I finished!!!

I am officially a half marathoner!! I did it!! So Sunday morning comes around and Brandi said she was going to pick us up at 6:40 am and then all 5 of us would drive together. Then 6:45 rolls around and she said Brian wasn't coming, so naturally Kevin was pretty bummed. So then he wanted us to drive so that he could sit in the car....kinda a fiasco. So we go get Brandi and drive towards the race, but can not figure out how to get there with the roads all coned off! I was so stressed out! My stomach was doing the wave and I was so nervous so I figured that was what was causing it....nope, I was wrong. So we finally walk up to the start area and I am looking for Carrie and I see S2F getting ready for the picture, we actually made it, so we hopped in. I found Carrie and felt a little more relaxed, Brandi went to the porta-potty, so that was the last of her that I saw until we finished. 

Pre race with Carrie

Carrie, Kevin and I stood around for a few minutes and then we got into the start line. It was official we were going to start running! I really don;t think it ever hit me that we were not just doing a run, but we were doing a 13.1 MILE run. It was pretty nice to start, I felt like I could of gone faster, but I am so happy I didn't....

Carrie and I are in the top middle.

Carrie and I were picking people off in the beginning and it was nice because we were not running super fast. Our first mile was a 12:07 and that was pretty good, from there we were pretty steady. We turned onto Douglas and it was absolutely amazing to see how many runners were running. There were SO many people. It was so awesome. I can say it literally gave me goosebumps. The local paper got a picture of the start taking off and Carrie and I were in it....

Well we were doing pretty well, but my stomach still felt weird. I kept passing the porta-potties and thinking I would be ok. All the way down Douglas and then we started to climb into college hill. It was still really nice.

Early on because we are still smiling!

There were so MANY great spectators. We saw Elliott and Mary cheering for us and then we saw them all again when we left college hill. Carrie and I used shot bloks for our first energy/supplement and it went down easy for me. There was a fairly long area of brick running in college hill, that SUCKED. I was honestly starting to fall apart on that. I was ready to cry and I think it was only mile 5-7 ish. It was so HARD to run on! This meant it was her turn to mentally support me, boy was it a tough job. At the same time my stomach started doing flips. Finally when we were out of there and back on Douglas going west I saw porta-potties waaaaay down the road. I had a new goal :). Make it to them without embarrassing myself. I made it.

I finally felt better, but then Carrie started to feel pukey. It was a toss up who felt good. We kept going. Kevin was at the other end of Douglas to take some more pictures. We fortunately kept smiling and running when someone took our picture.

Still moving

The last 5k of the half marathon was the hardest. I have never felt so uncomfortable and painful as I did then. My stomach was back to doing the flips when I ran and my legs kept cramping if I walked. It was a lose/lose situation. Very difficult. We got to the Keeper of the Plains and new we had less than a mile left. We were going to finish, but knowing that did not make it easier. Brandi came back and found us. I think it annoyed Carrie, because she was hurting so bad and Brandi was so energetic. I really blocked it out. Brandi left us to see us finish. Carrie and I struggled to make it over the line, I could not breath. I was emotional and trying so hard to keep it together. I was wheezing and barely getting any oxygen. Carrie and I grabbed hands and we made it over the finish line together! 3:06:50! I was slightly disappointed that we didn't make a sub three, but I really honestly could not have done better. I left it all out on the road!

We did it!

I wish I could say I felt amazing after, but I didn't. I felt like I was going to pass out, well puke first then pass out. It was a terrible feeling. I felt like I was in a fog, everyone was cheering and happy for us and I barely remember them. We drove Brandi home and Kevin dropped me off, he went to chipotle for us. I got to my apartment and I got really sick. All night I felt terrible. Then my legs started to really hurt, felt like I owuld never walk right again. Thankfully today I feel much better, stiff, but nothing like yesterday. When I finished my race yesterday I said I never wanted to do that again, but I have already started looking for a spring half. Now I have a time to beat...;)

Stressed

I am not having a very good week. I really wanted this week to just be easy going and not make me worry. Well that has not happened. I have been so stressed out with school that it is not even funny. Monday I had a long nine hour day and I swear it made me sick to sit still that long. Tuesday I had clinicals and I am so tired of shitty nurses that do not want to work with students, me in particular. I am so discouraged that I literally got sick Tuesday evening and felt like crap yesterday so I didn't go to clinicals last night. I just wish I could work with nurses that would put in an attitude effort. I have to go to Newton tonight and I am dreading it. I hate mental health. I think that I will end up being a nursing home nurse or a vet tech for the rest of my life...
Not a very uplifting post but maybe tomorrow....

Just one more week!

Eeekk!! I can not believe that this time next week I will have (hopefully) finished my first half marathon! This is so exciting for me!!Carrie and I had planned this week to do one last long run this weekend. After talking it over we decided that it would be best if we just left right after work on Saturday instead of trying to get it in on Sunday. 

The end of 10 miles!

