It Was A HUGE Win
Last week was POWERFUL! It was ALL THE THINGS and I felt like the universe was testing me! I was challenged physically, emotionally, mentally, and YES, nutritionally. I was angry, sad, frustrated, and I just wanted to scream WTF is going on!!! I didn’t feel comfortable in my own skin...My clothes weren’t fitting...I felt HUGE...My workouts were laborious...Nothing felt RIGHT!
So how the hell was I going to run a half marathon feeling this way?!?!?
I was ready to give up. I wanted to quit, and I am not a quitter. I wanted to just say F it and go out with my friends and forget about the race, the weeks training, because maybe that would get rid of all these uncomfortable feelings. I truly felt defeated and I was having a personal pity party for myself. In the past, I would have kept these emotions inside and just let them fester, build, and consume me. But the new me, knew that I had to let it out. So, I started to talk about it with my friends and my Coach (every single one of my friends told me to NOT GIVE UP, to NOT CANCEL RUN, to JUST DO IT, because I NEEDED A WIN! Gosh darn my friends are AMAZING!) and this was when the breakthrough occurred.
It was a flood of emotions that I spewed out! I was not only letting it all out, I was letting go of my old self. The tears just came and I let them come. It was snotty, messy, hard, but it was so freeing. It was the beginning of an epic breakthrough. And I knew then, that I was not going to give up on this run!
While on the phone with my Coach for our weekly call, it was time to do the necessary preparations so that I was going to be properly hydrated, fueled, and rested for game day! The nerves started, the shift happened, and I was ready to do this! The emotional shift that I felt was night and day and I think things happen for a reason, so I just went with it, embraced it, and did all the work to set me up for success. But the truth is, I have been doing the work for over two months, so in a way, it all FINALLY came together to help me WIN this race! When I think about it, two months ago, I would have never signed up for this race, because I didn’t have the energy, the nutrients, the motivation to train for a half marathon, and I probably would have gotten injured if I tried to run those 13.1 miles. It would have been an ugly emotional, physical, mental mess…
BUT...it wasn’t, because I did the WORK! Y’all...you HAVE to do the WORK if you want to see changes. It is some of the hardest work I have had to do and it isn’t getting easier as I get older, but I will not give up on myself, my health, my overall well-being. So hell yeah I am going to keep doing this damn WORK day in and day out, because I am worth it and when the work helps me cross that finish line, feeling like Wonder Woman, I am going to keep doing the WORK!
OKAY...Now I will talk about the race…
I DID IT…
IT WAS A HUGE WIN…
IT WAS A WIN THAT I NEEDED…
I CAN’T WAIT TO DO IT AGAIN…
I know that not every run, race, the moment is perfect, but for this day, the stars aligned and it truly all came together for me. Everything felt right...I felt strong, rested, and my body was ready to go...I was ready to get out there and just kick ass. I was nervous, of course, but that is my competitive athlete inside of me and I would be worried if I didn’t feel those emotions. I love the adrenaline rush of competing and being out there with other athletes. It is a crazy good feeling!!!
I loved the Sweetgrass Half Marathon and honestly have NO complaints about this race!
Weather - PERFECTION! I could not have asked for a better day! The sun was shining, there wasn’t a cloud in the sky, there was zero humidity, BOOM! Zip zero complaints and I was happy to be out there and I soaked it ALL up!
Course - It was flat, but Charleston is flat as you can get and I am grateful that it was. I am so not used to hills anymore...LOL! The roads were smooth and I loved how we were able to go through lots of neighborhoods I hadn’t been through, but also down some country roads that reminded me of NJ. I actually got a little nostalgic. It was also great that the course wasn’t fully in the sun. There were plenty of miles when it was shaded, so the heat and sun really did not bother me.
Volunteers/Fans - AMAZING! A huge thank you to the volunteers, the police, and everyone else who was out there on the course making sure we stayed safe! They were all smiling, cheering, and it was really great to see. There were a lot more water stations than I thought there would be and they were all perfectly spread apart and offered Gatorade and water.
And a big thank you to all the people who showed up to cheer us on the streets and from their porches. I loved running through all the neighborhoods and seeing families, dogs, and even a few people I knew cheering us on. Grateful for those people who show up on a Saturday to do that...It means a lot to me and I hope it means a lot to the other runners. THANK YOU!
Packet Pick-Up/Parking/Finish Line - Everything was really easy and went smoothly! It was just really well done and organized. I believe that there were a total of 500 runners, yet the parking was easy, the finish line wasn’t overcrowded. There was live music, vendors, and just lots of happy people! As I said, I have no complaints and if I did, I would let you know!
The RUN and ME - Y’all...It was just pure AWESOME! I was so happy to be out there as it has been 4 years since I last trained and ran a half marathon and it felt GOOD to be doing it but also doing it as the new ME! I felt strong. I had no pain. I was smiling inside and out. I was just grateful that I could do this. I was HAPPY!
I never got passed by any runners...BOOM!
I had a lot of time to talk to myself…
I started craving cereal around 5 miles and thought about it a lot throughout the rest of the run…
I thought about my Coach and how much she has helped me these past few months and how she believes in me and supports me and never GIVES up on me...She got me to this point!
I thought about my Dad and asked him to look over me during the times when doubt entered my mind…
YES, I had moments of OMG this is taking forever…
YES, I had moments of holy shit I am kicking ass! I didn’t look at my pace until mile 10 and I was SHOCKED and thrilled. Holy crap, I was running a lot faster than I thought and it felt so empowering!
It was a really good day! I needed this to prove to myself that I can do hard things. It showed me how far I have come. It showed me how damn strong I am physically and mentally. It showed me that I am one badass woman on a mission and I can do the work and will continue to do the work.
My heart is full and I cannot wait until the next race!
xoxo
