Running half of a half marathon

The girl with 6 knee dislocations, who successfully got out of running throughout junior high and high school with the same sixth grade doctor's note, is running a half marathon relay this coming weekend. I know, I'm shocked too!

I have been so inspired by friends who have run marathons and as an adult, have dreamed about being a part of one. Marathon Day in NYC was one of my favorite events because the participants are courageous and strong, both mentally and physically. They truly astound me. The energy in the city is electric, the crowd is cheering for people they will never meet and you feel as though you can feel every footstep.

Last year when I was thinking about my goals for 2010, I decided I wanted to go for a half marathon. I was in relatively good shape and was looking for a way to change up the boredom of going to the gym. I wanted to make and stick to weekly training goals. It wasn't as much about the race itself, more about working consistently to complete the steps to get me to that point. Once I started training, I became nervous that I didn't have it in me to physically complete the distance. I am not a natural runner and I was having a hard time getting past 4 miles.

We settled on the race in Middlebury, Vt. When we signed up, Tim and I decided to do the relay and split the 13 miles. I felt that 7 miles would be a better distance to start with, so that's the plan.

Now that it's this coming weekend, I'm starting to get nervous. I know that physically, I'm prepared. I know what time I'm shooting for and I know that I need to focus and not let my mind talk me out of running. My mind likes to yell at me that I'm tired and my knee hurts and I couldn't possibly run another step. My 12 weeks of training tells me otherwise. I have been doing the mileage and the cross training and more importantly, feeling good doing it. My runs have become a time to let my mind roam and de-stress and not have to think about anything. It's freedom and sun and confidence. I feel strong, both physically and mentally.

So my goal for this race is simply to finish and have fun. I want to enjoy my time on the course and finish it strong. I want to enjoy the spring flowers in this town in Vermont. I want to hear the crowds cheering me on and maybe I'll be able to inspire someone else. I want to finish. That's it. That's the goal.

I'll be back next week with a recap. Wish me luck!