll remember all the hard work and discipline that went into getting it! And I know that once you get some good rest you'll be ready to tackle it again! I'll be expecting you in Jackson in June for the Renaissance Half!

So proud for you,
Scarlett

The Stringers said...

horray!

The Segrest Family said...

you go girl! so proud of you!!!!

Anonymous said...

Congrats! You did it! I am proud of you! And jealous---Not sure if I could run all the way down my street or not! Thanks for the comment about Isabella! She felt better today! Love--Erika Allison

The Lively's said...

YAY Laura!!! What an accomplishment...something I hope to do one day too.

Crystal Garcia said...

YAY! Congratulations!

Tricia said...

way to go LT!

The Dumas Clan said...

U did it! Congratulations!

Tennille said...

Way to go LT!!!!!!

Congratulations-what an inspiration you are:)

mary straton said...

hooray yaya! you are a star!

are you sleepy?

The Andersons said...

YAY for you! I love the pictures! SO proud! :)

Colby and Daniel said...

Congratulations on your accomplishment. I could never imagine running that!

Tracy~ said...

Congratulations, Laura! That is a huge accomplishment and you should feel proud of yourself! :)

Melanie said...

Congrats!!!!!!!!!!