I did it!!

I am so excited to have been pushed to where I never thought I would go!! My friend Kelly asked me to power walk a half marathon with her, and we had such a great experience. She is such an inspiration to me for just wanting to do it. I always use the excuse that I was a sprinter and NEVER really wanted to do distance. But, training for this once she asked me, really focused me and my workouts.

Everything was going ok, until Henry asked me to do hills with him ten days ago. It would have been fine if my achilles wasn't already in a tendinitus state, and if I wasn't two weeks out of a 1/2 marathon (and if I could just say NO...). But it was, and I didn't...I am so weak to a challenge;)

So today we arrived at the Lansing Center at 7am and went to pick up our stuff;) It was so fun just being around athletes who had trained for something like this. I cannot explain it. Total adrenalin rush;)

We took care of blister hot spots and stretches! I so relied on Kelly for details, she brought everything we needed and researched it all. It was so frustrating to me to not be on top of my training and researching all the details. All the things I used to take for granted of just knowing, because it was a job (that I LOVED). Its been so long, and I was so trusting Kel to just know the details;) We have been taking foster parenting classes and just our school schedule has been llllooooonnnngggg! I just haven't been able to focus on it like I have wanted. Thank GOD for her, she just led me to the line!

I took some cool pictures on the line (well, actually, we were quite far from the *line*;)) But it was a beautiful morning and great weather. NO humidity and it was cloudy, so not real hot.

We look so cute *before* the run starts;)

The course was so beautiful. We ran downtown at first, then to MSU, through parks, trails, neighborhoods. Now trying to think about it, we were so concerned on how we felt through the run, that I almost would need to do the course again to take it all in. My first impressions, are that it was a beautiful course, lots of shade, lots of woods, lots of water (mostly by the Grand River), but the details are lost on me. What I remember is, mile 1, our anterior tibialis' (shin muscles) were SORE and it took almost a mile for them to loosen for both of us. I think because it was a slight incline for the first 1/2 mile (at least) and we were so motivated, we started pretty quickly. We walked on Michigan Ave for most of that, and it smelled of exhaust. I hate that smell when I am working out. We turned onto Michigan State University and came out by the Breslin Center, that is where I was confused on how I got there;) You end up being so concerned on how you are performing, and then start to recognize where you really are;) Strange experience. I look at the Google maps running map, and don't even recoginize most of it! Is that normal? So weird! Makes me want to do parts of it again;) THATS probably weird! Ha! I have NO idea why I look like that...I think I was anxious about stopping to take pics, but still that is NO excuse!

Here is Kelly at our half way mark. This is when most people are finishing I am sure, or are at least close. But, we were so EXCITED to be ahead of schedule. We kept each other going and trying to take it all in;)

We came out of some woods and started walking along a lake I had taken the kids swimming at. All of a sudden, Kelly sees my family!!!

Steve had decided to take the kids and cheer us on along the run. It was SO fun to see him and the kids!!! Such and encouragement;)

The kids and Steve met us in another area of the race in a neighborhood! I asked Seth, did you have this planned?!? He said "NO! We had a map!" It was so fun to see where they would turn up.

We kept talking to each other about how we felt, so as to know how to encourage each other, and keep tabs. About mile 10-11, the muscles trials started. But once I reached the Lansing Center again, I was so pumped about finishing (about 1 1/2 miles out) and knew we were close. I felt so strong, it was CRAZY!! But it did show me, that it IS possible to train for something like this. We trained to walk it, but yet, we ran many parts of it. Imagine if we trained to RUN it;) It was great to talk and have the same goal as Kelly, to do our BEST! I am proud of us!!