Today was the big day! Twelve weeks in the making.

Going into today, I wasn’t that excited. Let’s remember, last week I couldn’t even make it through my 10 mile run without walk/jogging parts of it. I was also fearful that today’s weather would be similar to yesterday’s (rainy, windy, and chilly which is definitely not running-friendly weather) but I was pleasantly surprised that today turned out to be warm-ish and sunny.

Run Day started off with a hiccup. Although Kait and I had made a checklist, packed everything I needed and packed other things I might need just to be on the safe side, I forgot an important piece of my running equipment; my phone. There was no way that I would be able to run 13.1 miles without music to listen to or my trusty RunKeeper app telling me my pace every half mile. Kait was kind enough to go back to my house to get my phone so I wouldn’t have to run without my motivation. She is wonderful.

Once the race started, I wasn’t feeling great. My joints felt stiff. My first mile was 10:49 which is ridiculously slow for me when I usually run at a 9:30 pace. I didn’t want to rush myself though. This was a big deal and one of the goals I set for myself prior to the race was that I wanted to run the entire race and not have to walk/jog it like the one in June. I also set the goal for myself that I wanted to beat my previous time of 2:20:32. It wasn’t until about mile four that I started falling into my rhythm. In regards to time, my miles were staying pretty consistent, between 9:44 and 10:06. At mile 7, I got to see my cheering squad. They were there taking pictures and yelling for me as we entered one of the MetroParks. 

 About every two miles, there was a water stop but because I was feeling so good, I never took any. I have always had a problem drinking while running, or even walking. I must not be that coordinated. I knew that if I stopped to drink, I would loose my groove and would most likely walk/jog the rest of the race. I really didn’t want to do that. I just kept chugging along. The views during this race were great and I wish I had taken pictures as I went. We ran on this path along the lake, we also ran near the marina and the lagoons.

Today, I finished the race in 2:10:56. I cut nine minutes off of my previous time and I am really proud of myself. My next step is to set some new goals because in just three short weeks training will start again. Griffith Park Half Marathon in Los Angeles, here I come!