Oak Brook Half Marathon 2.0

Back in June, my friend Kelly convinced me to sign up for the Oak Brook Half Marathon again. I'm glad that I did it again so that I could see my race time on the same course at the same time of year. Kelly and I ran most of our long runs together. I run slower than her, but she was willing to run slower and stay with me. We did really good until about 3 weeks before the race. My IT band on the right side started acting up {this is the opposite side as last year}. I did all the things I knew to do, rolling, icing, stretches, strengthening, more rolling and NO running. I followed the plan perfectly and didn't run more than 4 miles the last three weeks.

The days leading up to the race I did everything the same. I loaded up on the same carbs I've been eating for my long runs. I drank a TON of water. I didn't add anything new or different and I tried to rest and relax. I was so anxious on Sunday afternoon that I decided to make Kelly some cinnamon rolls {mostly to give me something to do}. She had mentioned that she wanted some for her after run treat so I thought it would give me something to do other than think about the race.

The morning of the race I woke up at 4:10am, surprisingly I had fallen asleep at 10:30 the night before and slept like a rock. {which is amazing the night before a race}. I woke up feeling good. Nervous, but good. Jason and Tanner had to get up to go put up the Labor Day flags so they got up about 4:45am. I got up and started getting ready. I taped up both of my IT bands. I taped up my foot. I made myself eat breakfast. I started drinking water. I was anxious and nervous.

We picked up Kelly and drove up to the race. We got there too early so we just sat in the van {it was sprinkling} and waited for a few minutes. We both wanted to use the porta potties {well, not really but we figured we'd better}. We posed for a picture and tried not to think about the next 3 hours. It was a VERY humid morning. The temperature was in the 70's but it was 90% humidity when we started the race!

We decided to do a little warm up, I know that the first few miles are always the hardest for me, but I also knew that 13.1 was going to be a LONG way on my legs, so we didn't go far.

Before we knew it, it was time to start. Ready or Not, here we go.

I struggled a little the first mile or two {I always do}, but by the time I got to Jason at the 2.5 miles mark I was starting to hit my stride. I was feeling pretty good and my legs were just a little achy, nothing too serious. {one of these days, I'm going to be able to run without those dang braces on my legs}.

Between the 3-6 mile marks, I felt like I really found my stride. I was at a great pace. I was feeling good. There were a few miles that I don't really even remember running them. I was right on track and even came in early at the 6 mile mark and surprised Jason. He was supposed to switch out one of my water bottles and he wasn't even ready for me. I stopped and got a new bottle, had him take a picture and was off again. I was feeling GREAT!!

At about 6.5 miles, you go into the forrest preserve and run on a trail for the next 3.5 miles. I knew that once I got over the hills on the trails the worst part of the run would be over. I just tried to keep my pace pretty steady. I wasn't trying to beat any records at this point, I just wanted to stay at my pace. I passed Kelly at one point and couldn't believe the luck that we would see each other at the ONE point in the race that overlaps. When I came out of the preserve at the 10 mile mark, I was feeling great. I was sore, my knee was hurting {not a ton, but enough that I was feeling it} but I was feeling great....until I got to 11 miles. At 11 miles I hit THE WALL. I was done. For some reason, those last few miles seemed like 13 more. I was exhausted, my legs hurt, my hips were sore, my shoulders were up too much, I was just done.

I knew the day before {Sunday} as I sat and listened to our sacrament meeting talks that they were written directly for me. Our concluding speaker even talked about long distance running and training for long races. The topic was "Endure to the End". I knew that Heavenly Father was speaking directly to me. I was in mile 11 of a 13.1 mile race and I was DONE. I kept repeating over and over in my mind, You are NOT going to quit now, you are NOT done, you are going to keep going, this is NOT the end and you are going to endure to the end. Trust your training. Trust your body. Trust you Father in Heaven. Trust that you have done everything you could do to prepare and train for this race and now you have to give your all to make it to the end. Those last 2.1 miles were HARD. Harder than the previous 11. Harder than almost any of my training miles. Just HARD.  I tried to run as much of those last 2 miles as I could. There were a few times that I literally felt like I could not run another step...I would walk for 30 seconds and then start running again....that last tenth of a mile was a killer. Thankfully my friends were there to cheer me on {thanks Abby, Sonya and Kristie}.

Jason almost missed me at the finish line. I was 12 minutes faster than last year and he wasn't looking for me yet....did you see that...I was 12 MINUTES FASTER than last year!!

I crossed the finish line at 2:48:15 and man was I proud! {and EXHAUSTED}

Somewhere in my head I had wanted to finish in 2:45, but given my IT issues and the humidity that morning,

 I was SO PROUD of my time!

I was struggling to even keep walking at this point. I needed to keep moving because I was afraid if I stopped, I would freeze up and not be able to move. I got my medal and walked over to find Jason and Kelly. {poor Kelly}....she had thrown up 4 times during the race. She had tried some new shot blocks and they made her sick....then because she had nothing in her stomach she decided to have the gel, which made her even more sick. She only finished 12-13 minutes before me. {she should have finished 30 minutes before me}. I'm so sorry Kelly!

