Wednesday, May 29, 2013

Victory! Mission Accomplished!

You know you are a runner when with five miles left in a half-marathon you think, 'I am never doing this again' and then five minutes after you finish you ask yourself, 'When can I run my next one?'

I saw this quote on an e-card on Facebook last night.  It describes me exactly!  I spent months training for Pittsburgh's Half-Marathon in celebration of my 40th Birthday.  On the morning of the event I was SO excited to get started.  I made a mental note that I wanted to be sure to pay attention to the crowds and the entertainment and the funny signs and the Pittsburgh scenery.  While I did soak everything in (What an AMAZING experience!), I think that I paid a little too much attention to everything around me and not enough attention to following the running routine I had focused on during my training.  By the time I hit mile ten I was way off on my projected times and hit a wall (By the way - my favorite sign along the route said - 'Humpty Dumpty had wall issues, too!).  I was tired, sore and couldn't imagine why I thought completing a half-marathon was a good idea.  After seeing my family at mile eleven, I rebounded and finished strong.  Well - I thought I finished strong . . .

I had given much thought to how I wanted to cross the finish line because I knew they would be taking pictures and I thought it would be cool to have that memory captured on film.  I decided to raise both arms over my head pumping my fists in celebration.  As I crossed the finish line I did just that - huge smile on my face, arms lifted high, VICTORY!  When the professionals pictures showed up in my e-mail and I opened them up I cracked up.  My arms are barely lifted above my waist and my face has a look of pure agony!  How hysterical is that?!?  My mental picture of myself was obviously much better than reality! 

The afternoon after the Half-Marathon I was more sore and tired than I think I ever have been in my life.  During the weeks that followed I felt a bit of a let-down.  I compare it to how you feel after the holidays or after a great vacation.  You spend months planning and preparing and dreaming . . . and then the moment is over.  I was happy to catch an article online (I'm disappointed that I didn't write down the source!) that talked about the post-race blues.  I definitely experienced those! 

But here I am today - three weeks post-race - feeling excited again.  I am SO proud of myself for setting that goal and accomplishing it.  I am extremely excited about the 5k's I have lined up for this summer.  Last night I finally went to my first Zumba class since before the Half-Marathon and it felt SO good!  My kids are getting more and more excited about being physically active and have some fun things planned for this summer.  And I am looking forward to the fall and asking myself, "When are you going to run your next Half-Marathon, Lisa?"



The Marathon Expo
Finding my name on the wall of runners
 

Pre-Race Pasta!
I read several articles about what and when to eat the days before
the event.  Nutrition is an area of health that I'm eager to learn more about.
 

We made it!  I'm so happy that I had my sister to encourage me
along this journey.
 

I love the 13.1 mile charm I wear on my Runner Girl necklace.
It reminds me of this great goal I accomplished and that I can reach for more.
 

Remember my Goal Bracelet?  It helped me many times in the months leading up to
the main event to stay focused.

1 comment:

  1. Love it, Lisa! You did great. Remember that a first of anything is an unknown, so now do a second and it won't give you that let down feeling. Run Montour Trail half with me. ;)

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