Well, I did it! Yesterday I completed my first 20K in style
as I smiled my way across the finish line. It was such an awesome experience,
that I’m so glad to have shared with 8,000 of my fellow runners.
The day started out very early - 4:15 in the morning to be
exact. I had to meet some friends before getting on a bus that took us to the
starting point. Katherine told me it was her favorite part – watching so many
different people climb into buses to share this experience. In the darkness of
the early morning, I was full of anticipation; however, I still was unable to
process just what I was getting myself into.
We had to “hurry up to wait” before our 7:00 start time. It
was a time to share running stories and bump into friends I haven’t seen in a
while. Of course, everyone was sure to make a stop at the port-a-potties :-) My
friends had ran Dam to Dam before, so they were filling me in on all of the
details of the course. I asked for advice for during the race. This is what I
got:
Take it mile by mile. It’s better to focus on each mile as
they come. It can get quite overwhelming if you count down or think about how
many miles are left. I just wanted to attack mile 1, mile 2, and so on.
Savor the experience. I am learning that more and more it is
important to stop and look around in all aspects of life. There is so much
happening to be thankful for, to be learning, to be soaking in. Watching all of
the supporters on the side of the road, the bands pumping out music, the crazy
costumes of people handing out water – it was all so amazing. I literally found
myself smiling quite often. It was also cool to read the signs of family
members along side the road. My favorite was just the simple “We’re proud of
you!” People are incredible.
Run your own run. It's easy to get caught up in the speed of those around you. Runners will pass, and it's tempting to sprint forward. As the saying goes, "It's a (half) marathon, not a sprint." I just focused on my own pace, my own feet.
Lastly, what I have learned from the experience: don’t be
afraid to be proud of yourself. At the finish line, I was full of emotions. I
had so much fun – smiling ear to ear as music and cheering from hundreds of people encouraged you to
push yourself to the end. I signed up months ago, spent time working on my long
runs, and I did it! I feel great about my accomplishment. I am so proud of each
runner that participated yesterday. I am grateful to everyone that had a hand
in the day – it was so cool.
Yesterday afternoon was spent celebrating on some outdoor
patios downtown. While this was a lot of fun, I had a headache and my body was very sore, so I called it
an early night. After ten hours of sleep, I am still feeling a little shaky. It
is a good feeling; however, I am definitely going to be spending today
recovering before another week.
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