I finally sat down for a few minutes and had some water to drink and got some ice for my knee. I wasn't sure I could get back up...but eventually I did!

I'm so grateful that Jason came with us, that he walked around and took pictures of us and that he is one of my biggest fans. He puts up with my training schedule, brings me water, rolls my legs {and likes it WAY too much}, massages my sore IT bands and cheers me on in everything I do. Thanks for being there for me.

I can't believe I did it....AGAIN! I'm so grateful it's over. I'm sore and still don't feel great {3 days later}...but it was TOTALLY WORTH IT!!! I can't believe the high it gives me to be able to run 13.1 miles and conquer something that I NEVER thought I would be able to do. I love the way it makes me feel. I love the high it gives me. I love the confidence I've gained from running! It has changed how I feel about myself and I have learned that I CAN DO HARD THINGS!

I CAN, BECAUSE I HAVE! TWICE!

I'm only HALF crazy! {13.1}

I DID IT!!! 

I RAN 13.1 MILES IN

2:59:14

and it was HARD!!!

WARNING: THIS POST IS LONG, FEEL FREE TO JUST SCROLL THROUGH THE PICTURES!!

Last year on Labor Day I ran the Labor of Love 5K. After that race I think I caught the runners bug and I started really running on a regular basis. I started using MapMyRun to map all of my runs and to keep track of my distance and time. I did great from September - January and ran 100 miles during that time. Then tax season happened and I was SO busy and didn't have time to keep up with my running. {during this same time I started counting my calories and using My Fitness Pal to keep track of EVERYTHING I ate!}. I lost 23lbs.

As soon as tax season was over {and I caught up on my sleep} I decided that I needed to focus again on running {it was very good for me physically and mentally}. I started running on a pretty consistent basis and decided the end of May that I needed a goal to push myself....so I went half CRAZY and signed up for a HALF MARATHON!!!

I started really training and got about two weeks into my training when I hurt my knee. It was actually my IT band and I could barely walk, let alone RUN! I was SO bummed. I wanted to be able to train and I didn't want to take a break....BUT I did it. I listened to my Dr. and didn't run for two WHOLE weeks! {It was SOOOO hard}

I was REALLY good and I did everything the Dr. told me to do because I REALLY wanted to be able to run again. Then I took a trip to Utah and then had girls camp and was having a hard time fitting my running in {and was starting to get REALLY NERVOUS that my half marathon was coming up SO soon}. As soon as I got back from girls camp I started SERIOUS training! I ran at least 4 times a week and increased my distance every weekend. My first really good run I had, I ran 5 miles and felt AWESOME!

I worked really hard for the next few weeks and increased my mileage to 7.5 miles....and that's when my knee started acting up again...I was SO bummed. I went back to the Dr. and she confirmed that yes, it was just my IT band again and that really the best thing to do was take some time off and let it heal. I was so torn....I wanted to be able to run the race BUT I didn't want to get hurt any more than I already was. I took it easy and only ran up to 4 miles. I did a MILLION exercises and stretches....I rolled my leg everyday...I iced and I took Naproxin....and it wasn't feeling ANY better! {ok, maybe a little, but not enough that I felt like I was ready to run 13.1 miles}

I kept praying about whether or not I should even do the race. {I seriously considered dropping out about 2 weeks before the race}. I had more than one priesthood blessings for direction and guidance. I still felt like I should do the race. I had my doubts, but I tried hard to have faith that I could really do it. I wanted to believe that I was a runner...I wanted to believe that I could really do it...but I was TERRIFIED!!!! {partially because I knew there was a 16 minute per mile limit and I didn't want to not be able to finish in the time frame}.

I kept training, stretching and rolling! EVERYDAY!!! 

Last Thursday, I picked up my race packet....{YES, I'm was still TERRIFIED!!}

RACE DAY

I didn't sleep well last night {I didn't really think that I would}. I woke up at 5am and got ready for the race. I taped everything I could think of  hip, leg, knee and foot. {the tape on my foot helped SO much, I might do it everytime I run now}....and I PRAYED!!! {at this point I was really wishing I had just signed up for the Labor of Love 5K again!}

We left our house about 5:30 {because the boys had to put up the flags because of it being Labor Day} and arrived at the race about 6:30am. I was trying so hard to stay calm. I tried to not think of the next 3 hours and how I would do...I tried to warm up {it really was chilly for once} and I tried to get the knot out of my stomach {without much success}

I had Jason snap a picture of me and I posted it saying I'm SCARED....NO, I'm TERRIFIED!! I got lots of comments of "you can do this" and "you got this" and I LOVED every one of them!

I knew I didn't need to start anywhere near the front...so we lined up about the 10-11 minute mark...even though I knew I couldn't keep that pace. I wanted to at least start with the few people that I knew.

