Mother's Day 1/2!

This is the front of the RTH team shirts!

Wow! What a race.

I wasn't nervous this time about finishing, because I knew I had trained hard for this, but I wanted to do well. My two friends that I have known forever (I met one when I was almost 3, the other I think at 4 or 5 years old) carpooled with me to the race, it was great to see them both. It was funny to think after all these years we were doing a 1/2 marathon together! Woo hoo for us.

It was a bit windy when we got there, but that is to be expected when you are right next to a lake!

Miles 1-2-3
Moved right to the back of the pack, with the 12:00 min pacer signs. I didn't want to start off too fast. I knew rather quickly into the first mile that I was going faster than a 12:00 actually I think we did the first mile in 10:55! For me that is rock star fast! Something happened after the first mile, my shins started to hurt, hmmm this is new I thought never had sore shins. This is going to make for an interesting run if it keeps up. Miles 2 -3 were more struggling for me. Ouch shins still hurt. I started at the back of the pack, and as you can imagine my worst fear is to come in last so I kept looking back to see that I wasn't last. At one point I only saw 3 people behind me. Crap I thought. Then something changed and my thoughts went to doing my best instead of worrying what was behind me. truly it is a mind game to run long distances.

Mile 4 -5

Shin stopped hurting, I started getting my groove. I looked at the watch and I was at approx 4.5 miles when I hit the hour mark... cool right on time!

Mile 6

This was a truly great mile for me - I caught up with the walkers that left a 1/2 before me! You can't begin to imagine the mental lift this gives you! I ran for the past 2 miles behind a gal with orange shorts determined to close the gap. At mile 6 I did just that I passed her. I started to look back to see if she was going to give chase, but I stopped and thought nope I have passed her and she will not pass me, keep running, there is no looking back, only forward! OK mile 6 for Non-Runner Nancy was 1:20. I believe!

Mile 7

I put a gal in my sights with a white long sleeve shirt with a bright blue shirt on underneath. I thought to my self " bring it on! I will pass you!" I was now fully in my groove and dare I say it? Getting that runner's high! Feeling really good.

Mile 8 -9

Most of these two miles were down hill, wow that does wonders for you the first 1/2 was gradual up hill! So I really kicked it in and passed the lady in the white and blue right before mile 9! Right after that I called and left Derrick a message - I know, I am a big geek calling my hubby to tell him I think I am going to beat my "hopeful" time (that was 3:00 hours) I was quite a bit a head of schedule! If you are wondering I grabbed the phone and dialed and left message while I was running I did not stop! If only I could use my multitasking skills to run a consistent 10 min mile!

Mile 10 - 11

Kind of a blurr in the zone, there weren't a lot of runners around to pick off just the walkers. I was kind of bummed that was a fun thing for me to do. So I picked a walker way up the course and headed towards him. Hit 11 miles and got really excited just 2.1 miles left! Then you round a little corner and it is a short but steep hill. ugh. Made it up the hill - HR went up to 190! wow! My arms were pumping! Again for Non-Runner Nancy and her 10k or 10 miles, my time approx of course, was about 2:06 I know I looked at my watch, to make sure I noted the time but now I have so many numbers in my head I am not positive!

Mile 12

There were two wonderful guys yelling at 3 of us, that we were almost there! The two ladies started to run with me, I was beyond determined to not have them pass me. The first half of the mile a lady in green and I were battling it out - enough is enough I thought - and I broke away. (You have to laugh at me breaking away with a 12:00+ mile!) But hey a break away is a break away. Saw the bridge at the end and new I was close. But I didn't know when to really kick it in, as I didn't want to run out of steam.... Got down the bridge and thought - don't leave anything on this course, run like you've never run before! I looked at the watch and I thought, holy crap I can make 2:45! Started a little faster - then saw my two friends, (who were done!) I know I am close! Started to sprint (again my version of sprinting) Then as I looked up from my running fog I saw the coolest thing... My Raise the Hope Team all standing at the corner! I seriously got excited.... how great they were waiting until we all finished! I missed the 2:45 time... but I finished in 2:46:?? I need to look at the race time to see what my seconds were. I think my average mile was 12:42! that is awesome for me!

Ofcourse through out the race I thought of my friend Liz. Miles 8 and 9 I started to cry, wishing she was with me. Then I had a little conversation with her - me just talking to her telling her I missed her, then telling her I think I could have kept up with her today. Thank you my friend for pushing me. When I crossed the finish line, Foster (her husband) was there. It was great that he came to the race. As I hugged him, so many emotions came into my head! I told him I loved him, and her and that I missed her, and I thanked him for being a great friend! I know Liz was with me today.

I will have to look it up, but I believe my time for my first 1/2 in Nov '06 was 3:36... I took off 50 minutes! Wow! I have come a long way! (Just looked it up - my time was 3:33 53 minutes off the time)

I PR'd the race! 2:46:??
Min/Mile 12:42 I need to verify!
Calories burned: 2, 062
HR average: 164
Highest HR: 190

The coolest part was seeing everyone at the end of the race! Congrats to Julia, she did her first 5K! You rock!

To all the Raise the Bar /Raise the Hope people I met during the race - you looked awesome, many people got a PR as well! I will add pictures later!




this is the back of the RTH shirts.


I will post pics of me, my friends and the team as soon as I get them! There is a pretty cool one of me at the finish that my friend Amy's sister took! So cool Jen came out to see her sis race!

Wanted to say thank you to Derrick and kids for supporting me in my marathon craziness!!

and a big Thank you for the beautiful flowers and card you got me! Thank you for a wonderful Mother's Day!