My Half Martyrthon

Word to the wise: don't run a half-marathon when you really, really, really have to pee.


Other signs you should not get up and run 13 miles:


1. You're sick with sinus crud.
2. You're working on about 6 hours of sleep in the last 48 hours.
3. You're in mourning.


All three happened to me (plus the having to pee) and I did it anyway, which I think qualifies my first half marathon as my first 

Half-Martyrthon.

The conditions under which I ran my race were not ideal. I was sick, tired, and my family had been dealt a series of blows that had us all walking around like zombies.  So completing it in 2 hours 18 minutes felt like the hardest thing I had ever done.


That being said, I will definitely do it again.  The distance, not the family drama part. I have to imagine that completing the race when I am well-rested and not fighting a respiratory infection would be incredible, and I want that experience.  My sister and I crossed the finish line at the exact same second, and it was a huge triumph for us and a wonderful experience to have with her.


The race was tough. I train on hills, so I was excited about the flat course ahead of me.  Running without hills was a dream, it was sooooo nice.  The weather was sunny and cool, but warm near the end.  It was really great weather.  My sister and I discussed family drama, an upcoming wedding, and near the end, how much I needed to pee.  I owe her another huge hug for her encouragement.  I seriously needed to pee, yall.


I have to give 15 thumbs up for in-race fueling. I tucked a Lara Bar into my pants (I never did get any race pants with pockets sewn in so I made do with a ziplock bag with the top hanging over my waistband) and at mile 6.5 munched on that. I got a burst of energy that was amazing. At mile 9 I ate another bit of it, and finally at mile 12 I popped the last piece in my mouth.  Will definitely be doing that again.


Mile 8 is where things got really hard. We were running into the sun, the pavement was rock hard, and there was no shade to speak of.  The rest of the race was very mental for me.  Like I said, I reallllllly needed to pee. Like, I am not even exaggerating.


We came into the finish line under our predicted 2.5 hour time to our cheering family and received our commemorative half marathon finisher bottle opener.  Only in Louisiana!  LOL  It's really nice though.





All in all, it was rough. I'm not gonna lie. But I think it was outside influences that made it that way - it had been a real doozy of a week, folks.  So of course we have another one planned in December, and this time my brother is running with us.  Can we beat our time?  Pshaw!  You know it!


Honestly, thinking about all of you and your well-wishes kept me going through a lot of it.  Thank you for being such a great cheering squad on all of my adventures; it is a real blessing to have such wonderful people to share these experiences with.  


Now it's your turn - what can I cheer you on for?  What is your big experience?  


Good day!  I'm going back to bed. :)