On Friday night I came across a post on facebook looking for someone to purchase a race-bib for a 1/2 marathon on Sunday. Didn't think much of it. A few minutes later another post popped up saying that someone else also had a bib for sale due to an injury and how 2 friends should run it together. I hurried and sent them both a message to see if they were still available and then shot my hubby a text asking, "Want to run a 1/2 marathon on Sunday?"
My hubby replied with "lol. where?" Long story short, we bought the bibs. We got them for less than half what they had paid and quickly made plans for a babysitter for the kids and arranged a carpool with another couple who were also running the race. Saturday morning we ran the Bubble Run as a family, Saturday afternoon/evening I worked, and Sunday we raced.
Mind you, neither of us had trained to run 13.1 miles. We were individually getting in a run or two a week, maybe 2-4 miles at most. We did a 9 mile race back in early March and it nearly killed us. But...my husband is a great sport and agreed to go for it. We agreed prior to the race that we'd each run at our own pace and then meet at the finish line.
Race morning came, we got dressed and out the door to meet up with our friends. We got there quick and made it to the starting line with plenty of time. I already knew I wouldn't be running with my hubby and quickly learned that our friend were planning on running as much as they could and then would stop when tired. I run intervals. Right now I am at a pace where I run 2 minutes, walk a minute and then just repeat that for whatever distance I am going. Its what works for me.
I had texted with another friend who was at the race and initially she had said she'd do my intervals with me so we could run together. When I met her at the start, she had changed her mind. I knew what worked for me and I knew it was a much longer distance than I was prepared for so I set my mind/body to doing my 2:1 intervals from the beginning.
When running in a big race, everyone starts out strong. The crowd is exciting, its usually pretty cold out and you just feel invincible at the beginning. It is so tempting to go out full-speed, to run your heart out from the get-go. I get it. Stopping to walk 2 minutes into a race feels lame. It feels so weak and stupid. I ran about 5 minutes from the starting line just to gain some space and then settled into my intervals.
Surprisingly, the race was GREAT! I felt good! Sure, it was tiring but not at all as bad as I had anticipated. I stuck with my pace and ended up passing the pacers I started with and made it to the finish line ahead of our friends. Not that any of that mattered at all. I wasn't out there to set records but my goal was just to finish. I was hoping maybe I could make it in under 3 hours but I really had no idea what my time or pace would be as I hadn't trained.
There were a few times I walked through a run interval but for the most part, I felt strong. I finished well and I couldn't help but feel such an amazing sense of accomplishment at my race that morning. Most days I don't feel like a runner. I feel like an imposter, wearing the fun gear. But Sunday, I felt legit. I felt strong. I felt like I was finally back to the running world. Compared to most, I was still pretty slow, but I am so stinkin proud of my time and my race. I was so much stronger than I thought.
So often we underestimate our abilities, we short-change ourselves. It things like my race on Sunday that remind me that I am capable of so much more than I give myself credit for! God has created my body and has made me strong and able to accomplish so much more than I ever think possible! Sunday for me, was a reminder of just how much is possible if I can just set my mind on a goal and not give up. It is so easy to quit, to take shortcuts, to talk myself out of things. But I can do it. HE gives me the strength I need for each day...whether it be running 13.1 miles or just keeping up with my kids...HE is with me and HE strengthens me.
