Aspire 13.1

With not much sleep last night, anxious of what was to come, I woke this morning ready. I knew what I had to do, I had accepted the challenge and I quietly got dressed in the stillness of the early morning (I should just specify since my father still thinks I have the teenage morning mentality- I got up at 5am). I looked for a familiar face to run with but was quickly discouraged because of the amount of faces in the crowd. I ran alone... well as alone as you can be in a crowd. As I mentioned before, I didn't set myself a lofty time goal, but just enjoyed being a part of the race and feeling it out for perhaps a future showing. I was able to keep just over a 9 minute mile pace the entire 13.1 miles and I am proud to say that I didn't stop or walk once. I had a few instances, especially in the water troughs, where everyone was walking around me and it would have been easier to drink from the cup had I been walking, but it was a matter of principle to me so I nimbly dodged the drink-walkers and kept on kickin' the pavement! Around the 10 mile mark, my short training became apparent as every joint of my lower extremities writhed in pain and I struggled to continue on, but the thought of just a few more miles kept me chugging along. By mile marker 12, as I passed the last water station I felt energized where the end was almost in view! The finish line, though not as grandiose as I expected (you always see people take a huge sigh of relief and throw their hands in the air) , a warmness covered me as I went under the Finishing archway! I met up with John and some other friends that were running as well. From there we went over to the Biltmore Resort in downtown Phoenix where our friend, Notch knew some people staying there who offered to get us into the pool/hot tub area for a race unwind! Our afternoon was spent in a gorgeously manicured courtyard full of palm trees and fountains and of course the beautiful pools and jacuzzi tubs, sipping on a virgin strawberry daiquiri. As I sit here now, knees and hips aching from the long road behind me, I smile at my accomplishment. My goal of completing a half marathon before I have kids has barley been fulfilled and I jubilantly cross off that box!

OK, I'm not sure if this is embarrassing or not, but what the hay. My final results in the race:

I finished 4330 out of 20276 (at least I was in the top quarter)