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...;)