What did it take to run 13.1 miles??
It's only been 36 hours since I finished the Big Sur Half Marathon and I've been quite thoughtful about the whole experience....
For me, running a half marathon took at least 4 months and 134.6 miles of training (I definitely made that number up. I wanted to give you an accurate number, but unfortunately that accurate number is on Lucy, my Macbook that I destroyed two weeks ago). I so appreciate the facebook friends who "liked" my updates and cheered for me along the way. It takes a friend who will make a commitment to not walk for 13.1 miles with you, no matter how slow we have to run. It takes 2 days of enjoying the beauty of Pebble Beach and 2 hours and 22 minutes of running along that beautiful coast. You don't necessarily have to run along the shore of the Pacific Ocean with the waves crashing next to you to finish a half marathon- but why would you want to run 13 miles anywhere else? It takes another friend who jokes about bodily functions, understands chafing, and will enjoy a cup of cold, nasty beer at the finish line with you. My calves were ever so grateful for the friend who worked her magic on them after the race was over. It takes a roommate who listens to me complain about running when she knows how secretly proud I am for all I've accomplished in the last year. It's the friend who runs the last 2 miles of a long run with me, get excited for me in the beginning when I finish 4 miles, and then yells at me for completing all 13 miles four weeks before the race. It took many hours of stretching, at least 10 appointments at the chiropractor (who also ran her first half marathon this fall!), and a few days of limping from sore calves after those longs runs. Completing a half marathon forced me to sacrifice some of the activities I love (I haven't had time to go on a hike in 4 months!), but forced me to keep running until I learned how to love that too.
A year ago, I couldn't run a full mile without stopping. And yesterday, I ran 13.
2010 New Year's Resolution #2: Run a 1/2 marathon. Check.
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