It got down to the weeks leading up to the race and the most common question I got was, "what's your longest run?" Uh... 6 miles. This answer was usually looked at as far from sufficient, but I remained positive and was realistic about the task in front of me. The week of the race came, and with life pushing and pulling me i got one, one mile run in.
Friday I was going down to Provo to meet my Aunt and sleep over for the night, I started to get a little nervous, wondering if I should back out. Then i thought why? I can do this, i have always wanted to run a half-marathon and injuries and total lack of time had taken that from me, but now i am signed up and i am doing this!
So 5:00 A.M. my alarm went off, I got dressed, put my Mockingjay pin on, braided my hair like Katniss, and laced up my running shoes. (oh did i not mention it was the Provo Halloween Half, and you are supposed to dress up) Suzie wore a cat hat and a tail, we headed out into the freezing dark morning to the meet up with the buses. Once we were one the bus, there was no turning back, we were let out at the Sundance resort, and then were made to walk up this steep hill in the dark, not cool. I kept thinking to myself, this is like the beginning of a horror movie! haha we don't know where they are taking us in the dark, maybe it was the dark, the cold, or my total lack of sleep that made me think that, but i won't pretend i wasn't nervous.
We got up to the holding tent at about 6:30, the race didn't start until 9, i still have no idea why they made us wait around for that long before the race but we did, it was so fun to see every one's costumes. Some people were crazy running in masks, with heavy props, wigs, makeup, some people really got into it was a fun atmosphere.
At 9:30 it was time for our wave, we lined up at the starting line, and they sent us off. The first half mile is a steep down hill, you are pretty much forced to run, and the decline is killer on the knees. Suz and I stayed together, down the frigged but beautiful Provo canyon for about the first four miles and then i headed out on my own pace. I was so focused on my run and my pace that i didn't dare to put my headphones in and ruin my groove. haha. I kept a solid pace slowly making my way past people here, getting passed by people there. I was so content, more relaxed then i ever have been on a run. The route took us right passed Bridal Veil Falls, I had never seen it before and it was gorgeous.
At mile seven i couldn't believe how good i felt, i kept running, not having stopped yet, at mile eight they, so sweetly, threw in an incline, so up the hill I went for a mile, and saw the pacers for the 3 hour 1/2 and I knew i was shooting for under three hours so i hurried past them and to widen the gap between me and 3 hours. At the top of the hill we had to turn back around and come back down it. I hadn't stopped yet, I kept telling myself positive things in the rhythm of my steps, and it wasn't until mile 10 that the pain started setting in.
At mile 10 i felt a blister forming on the pad of my left foot, that was a long mile. I hit eleven and people were cheering, "you only have 2 miles left!" so i thought why would i stop running now, two miles is nothing, but those last two miles were the longest of my life! The pain, the aches, the heat, the total lack of sleep, but i kept going, kept running, kept chanting positive mantras to myself.
My watch ended up being off by about .27of a mile, so when i thought i had hit mile 12, according to my watch i was pumped, then when i finally saw the mile 12 sign i thought i might break down, but i shook it off and hoped i could see the finish line soon! No such luck, it was tucked away, never to be seen! Half a mile left, there are these two cute old people with cow bells telling me i am almost there. haha i laughed, that's what those blasted 11 mile people told me! I saw the sign, 13, only .10 to go, I am going, and then I see the the finish line and the pacer stops and says go! And I don't know how I did it, but I sprinted as fast as I could to the end, got my medal, held onto anything I could find for support, and found somewhere to sit and stretch and call my parents.
I had done it, I had run the whole thing in under 2:30, with extremely minimal training, and it was a big old check off my bucket list, i am still on a high from it, my body on the other hand hates me right now, but it will get over it! I had so much fun, my Aunt Suz, came in just about 10 minutes after me.
It was such a good experience for me, the wanna-be runner to be able to do something I never really thought I could do, but have always wanted. Sweet victory.
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