13.1

it's over. (sigh)
i can't believe it.
i can't walk either.
but that's another story.

6 months of preparation and training all led up to the big day yesterday. it seems like a dream now. i really want to record this well and do it justice, but i don't really know what to even say. is that weird? the day i've been looking forward to with every step and stretch and strain. and now it's come and gone and left me both full of pride and full of pain. (i promise i didn't mean to rhyme right there.)
overall, the race went well. (unless you count the ridiculous pain in my left knee starting at mile 5- yeah, that's 8.1 miles till the end - or the near serious mess that i would have made after mile 10 if that porta-potty hadn't been RIGHT there and unoccupied) but, i did finish - and that was my goal. my time was pretty good all things considered. and i was so proud of all of the other girls!
the best part of the race was seeing my family there cheering me on. clint and owey, mom and dad, even clint's parents dave and shelly, mique's family, i felt so loved and supported and basically like a rock star. i am so grateful that they made such an effort and made us feel like what we were doing really was a big deal. they were there to cheer us on at the beginning, at miles 5 and 9, and of course at the finish line. i think my favorite part of the whole day was crossing that finish line (crying of course - out of emotion, pain, relief, joy- the whole gamut) and clint running over to me with owey to hug me and tell me how proud of me they were. it was all worth it for that feeling of love and support and accomplishment. thanks for helping me get through this babe! you know this was a huge commitment for him too. all the massages, the complaining, the taking care of owey while i spent hours on the road. thank you, thank you, thank you!

i am sure i will post more pictures and gory details on my running blog later, but for now, here's a few.


me and brooke pre-race. it was pouring when we got there - we were freaking out at the possibility of running a half-marathon in the rain.


me, amy, kacey and brooke. yeah- i'm the idiot who lost her bib before the race even started. clint designed our shirts - they say "run girl, run 13.1)

here we are at mile one (notice we are still smiling?) l to r, kacey, me, amy and if you look back behind you'll see brooke and mique too.

mile 5- amy and i had broken away a bit, and were feeling pretty good up to this point keeping about a 10 min mile pace, but going down these hills is where my knee started to ache.

the big finish.


owey hangin out with grandpa (yes- still in his jammies. we did leave the house at 5 am you know.)


proof- we ran a half marathon even though we JUST had babies. (can i still say JUST even though he's 8 months old?)

the aftermath. in all our sweaty achey glory. brooke, kacey, me, miq, amy. you can't see the ice pack on miq's knee or the chafage on the rest of us. (thank goodness!)

WE DID IT!!!