Can I Just Say How Awesome I Am?

So here I am just 2 minutes before the start of my very first half-marathon. Just to give you a little background, running has only recently become a hobby of mine. About 2 months after I had Zoe, I started a modified version of the couch to 5k program, which I highly recommend for beginners. When I started, running 1 city block was a challenge. Really. But after doing the couch to 5k, I was able to jog 3 miles without stopping, which was huge for me. I enjoyed running because I could just put the kids in the stroller and go... I got my exercise and they got some fresh air after being trapped indoors all winter.

Then one day I was browsing in Walmart, killing time while Greg was in a dentist appointment, and I noticed a cover story on the March issue of Fitness magazine, entitled, "Yes, YOU Can Run A Half-Marathon". I bought the magazine, and read the article. The proposed training plan was for anyone who could run 2+ miles without stopping. That was me! In April I bought my first pair of real running shoes, and a double jogger marketed for "serious" runners.I began following the training program religiously, rain or shine, all the while falling deeper and deeper in love with the sport.When I finished the program, I still had some time before race day, so I began following the advanced "Race in Record Time" version of the Fitness Magazine program, which includes hill training and speed intervals. It kicked my ass, but felt AMAZING at the same time.

So here I am. 5 1/2 months after giving birth, down 12 lbs from my pre-pregnancy weight, and in the best shape of my life. Here I am, a beginner, really, standing at the starting line of a 13.1 mile race, and not a flat and fast one either. This is the Fairfield Half-Marathon, and here is the course map, if you're interested. Those hills are no joke.

I wish I had an after picture, but I was too busy trying not to pass out to whip out my camera phone. I can tell you that as I was climbing those hills, a couple of things were going through my head. 1) Wow, this is a picnic compared to pushing 45 lbs. of kids and 25 lbs. of stroller! and 2) The worst hill on this course is about a million times more pleasant than my worst contraction during transition. If I can survive natural childbirth, I can ACE 13.1 miles.

And I did. I finished in 1hr, 46 min, and 7 seconds, #394 out of 2,824 runners. I finished number 34 in my division, and 91st in my gender. There is something to be said for hard work, dedication, and striving towards a personal goal. And there is even more to be said about the super-powers of your average, everyday, run-of-the-mill Mommy:)