Kelly's friend Kami, Kelly Hesslegesser and Me - sort of ready, but mostly just scarred!

The GUN went off and we were off.........see me back there in the back...Kelly and Kami were already ahead of me...I just settled into a nice rhythm, turned up my music and tried not to think about the next 13 miles!

Jason {because he is AWESOME and loves me SO much} and Tanner {because I forced him too} came and watched us and stayed the whole time. He moved around and took picture of us {and our friends} whenever he saw them. It was SO fun to know someone and have a supporter at so many of the mileage stops. I love you babe. Thanks for being one of my biggest fans!

Around the 2 mile mark, I ran {literally} into my friend Faith. {she is in another ward in the Stake and I had worked with her in YW}. She was a "tender mercy" from my loving Heavenly Father. It was a confirmation to me that He knows me, that he knows my name. That he KNEW I would need someone to talk to, to run with, to keep my mind off my knee and my leg. She had done this race twice before and knew the course. She was my cheerleader and my friend. She ran the same pace as me and we ran the entire rest of the race together. We talked and chatted. We pushed each other to go faster, we kept saying, let's run....and then, let's take it easy for a minute. I know that my Heavenly Father knew that Faith would be at that race and he knew that with her help I could finish it. 

My knee didn't even bother me too much. I wore an IT brace on it and had it taped and it was fine for the whole race. However, I felt like I had a brick in my stomach the entire time and about mile 9 I started getting a pain in my right side that just would NOT go away. It was like someone was stabbing me in the side. I had to literally stop and put my head between my legs and take some deep breaths to even be able to breath. Faith was right there with me, helping me calm down and we walked for a few minutes until I felt like I could breath again. Miles 10-12 were a little rough, we were getting tired, I was still having some pain in my side and I started to get pain in my upper thigh {IT band on the upper part of my thigh}. 

At mile 12 1/4 I decided that I was going to just give it all I had and run the rest of the way...I started running and didn't stop until I crossed the finish line. Just before the finish line, all the other members of our stake {Bruce, Abby and Sonja} were lined up yelling for me....along with Kelly, Jason and Tanner. I was an emotional mess. I started crying and shaking. I couldn't believe that I had actually done it....I looked up at the time and it was 2:59:49....I had wanted to make it UNDER 3 hours and I didn't even care if it was just by seconds. I just wanted my time to start with a 2....I turned on the afterburners, but there was NO way I could make it that far in 10 seconds. I crossed the finish line at 3:00:06 {I think}. I was happy, but I was disappointed that it wasn't under 3 hours {by mere seconds}. BUT I had done it!

I HAD CROSSED THAT FINISH LINE AND EARNED MY MEDAL! 

There is NOTHING like that feeling!!

This is what I really felt like......DEATH!!!

We found our friends and took a few pictures.

Me, Faith, Abby, Bruce and Sonja

Me and Faith {my AWESOME running partner}

It was an AMAZING feeling! I had done something unimaginable in my mind. I had just run 13.1 miles! I still couldn't believe it {although I could feel it}. I was SO proud of myself!! It was sometime during this time that my friend Abby {who won 1st place in her age division and has run the Boston marathon} told me that the time I crossed the finish line wasn't MY official time because my chip in my bib wouldn't have started until after I crossed the start line....so the time above my head when I finished was the "gun time" and mine would be less than that...I couldn't believe it! I actually had done it in UNDER 3 hours! I stalked the website for the next few hours waiting for them to post the "official times"......and mine was 2:59:14....and YES, every one of those seconds count!!

My friend Meagan showed up with flowers and a cold diet coke for me! {love you Meagan}!! She even brought me flowers from Jason! {she's so cute!}

I didn't get a picture with Tanner, but he was there....he said I was too gross and sweaty! {and he was totally bored so he sat in the car half of the time!}

I waited in line for the physical therapists to help stretch my leg {which was KILLING}....totally worth the wait.

We finally left and came home. I was tired and sore, but I was so incredibly happy. I still can't believe that I did it.....

I am a runner! 

There are a few things I wasn't prepared for:

I wasn't prepared for the hills

I wasn't prepared for the sun shining in my face

I wasn't prepared for the way my tummy felt after the race was over {I was sick most of the day}

I wasn't prepared for how sore I would be the day after....so sore I can barely move!!

I wasn't prepared for the tears that came on suddenly as I crossed the finish line

I didn't drink enough water

I wasn't prepared for the pain in my side at mile 10

I wasn't prepared for the pain in my leg at mile 12

But I learned that YOU CAN DO ANYTHING YOU SET YOUR MIND TO!

{especially if you have your Heavenly Father's help because he cares about the things that matter to us!!}

Just over 18 months ago I couldn't EVEN RUN A MILE....and I have run 281 miles in the last year!!

If you have always wanted to do something. GO DO IT! You will never regret it!