Just Cuz Half Marathon

Shay and I completed our first half marathon yesterday! Our time was slow (2:25:49), but we finished! Mine was slow because I decided about three weeks before the race that I wanted to run it. (I went from a pretty much sedentary summer, to six training runs, to a half marathon.) Shay was slow because he was kind enough to run with me. We had a ton of fun, nonetheless.

At the ten-mile marker I felt fabulous. I felt like I could finish the race without having to walk, but by about 10 1/2 miles I ran out of fuel and felt death approaching. I felt like my scalp was shrinking and that I might fall over, so I decided to walk. Walking after running ten miles feels weird. My legs started locking up, which made running again difficult. The last couple of miles I alternated between running and walking while listening to my inner voices argue.

Voice 1: Run you fatty.

Voice 2: Must lay down.

Voice 1: Run. Your time sucks.

Voice 2: Need water.

Voice 1: Pass these chicks.

Voice 2: Going to die.

At the ten-mile marker Shay felt fabulous! He felt like he could finish the race without having to walk. By about 10 1/2 miles (the point I started to die) he said while speeding up the pace, "We're almost there! I feel like taking off." (This was before he realized I was fading out.)

So here is what I take from all of this: Shay works out regularly. I sit on my butt regularly. Shay feels great at 10 1/2 miles. I feel like death at 10 1/2 miles. Working out is good. Sitting on your butt is not good. Lesson learned. Maybe.

Anyway, I'm glad I ran the half marathon. Next time I will go about it in a smarter way, i.e. sufficient training. And who knows, maybe marathons are in the future!

The theme of the race was Wild Wild West, so I of course brought out the old angry bull costume.

Here's a link to a video someone posted on FB of me, Cayben & some other people dancing (P.S. I won a gift certificate for my awesome dancing skills):
http://www.facebook.com/#!/video/video.php?v=494060355959&oid=120203541896&comments