Way back when, a couple of years ago - heck even a couple of months ago - if someone had of said to me "Barb, your going to be running a Half Marathon before most people have had breakfast" I would have laughed hysterically in their face. Even more so if that HM had nothing to do with a race - you were just running it because it was just something to do. I mean really, who in their right mind would do something like that?
ME
Yep, you read right. I did. I am now part of of those people who I once thought were out of their mind. And I like it. It was such a different feeling to that last 2hr run that was uneventful both physically and mentally. I really felt like these 21.1kms helped me mentally. By the end of it there was no self doubt left, no questioning my abilities, no NOTHING. I had just run 21.1kms before most people's brekkie. And I did it in 2hrs 1min.
And I really wish I had of taken a photo of my smile - because it was BIG. Bigger than my normal smile and that's big. What was not to smile about - the one thing that was holding me back from visualising my dream of this 70.3 was the distance in my run - and I now had conquered that. It is now not a matter of IF I can, it simply is I CAN.
I kept verbalising to myself during the run that I was a capable individual. That everything I had set myself to do I had done. That whatever pain/discomfort I was feeling I had felt before, and I still managed to accomplish my set goals. This was yet another thing that I had to chip away at kilometre by kilometre until the distance was done. And yes there was a point with 1km to go that I really started to struggle with heaviness in my legs and I questioned whether I should walk - but the one thing that Jodie keeps saying to me is that the only battle you will have to fight will be with your mind. And with those words playing havoc in my mind - I just kept pushing. Footstep over footstep I pushed on till that 21.1km came up on my Garmin. And with that I did a little jig on the side of the road.
Yes, I know - if I still had energy to do a jig then I still had more energy to keep running, but that feeling of exhilaration I am sure is much like a painkiller. I walked the remaining 200m to my home damn proud of my first ever Half Marathon. I was now a Half Marathoner. WOOHOO.
I shall wear that title with honour. Heck, I even think I am going to go buy myself a medal and have the date, time and distance engraved on it to hang on my wall. Yesterday is a day I want to remember forever.
