I Did It!

Several months ago, my friend Maria sent out an email asking who would be interested in joining her for a half marathon in November. She suggested we all come for a sleepover the night before the race. The idea of me ever being capable of running 13.1 miles was unthinkable. Yet I still thought about it. Mostly, I didn't want to miss out on the sleepover!

At that time, I think the longest distance I had ever run was about 4 miles. Adding 9 more seemed kind of unrealistic for me, since I had trouble running very far without gasping for air and stopping to walk.

About 2 months ago, I was still toying with the idea, and one night I told "someone" I was planning on going for it. I wanted to try it and see if I could do it. "Someone" was very skeptical of my ability, saying it wasn't likely I would be able to run that far since I wasn't very experienced and wasn't improving much. Plus I was only running sporadically. I certainly wouldn't have enough time to get ready, or enough strength to complete a 13.1 mile run. Well, I decided right then and there that I was indeed going to run this half marathon. I didn't appreciate being told I wasn't capable of doing it, and there was no way I was going to say, "Yeah, you're right. I shouldn't try to do anything that might be hard."

My "training" wasn't based on any program. I didn't have time for that. I just ran a few times a week, trying to increase my distance each time. It wasn't long before I felt myself improving. Soon I could run without my mouth hanging open. I had never been able to comfortably breathe through my nose while running, so this was a major milestone. About three weeks before the race, I still hadn't gone any further than 6-7 miles. I might add that the only way I could measure my distance was to drive the route and check the odometer. I mostly ran on the greenbelt, so I really had no clue how far I was going, since driving minivans on the greenbelt is sort of frowned upon. I just knew I was adding a mile or two every time.

Time was "running" out, and I hadn't even practiced ascending any hills, which I knew were included in the race. I ditched the greenbelt and started running from our apartment to as far as I could up Old Horseshoe Bend Road and back home. That was the closest, hilliest stretch I could think of, although it's not actually very steep. The week before the race I ran 8.4 miles. I felt so accomplished!

Three days before the race I was getting nervous and wanted to do one more run to see how far I could go. That morning, I had sent an email to Juli, a weathered marathon runner who was coming from Idaho Falls for the race. I asked her what I should be doing the last few days to properly prepare for the race. I sent the email and left for my run, which ended up being 12.7 miles. Later, when I checked my email, there was a reply from Juli. She said I was supposed to be tapering off my running this week, resting up. Uh.... Oops. Good thing I am a machine. ;)

Before I knew it, it was the day before the race! At about 8pm, I went over to Maria's house so the party could begin. Maria actually didn't end up registering for the race due to an upcoming knee surgery. Bummer! She was the one who lured us into doing the race, and she didn't get to run it after all. What a trickster. But she was kind enough to make good on her original sleepover offer, so we forgave her. When we (Maria, Renee, Juli, Joni and Yours Truly) had all gathered, we went out to Shari's for a late dinner. Our options were limited since it was getting late, so we chose a place we used to go. My food was terrible, but the PB/chocolate milkshake was good enough, so it wasn't a total loss. And it was fun chatting and goofing off with old (old as in tried and true, not old as in feeble) friends from high school. I love how we can go weeks, months or years without seeing each other and then pick up right where we left off. It's definitely a treat.

After we ate, we went back to Maria's and continued swapping stories. We watched a video of us that we'd made at Maria's parents' house during the summer of 1998. I looked absolutely terrible. My bangs were SO BAD, for so many years. What was I thinking back then? I was afraid to grow them out because I didn't feel comfortable with my forehead showing. If I would have just combed them to the side and let them grow out I could have looked so much better. (Sorry, that's just been one of my biggest regrets. I'll stop ranting about my past hair fiascoes now.) Anyway, the video featured us modeling random swimsuits that we'd found at the house, then dancing "freestyle" in a cluster. The suit Maria made me put on was hideous! It was the most unflattering thing in the universe. It had padding in the bust area and the elastic around the legs was shot. It made all my curves look grandma-ish. I had some fashionable jogging pants on over the suit, and wore a short, curly wig and a scarf around my neck. And I danced lazily for the camera. It was fun to see how different we all looked back then. After we got done watching, we wondered why we hadn't thought to make a new video instead of watching an old one! =)

