Big D

Crystal and I ran our half-marathon Sunday. The run began at Fair Park, continued to White Rock Lake, through parts of Highland Park, and ended back in Fair Park. The forecast was predicting thunderstorms, but the day was beautiful. There was just enough wind to keep us cool during our run. Although the sun was out, most of the race was shaded by the trees at the lake and in the neighborhoods.

I began "training" in February, so I really didn't have much time to prepare. My main goal was to finish the 13.1 miles without dying. I'm not a fast runner, so I was expecting my time to be around 3 hours and 30 min. Surprisingly I finished in 3 hours and 2 seconds. Not to shabby, but not anything to brag about either. However, the three hours did include a 15 minute wait for the bathroom at mile 3. I managed to run the entire time with an exception of the water breaks. Crystal finished in 2 hours and 27 minutes. I am so proud of her! She has worked so hard this year to change her lifestyle, and both nutritionally and physically she has been successful.

There were many times when I wanted to quit, especially toward the end of the race. But, with the support and encouragement from the other runners, I was able to finish. Crossing the finish line was such a relief and a sense of accomplishment. I received my finisher medal and headed straight to the GatorAde! My feet were killing me and my body was exhausted. My feet started cramping during mile 12, and by this point I could barely stand to have my shoes on. I have no idea how people complete the full marathon. I have so much respect for them!

Ryan came out to support me. On the way home all I wanted was a shower and a nap. I was so thankful he talked me into going out to eat. We went to Luigi's, a little hole in the wall Italian joint in Denton, and I loaded up on carbs. I wasn't hungry, but after eating, I definitely had more energy.

The next morning I woke up expecting that I would not be able to move. To my surprise, my body was fine, but my feet were still killing me. The ligaments in my feet were spent. I figured I would have to borrow the wheel chair from the school nurse or have one of my students push me around in my rolling chair. I hobbled around for two days, but they are progressively getting better.

This was a great experience, and I'm looking forward to finding another race to run. I'm not sure I'll do a half-marathon again anytime soon, but I'd like to find a 5K to keep me motivated.