13.1

Jules has done them before. She talked about it like it was easy. It's only 13.1 miles. I can do this. Right? So, I signed up. It's been one of those bucket list kind of things for me... to run/walk a half marathon. I sort of ran in high school and liked it, but never competitively and NEVER on any organized team.

I started my training by buying a book by a guy they call "The Penguin" who started marathon running at a later age and did everything wrong. The book had awesome advice and great training programs. I started the walk/run program training and I was off.

I ran/walked two short stints during the week, did two days of cross training and then a long run/walk on Saturday.

By race day, I was nervous. Teenie and Stacey and I rode in together, caught a bus to the start line in Tukwila and wound our way to our corral. I couldn't believe the number of people. They said 26,000 people ran. We ended up in Teenie's corral... Mine was the very last one because I gave myself 4 hours to finish. I wanted the most time possible, knowing that it probably would take me that long. We ran the first mile, walked the next hill, ran down the hill, and began our plan. of choosing an endpoint to stop the running and take a rest.

I'm not sure when it happened, but my right foot began to feel weird. That's the only way I can describe it. It felt like the top bones in my foot needed to pop, like they were sort of grinding together. I began walking to favor the foot, and developed a blister the size of a silver dollar on my left foot. I was a mess. At mile 6, Teenie was really wanting to run, but I knew I was going to be walking the rest so I told her to go... NO, really, GO! She went ahead and finished at around 3 hours.

I walked the last 7 miles favoring my feet... I'm not going to lie... there were LOTS of times that I just wanted to stop at the medical tent and tell them to send a van for me. I wanted to give up. I did. But, I'd get a little farther, and the people were cheering us on and giving encouragement. Apparently, it was enough to keep me going one more mile.

At mile 9 we were routed onto the HOV lanes on the I-90 bridge. Through the tunnel. It was SO hot in there. And loud... some DJ guy was playing music with his speakers turned up to 11 and I couldn't even hear myself think. I began to "tail" a gal just keeping my eyes on her shoes in order to make it through that tunnel. Here's something that I didn't think about... freeways/highways are made for cars. They are crowned so that the water runs to the edges of the road. Have you EVER tried to run/walk on a surface where one leg ends up being shorter than the other? HIGHLY uncomfortable and NOT recommended.

We went up fourth and made a left... at mile 12, we went over the Viaduct. I almost cried. I was thinking that possibly, they would be just going to scoot us around the corner and to the finish line near Quest Field. No such luck. When I got to mile 13, just at the corner of Quest field at Royal Brome (sp?), I only had a tenth to go. I started looking for Ed along the finish line hoping that he'd gotten the texts saying where I was on the course. I saw him very near the finish line, huge grin on his face taking pictures of me. I seriously almost burst into tears when I saw him.

I went over the finish line at 3:39. Not bad considering that I walked the last 7 miles with an injured foot and a blister the size of Texas on the other. They say that you are supposed to continue moving for 20 minutes after you finish. All I wanted to do is sit. In fact, I thought I was going to pass out if I didn't.

They had beer, bands, food and swag. Lots of stuff to do at the finish line. All I wanted to do is go home.

I did learn some things:

• When they say that, in training, if you can run 10 miles, you can do 13.1, they are LYING. I would HIGHLY recommend SOMETIME during your training to try going the full length. Not right before, though.
• I HATE running outside. I am a treadmill girl. I loved going to the gym, getting on the treadmill, putting in my headphones, and reading my Nook. My knees never hurt running on the treadmill, and I could stop and pee if I had to.
• Running outside is WAY different than running on the treadmill.
• I am the slowest runner in captivity. Most people walk faster than I run and I am OK with that.
• I CAN do this when I put my mind to it.

I'm going to keep up the training schedule... leaving out the long runs on Saturdays... except maybe doing the long runs on the treadmill... I felt better when I was running. I slept better when I was running.

So, am I glad I did it? Yes.  I ran for my Grandma. The run benefited the American Cancer Society and I wore my Grandma's cancer bracelet. Will I do it again? NO.

And yes, that deserves all caps.