We didn't end up going to sleep until 4am. Juli assured us that the sleep we get the night before the race doesn't matter, but the sleep from the night before that. Either way, I was probably screwed... We got up at 7:30 and got ready so we could go pick up our packets. The race course started and ended at the Boise Optimist Fields. We got there with plenty of time to get our stuff, pin on our numbers and eat the donuts and hot chocolate provided. Yum! We were all very nervous that we we'd have to poop during the race. I don't know about the other girls, but I got everything taken care of about an hour before start time. What a relief! I know, TMI... but it was a legitimate concern that ended victoriously.

I was surprised to see how many other female participants had on full makeup. I think I was one of the only ones who didn't come looking ready for a day at the mall. I sure felt homely. Not only do I feel uncomfortable in public without makeup, but my hair was up in a pony tail, and that is my least becoming look. It would help if I had distinguishable eyebrows. Oh well.

Soon it was 10:00. Start time. Ready or not, here it came! Everyone had a timing chip on the back of their race number that would give start and end time, pace, etc. When runners stepped on the pad thingy at the start line, it started their time. When they crossed it again at the finish, it stopped the timing chip. I am always astounded by the technology these days.

As we began the race, Juli and Joni were off like the wind, and Renee and I stuck together. We saw Maria just around the corner on the side of the road, (with her 1-year-old, Kenley) cheering us on. She yelled stuff like, "Go Shannon! Go Renee! You're winning!" It was a fun surprise to see her. I wouldn't have blamed her at all if she'd decided to stay in bed a few more hours since we were up so late. But she chose to be there to support us the whole way.

I loved hearing hundreds of running shoes rhythmically pattering on the ground around me. It was something I'd never heard before. It was awesome. Moments before, I realized my Ipod had not been adequately charged and would therefore not be my soundtrack for the long run ahead. It was an instant of panic, but the panic was quickly replaced by the thought that I didn't want to miss all the sounds of the race itself. Renee's Ipod was working just fine, but that meant she couldn't hear all my witty commentary along the way. She totally missed out.

I think the actual race was way easier than running by myself. It made a huge difference seeing each mile marker, knowing how far I'd gone and how far I still had to go, having water or Gatorade offered by volunteers every couple of miles, and just being surrounded by all the other contestants. There were people along the road cheering on the runners. Strangers rooting for us, encouraging us. Maria kept appearing at different points on the route, taking pictures and giving cat calls. All those people and things made the run easier than I would have ever thought possible.


That's Renee in the orange, me to her right. I don't know who the other gal is, but doesn't her skin tone look nasty compared to mine? ;) Also, I think my eyebrows must have disintegrated when I wiped my forehead a few miles into the race.


Here is Juli, looking awfully cute.


Joni looking strong. And cute.


Another shot of me with Renee. Why does it look like we're walking? I was trying to see if I could run the entire time. The only time I slowed to a walk was at each drink station so I wouldn't spill my Dixie cup, and we fast-walked up a couple of the steeper hills. But once I'm running, if I stop to walk it makes my knees want to buckle, so I try to keep a nice, easy pace. And we fully appreciated the downhill parts!

As we came down the last hill and around the corner, I could see the finish line. I started to get choked up realizing I had done it, then picking Ryan and the kids out of the crowd was neat. Two hours, 23 minutes and 59 seconds after I started, I crossed the finish line. It was a great feeling. I pushed back the emotion so I wouldn't look like a sap in front of everyone.

Here we are with our finisher's shirts, happy the race we had fretted about was over.

If someone had asked me a year ago if I'd ever consider running a half marathon, I probably would have laughed and said no way! I'm glad I did it. I don't know for sure, but I just might consider doing it again someday . . . . but only if there is a sleepover involved.

Moral of the story: If you want to do something you never thought you could do, go for it! And don't let anyone say you can't.