Enjoying the Journey...

It has been over a month and here I am, embarrassingly, providing my recap from the race. Actually yesterday was one month exactly since the race. No, it hasn't taken me this long to recover. It did take a few days however to get through that soreness and thaw out from the cold snap that hit Nashville that weekend. As you might have already read from Samantha and Toni, you know about the fun friends that the weather brought with it for the weekend- Rainy and Cold. I won't linger on those guys... Just know it was really cold and really rainy.

So what is my opinion/recap of the race? It was fabulous! And I'm not just saying that. This was my second half-marathon. I ran the 2012 Rock-N-Roll in New Orleans as well. Which was better? Despite the weather, Nashville was so much more enjoyable- mentally and physically for me. I loved the race in NOLA and it was amazing because it was my first half, but I felt so much confident and prepared for Nashville. Yes, I was a little worried about the hills and probably over thought them during the training, but in all honesty, the race and course was great! As Toni stated, our motto/thought was "Charge the hills" and that's what we did. I was really excited to set a new personal record (even with those dreaded hills) shaving 10 minutes off my NOLA time. 2012 finish time: 2:26:55. 2013 finish time: 2:16:21. Makes me wonder what I could have done without the hills...

I think everyone has different favorites about the race, but my favorite (both times) has to be the people. It's a pretty amazing sight to see THOUSANDS of people from all different backgrounds and lifestyles coming together to run- whatever their reason, we were running (get that imagine of Forest Gump out your mind). Many worked hard to raise money for St. Jude's. Some showed up to achieve PRs (which everyone in our group of 5 completed-- yay us!). Others came to win. Some just wanted to prove they could do it and finish. Others ran because they have been affected by cancer in some form or fashion or know someone who has. Some were checking items off the bucket list of their life. Many probably completed a lifetime goal. Some used it as a qualifier for another race. Regardless, running was the common denominator. The support from the city is also awe-inspiring. The support from spectators makes running through the streets of Nashville pretty spectacular. Encouragement from strangers, to me, is touching. It's quite obvious that running a half-marathon is physically demanding, but what I forget is how emotionally rewarding it is as well.

Our true colors shining through...

Now that we have finished this goal of running together, who knows what the next challenge will be. Perhaps we didn't get enough of the wet from the rain in Nashville because a training schedule for a triathlon sprint has been spread, and we can now be found splashing in the pool occasionally.... Hmm... we will see.

What's fun is now I can ask "Remember the time we all ran that half-marathon together?', and NOT have to do any convincing. That doesn't mean there won't be other challenges/adventures along the road.

One major take-away from this experience (can you tell I'm in education with that??) is to appreciate the training required to get to the finish line. I don't think I fully appreciated the training for my first half. This time around I really enjoyed the actual training and miss it already. I'm ready for the next goal, for the next thing on tap- whatever it may be... Triathlon? Biking through Ireland? Those are definitely happening. And this time, I know to appreciate the time it takes to get to the end.

I’ve Got the Bug

Tomorrow will be exactly four weeks since our half-marathon. I can’t believe it. It’s still funny to be like, “yeah, I ran a half-marathon”. That happened…in the rain, no less. Sam wrote a fantastic description of what THAT was like, and the general feel of the route here.

For me, I didn’t know what to expect. This was my first half. And it was in Nashville…with hills. We had gotten much better at hills and our mentality about them (new rule: CHARGE the hill!) over the last few weeks before the run, but I wasn’t sure how they would compare. It was very cold, and very early, and very rainy, when we parked. And when we lined up. And when we waited. And while we ran, and well, you get it. But really, once we started running, I wasn’t thinking about the rain. I was watching the mass of people’s bobbing heads in front of me, and the people drinking champagne under their umbrellas and cheering on the side, and the random guy on his porch playing music and yelling encouragement by himself as people ran past. I had no idea running a half-marathon would be such amazing people-watching!!!

I also didn’t expect to feel how I felt physically. I felt sort of like the energizer bunny. Like, I could keep going, and going, and going. I certainly can’t say I was sad when the full-marathon route split from the half and I got to go to the right, but I did think, “hmm….maybe…one day…” (ack! I’m hooked). Before we even ran, whilst we were all wandering around the expo, we were talking about doing a sprint triathalon, and found a booth for something called RAGNAR (potentially more on this later). Yep. I’m pretty sure we’ve all got the bug. That kind of constant desire for a goal to work towards, finding different and preferably interesting ways to push ourselves. I know I do, at least.

When we finished the race, it was freezing. Our bodies didn't have much left to keep heat in and with the cold + rain we were all in danger of some level of hypothermia. But we had still finished. And it was fun. And I want to do it again. And I can’t imagine a better group of wonderful friends and ladies to do it with (whenever we can make it happen with our schedules!). So we’re working towards some different things, and training in some different ways, and who knows where this journey will continue to lead us or how it will change us (and already has). And it’s funny, because it really was Just for Kicks…;)