I MADE IT!

Woohoo! I made it!
After 2 hours and 42 minutes of running in very cold (we're talking high 30s here) weather, I finished 13.1 miles. Obviously, I'm not going to be winning any races anytime soon with that time but I'm incredibly proud of it! I was hoping to finish, period. Finishing 13 minutes sooner than I had hoped was incredible.
The feeling I got when I crossed the finish line was AH-mazing. Knowing that I had accomplished this goal for myself and had raised over $3,000 for a fantastic cause was completely overwhelming. Beyond that, I knew my Dad was with me, looking down at me making that face he made when you could tell he was really proud of you but didn't have the words to express it. I loved that face, and I know he had it at 10:43 am on Saturday.
If it were possible for me to put into words how grateful I am for the support that people gave me throughout this process, I would say them. But I know that the words are not enough. All I can say is that my heart is bursting. When I had times during the race where I felt tired I thought of the 40+ people who contributed to my fundraising efforts and the many more who were supportive with their words and thoughts.
I'll post photos and more play by play about the race soon!

Getting Nervous

By this time tomorrow I will hopefully have completed a half marathon. One might think this is a comforting thought. It's not...it's terrifying. I have been feeling confident this week and then woke up in the middle of the night tossing and turning, getting very nervous about the race. It also is pretty cold here today and is supposed to be around the same tomorrow. I'm not crazy about the idea of running in the cold. I'm a running weeny, so cold will not help. I think I'll do fine, but I'm still getting SUPER nervous. AGH!

If I can run 10 miles, I can do anything

I had my final long run this Sunday- 10 miles. I had a pretty awful running week previous to my long run so my confidence and morale was VERY low. It was a gorgeous day- 65 degrees, sunny and minimal wind- so the odds were in my favor. The question was if my mental state would do its job.
With a little help from my pit stop boy (my boyfriend who was visiting for the weekend) I finally made it through the 10 miles. The first 2 miles were challenging and I truly believed I would never finish. After that something just kicked in and I found the zone. I ran for about the next 6 miles with minimal stops. A few breaks for water and GU aside, I was a running machine. Mile 8 was a bit more challenging and mile 9 was an all out battle, but I finished strong and felt amazing.
I can't believe I am capable of running 10 miles! I never thought I could do it and now that I have, I know I can run 13.
Another huge motivating factor? The phenomenal support of my family and friends in my efforts to raise money for the American Cancer Society. To date, I've raised over $2,500. It's amazing that people believe in me and believe in my cause. I'm overwhelmed.