Push Forward

Yes, I DID! I finished my first Half Marathon yesterday in Los Colinas. It was physically and mentally one of the most challenging things I have ever set out to do....but I can now check that off of my 2009 to-do list. WOO-HOO!! Here is a little tid bit of how my day went.

• 4 a.m.-jumped out of bed, got dressed, ate two slices of wheat toast w/ peanut butter
• 4:35-left to meet my running partner at her house
• 6:45-arrived at run location & picked up our bib numbers and chip timers
• 7:00-nerves are getting the best of me....streched out & tried to breathe
• 7:15-really needed to go to the bathroom but the line was really long & I thought I would be sweating everything out soon enough anyways
  
• 7:30-Race started....I crossed the starting line at 7:31
• First Mile-I am thinking I have this thing....going to be a piece of cake
• Mile 3-I have literally almost wet my pants every step. I finally give in and stop at the next porta potty & then on my way again
  
• Mile 4-Scenery is beautiful, feeling pretty good, sure glad I stopped at the bathroom
• Mile 5-Getting a little winded, by myself, and wondering if they mistakenly measured two miles in between miles 5 & 6...sure seems wrong
  
• Mile 6-grabbed some water & powerade & pushed on
• Mile 7-starting doing my 6 minute runs and 1 minute walks that we had trained to do
  
• Mile 8-literally thought I was going to die. Thought about collapsing, but remembered my husband telling me to put one foot in front of the other and keep going.
• Mile 9-mad at my husband that he gave me that advice, but I keep going. I keep telling myself if the Biggest Loser participants can run a marathon, surely I can do a half.
• Mile 10-Okay...this is serious business. My legs are like jello, I just passed one of my partners and she looks like she might be on her way out, my hips are throbbing, but I keep going anyways
• Mile 11-Seriously what have I gotten myself into. I still have 2.1 miles to go and I cannot feel my legs
• Mile 12-People on the sidelines yelling "Good Job", "You can do it", "You're almost finished".....Yeah right people, wish you could have just ran 12 miles with me:) I can see my other friend just a little ahead of me and she is walking. I think to myself I am going to catch her
• Mile 13-Almost there, did'nt quite catch my friend
• Mile 13.1-I DID IT! I crossed the finish line in 2 hours, 30 minutes and 6 seconds. I am so happy, but cannot stand another minute (literally). Would really like to cry an uncontrollable cry but resisted. So happy that I finished and accomplished another one of my new year's resolutions.

I cannot begin to describe the feeling of satisfaction you feel when crossing a finish line after that hard of a run. I can tell you that everyday most of us get up thinking about dreams and goals for our future and what I will tell you is to push on. Don't stop. Never give up. I carried w/ me a special trinket that had a special verse on it, "I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me". God pushed me through to the end. He is my strength when I am weak.

Your finish line does not have to come from a 13 mile run. It could be getting an answer to a prayer, or maybe a job promotion. Whatever it may be, I hope you make God a part of it.

Love to all