Half marathon completed yesterday, ran the Great Bay Half Marathon 2011 in Newmarket NH. Got around the course in 2:15:29, averaging 10:29 a miles. It was a successful event in that I wsas able to run the entire distance. As I anticipated, I hit a wall and pushed through it at the 11.5 mile mark.
Taking pride in your accomplishments is vital to moving forward. It was great to accomplish something have never attempted before. I am not the fastest runner and had no dreams of a miraculous, kid from nowhere coming on to a first place finish. I finished and enjoyed the experience. I hope that along the I provided some comfort and support to those around me.
Smewhare about five miles out I find myself running next a lady, we had been close together for the past five minutes. Thirty or more runners pass us in that time, I ask her "do you thing anyone else is behind us?" She grins, shakes her head then picks up her pace leaving me behind. On I plod.
Coming to a hill, a big hill, a steep long hill with what appeared to be goats at the top hill. I swear I heard yodelling. I glanced to my left and spotted a woman bounding up the aforementioned hill. She looked like those astronauts skipping across the lunar surface as she floated past my lumbering.
I mentioned that "I wished I had lost those ten pounds I was planning to do last month."
She politely smiled, "There's always next year." she gleefully responded.
"I'll this day one."
As we crossed paths me heading north, them heading south I noticed a few runners looking like they were in distress, hell we had just run ten and a half miles we all were in disstress. "Hey! smile, remember you paid to do this!"
"Oh yeah this was a great way to spend my money wasn't it!"
"Can you believe I am doing this voluntarily?"
I spot someone walking, trying to regroup as they prepare for the final couple of miles "That's right! it's all about forward progress."
A limper, she has a blister and still two miles to go, "I wish I had your courage to continue!"
Oh oh! here's that wall they talk about. I'm not halfway through a full marathon and can only imagine if it's double, I'm not wanting any part of it. Mmmm, what to do. I distract myself cheering on those I am now passing as I head south, I know how much further they have to go to get here. I then spot him. I knew it would happen, and I still could not believe it. I pass a runner on his cell phone. I do a double take, and chuckle. Really, on the phone some two hours into a run?
Look the 12 mile mark, only one more to go. A cute coed is running with me, and we chat a little. "Inside a mile" reaffirming myself that I will finish. She informs me we are "seven tenths to the finish." I see she is wearing a gps on her wrist. Having driven the course the day before I share my limited course knowledge with her, afterall we are both runner, "We have one more steep hill, it's short but it is steep about a quater mile ahead."
"Oh, this is a hilly course, I wish I knew that before I started out." She falls back slowly, as if preparing herself for the impending final obstacle.
Up the hill I continue, to the flat part, before a final slow rise, then down a gentle slope to the finish line. About a hundred yards from the end a little boy extends his arm to high five the soon to finish runner. I am only happy to accept his congratulations. Then I spot my wife with her camera, a video tape of me running to the finish line. The two best sights all day!
Now to create a plan to lose weight and to stick to the plan. I will also be looking to improve my golf game, both through swing improvement lessons and learning to control the mental part of the game.
I am tired and still need to recoup so I can focus for more than ten minutes on any topic.
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