Carrie had her mind set that she wanted to run 10 miles since she had not run a double digit yet, but even more than that she had felt terrible at the 15k we did a few weeks ago. She needed this as a confidence boost. I was a little bit more leery about going that far the week before the big race. We decided to set out some water stops for us, because we thought hydration was a a huge factor in the 15k and we wanted to be prepared. Driving out that 5 miles was a LONG drive, and we never really made 5 miles. We thought with all the curves and jumping the river we would be about 5 miles. Finally we got back to work and got started. We had to really fight ourselves to not go too fast. That was hard because we both felt good. It seemed the first half we walked at ever 0.8 mile to give us our intervals. It was good. We both took shot blocks before starting and then a Gu and water at 3.5 ish then gatorade at about 4.5. On the way back we took the other half of our shot blocks and water. I decided gatorade is not for me. It makes my stomach do the waves. It is weird. We got all the way back to the clinic and we found that we were short an entire mile. I kind of tried to be lazy and say that we should end on a good note, but Carrie was not having it. We ran the block and added our last mile to it! We did 10.07 miles. It was great, we felt awesome and we both felt like we could of kept going if we had to! I am so excited for next weekend!!! I want to finish a half marathon soooooo badly!!

After our run, I came home and showered and such. I had to get ready for girls night. I had decided that I wanted to go so I was going to go. I was really tired though after my shower and took a small nap so I could stay awake. Finally got my act together and drove over to Kara's with my jello shots and was kind of surprised that they were just painting pumpkins. I mean no radio, the tv was on discovery or animal planet, and they were in pajamas for the most part. I was a little bummed. So I grabbed a pumpkin and started the painting. Everyone kind of stated to get goofy after a few drinks and jello shots and we went out and sat around the fire...and got smoked out!! I really did have a great time. The girls were all really funny and we laughed ALOT. Girls night may have started slow, but it was pretty awesome. After the fire we went back inside and played a card/drinking game. I learned a lot about those girls, lol! It was a perfect day.

Well I better get some homework done and clean up this apartment, it is a mess! Later!

Vaccines

Flu shots suck. I feel like I have been hit with a ton of bricks. I already haven't felt one hundred percent this week, but now I am sore and achy. I honestly would not get one if it wasn't mandatory. Oh well I guess, over and done with. Now I just need my arm to start working again ;)

So I went for another run with Brandi last night. I think I have figured out how she is so dang fast. She has a HUGE stride. Seriously her stride covers like 3 of mine! So when I sorta came upon this last night I started to lengthen mine, but it was not easy. Her stride is naturally long, I am naturally lazy I guess. I still had a great run. I kept coughing crap up, but overall I was pleased.

Yesterday I signed up for the Girls on the Run 5K and Say Grace. I even emailed the GOTR director about being a run buddy. Apparently I am in. Only catch is that the practice 5K is on a Wednesday, a day I am at a hospital. I am not sure how but I think I'll swing it :/. I am still debating signing up for the turkey trot 10 miler.....I am kinda scared, even though it will be several weeks after the half marathon. I am just afraid if I do not sign up for tougher races I will start slacking on my running.

Speaking of the half marathon....it is literally in 11 days!! Ahh!! Well it will be interesting. Carrie and I are going to finish this together whether we want to or not!! I also totally bought her a surprise which I think she is going to like!! I am super excited to give it to her too!! More on that later ;)!!

Well since I have been home sick for a few days, I have been pretty productive with my school and baking. I made a mashed potato casserole and I am in the process of making those apple cider caramel cookies I keep seeing on pintrest......you know the ones I am talking about!! I hope they are amazing. We are doing dinner with Brian and Brandi tonight so I will bring some if they are good!

Lastly .... Kevin and I are going to see Buckcherry tomorrow at the cotillion!! I am super pumped! I haven't seen a rock concert since Nickelback and I am definitely feeling the withdrawals!! I am such a concert freak!! Love it!!

Later!!

2 weeks away!

Seriously, there is like no time at all until the half marathon!! I am kinda freaking out. I have been a huge slacker the last few weeks, because I have been really busy. I know lame excuse, but I ran tonight. I was trying to talk myself into it all day, but I sorta failed. Then Brandi texted me asking about running this week and I decided to just get on the treadmill. While I was gliding (that's how I really felt) I asked what time she would be ready tonight. That was it. We met up at 7:30 and it was one of my best runs ever. I was a little worried that I wouldn't be able to keep up with her,especially after having already done a mile. She is definitely faster than me, but I was holding my own pretty well. In fact for the distance of 3.1 (5K) I PR in time! Anyways it should be an interesting 13.1 miles. I am still scared!
Last weekend GB had a make-up fireworks day. It was originally cancelled for the 4th of July, because of the burn ban in place. Well they scheduled it for this weekend and that's what we did. It was a massive boys weekend. I really do dislike fireworks ~ they scare me! Kevin enjoyed himself I think so that was all that mattered. Sunday was boys weekend part two. A bunch of his buddies came out to the farm and did some shooting. It was kind of fun to watch, until I realized I was getting a sunburn. Like who gets a sunburn in October?? Me.
Anyways I was a slacker and I skipped class all day today to get caught up on all my school work, since I took the weekend off....ugh.
Work tomorrow and Wednesday then lab Thursday morning and Buckcherry Thursday evening !!!
Later!