race day.

<--- Me! Banco Popular Chicago Half Marathon

Race day finally arrived. My husband came with me to cheer me on...he had been incredibly supportive of my training even though it took up a lot of time. He gave me an iPod shuffle for race day to show his pride in me.

We left the house while it was still dark outside...around 5:00am. We got to the starting line in plenty of time. I was in the way back with all the slower runners. I have found I run most efficiently when I start out slow and gain speed as my endurance builds up. I did make one mistake and forgot to wear my husband's timing watch, so I had to depend on the clocks along the course to keep tabs on my time. I had 2 goals for this race:

1- To run the ENTIRE race.
2- To finish in under 2:30.

The first 4 miles passed with ease. I felt great...like I could run forever! I saw my husband right around mile 5...that gave me a boost! The weather was perfect. Sunny and comfortable...not too warm, not too cold. I met a few runners along the way and chatted a bit, reveling in the experience. I was also on the lookout for my friend Betty, who told me she would be heading to the course to cheer me on. My cousin Karyn and her 2 girls were also in the group of onlookers, but I didn't see them. By mile 9 I was starting to question my decision about running 13.1 miles. I was starting to lag a bit, but I was determined to keep going. I was NO quitter. After every refueling station, I willed my legs to propel me forward. I had brought a few gels with me, and I tried gulping them down at several intervals during the race. They made me gag. Not the energy source for me!

When I saw the clock for mile 11, that was the motivation I needed to push myself harder and faster. I was coming into the last 2 miles of the race and I was going to finish strong no matter what. My adrenaline kicked into high gear and my legs were gliding over the pavement with virtually no effort at all. All of a sudden, the crowd became more dense and the cheering became louder...I was almost at the end! I looked to my left and saw Betty and her husband Brian and yelled thanks to them for coming out to support me. Seeing them gave me an extra jolt...and then a minute later I saw my amazing husband to my right with a huge smile on his face. The finish line was close now, just a few more steps...and I crossed it with a chip time of 2 hours, 26 minute and 9 seconds! I accomplished BOTH goals for my first half marathon! A wave of pride and accomplishment engulfed me as I disposed my chip in the bucket, grabbed a water bottle and went in search of my husband. A short while later, the adrenaline wore off and my legs felt like jello beneath me, but nothing could damper my spirits- I was a half marathoner.