in t minus 48 hours, i will be running my first half marathon. i almost threw up a little in my mouth when i wrote that. what am i doing? seriously, i ask myself the same thing all the time. yes, i can back out at any time. but do i want to? do i seriously want to? no. i really do want to do a half marathon. jeez, i know it's gonna be hard. dang hard. but i've been training. my long runs were tough. but they're not supposed to be easy. not everyone is supposed to be able to run long distances. near the end of 9 miles, 10 miles... i felt my legs go numb. almost like i had jelly legs. surprisingly, now after being completely conditioned, there's no issue of breathing. M laughed at me the other day b/c i had told him my friend D and i were talking on a lot of the run. he said, "how can you run when you're talking?!" and i said, "easy!" and it's true. plus, when you've been running for an hour and a half, it gets kinda boring. especially when all you're doing on your route in going the same 4 mile perimeter a couple times. so we visit and chat once in a while. and i quite enjoy it. however, thinking about having to now run 13.1 miles... ay yi yi! that is a whole different ball game. thankfully my dear friend D is running with me, so at least i have some support. but, she ain't gonna carry me, my friends. i have to do the work myself. and that's what scares me so. i have to put one foot in front of the other and move. the distance is daunting. it's the unknown. how will i do? can i physically do it? can i psychologically do it? i guess that's part of the mystery and intrigue about running a race. i hope i can fair well... and well, if i don't, i hope i can at least finish. only God knows how i'll do... and it's comforting to know that He's right there beside me, another running partner. for this, my first half marathon... and more importantly, in life. so, as i sit here, thinking about all the carbs i need to inhale in the next 48 hours, the miles my little legs are going to be running, the music that's going to be pulsing through my ipod, i'm reminded that even though running is an individual sport, you don't ever have to be alone.
here's my little feet and little shoes that will (hopefully) push me to the finish line!!!!
my "in the flesh" running partner. this was before our 10 mile run on a cool morning.