My First Half-Marathon

I'm officially a half-marathon finisher, and it feels awesome! Actually, I can barely walk (Is this what it feels like to have arthritis?), and I'll probably be sore for at least a week, but the sense of accomplishment is unlike anything else.

Back in December when I registered for the Country Music Half Marathon, I estimated to finish in 2:45 (the slowest time you can register for). I really had no idea how my training would go or really even what a good time would be. I finished in 2:14:22, and I could not be happier! I didn't stop to walk at all, which was my main goal. Mary Alice and I crossed the finish line together, which was such a cool experience!

I woke up this morning at 5 AM to start getting ready and eat breakfast. Breakfast was a PB&B on Nine Grain Great Harvest bread (purchased from Whole Foods yesterday), spread with Barney Butter, and topped with sliced banana. It was the perfect combination of carbs, fat, and protein. Worked like a charm! We listened to Florence + the Machine, The Killers, and Keane to pump us up as we got ready.

Tuscaloosa was the motivation for our run!

Afterwards, we walked to Panera Bread for essential pre-race coffee. 

The starting line and our corral were conveniently located right across from our hotel! It worked out perfectly.

The view from our balcony

It is a beautiful day in Nashville, and I couldn't have asked for better weather. The race went by surprisingly fast!  The course was super hilly but that didn't really seem to bother me too much. Our plan of attack was to run fast up the hills, so we wouldn't lose our momentum. It worked!

I really felt pretty good up until about mile 11 or 12. The last 2 miles were probably the hardest for me out of the whole race. I really had such a great time running. I attribute it all to a great running partner, a positive attitude, and a cause worth running for. I loved all of the encouragement from spectators along the way and the fun music. Nothing like a little Journey and Jock Jams to get ya going. It was a wonderful first half-marathon experience!

After I crossed the finish line, I drank a bottle of water and 1/2 a bottle of a sports drink and ate an apple and Snickers Marathon Bar. I really wasn't hungry and the thought of food didn't really appeal to me, but I knew my body needed the nutrients. I snacked on some Archer Farms Cranberry Nut trail mix when I got back to the hotel room and my stomach felt a little better.

We just finished resting up and taking showers and are about to grab a late lunch and explore Nashville a little more!