take a deep breath...and run

I skimmed over my half marathon a while back like it was no big deal.  Well, it WAS a big deal.

I wrote this a week or 2 after the race while I was waiting for pictures and then I forgot about this post.  I'm really glad that I wrote down some things then, because there are somethings I might have forgotten. 

SO, here's the story of the half marathon

There was a bunch of us from Derek's family that all went down to run the Hobble Creek half Marathon in memory of Peggy.  We ran it in Utah at the end of August.  It was a race she wanted to do.

I left my kids behind thanks to Alyssa and my parents.

I felt so good the whole race.  My last few miles were sheer adrenalin, I have never felt anything like it.  I'm sure I really didn't, but it felt like I was sprinting the last mile, I couldn't hold myself back.  I think I passed 30 people on the last mile, I'm not exaggerating, it was amazing.  I came up where the family finishers and family fans were, and I was overcome.  I had tiny tears in my eyes, but I was so happy.  I DID have to take a deep breath.  I have never felt that way before, especially at the end of 13 miles.  I can't really describe it, but it was a feeling of so many emotions I'll never forget.  I wish I was better with words to be able describe it, but I don't think it's possible to describe the way I felt.  

(and as great as I was feeling on the last stretch, i might just be calling for help here)

I ran it just over a minute faster than my first half marathon in May, 1 hour 53 minutes.  I was happy with the time, but I would have been happier if I beat Austin and if my time was under an hour 50, but oh well.  Dang 17 year old boys who don't have to train.

(love these gals)

I don't think I'll EVER feel like that ever again during a race.  But, that's ok, because I'll always remember the way I felt that day as I came in 459th place, (hehe, well, there was 1200 people in the race) feeling like I just might vomit, (and completely satisfied with that feeling), being cheered on by hundreds of strangers, thinking how great this family is and thinking of my mother in law and how awesome she was.  I miss her.

Our shirts said, as you can see on the front, 'take a deep breath.'  That was a phrase Peggy often said when someone would be stressing out about this or that.  I can hear her now (for some reason I'm hearing her say it to Brooke....hmmmm)

On the back it says...'and run.'  We were running for her that day!

Also, can I brag about my husby for a second?  his first half marathon, he was in the top 100 finishers!  I think he ran it in 1 hour and 34 minutes.  umm, yeah, he's hot, i know.  (but I kinda want to hate him for it because I probably trained double him.)