Finally, the race post!!

I did it! That is, I finished the race, and I finally got around to doing a post about it. Here are some fun pictures from the race.

Here I am around mile 6. I look happy because I'm finally running after walking the first 6 miles or so. It actually felt wondeful to run and use new muscles for a while. I ran/walked the last 7 miles of the race, and my pace those last 7 miles was almost 1:30 minutes per mile faster than the first 6 miles.

I don't know why there wasn't a picture of me crossing the finish line! Too bad -- I was so excited!

This guy was dressed as one of the Scots in Braveheart.

This 82-yr-old woman ran steadily, steadily, steadily up and down the hills. It was amazing.

These are the running Elvises! They dress up and run together, and even push a jogging stroller with a jambox playing their music.

Here's an Elvis at the finish line. Too fun!

I'm still trying to write that perfect post-race post...

... but until I can get an image off of Brightroom, it ain't gonna happen. But it's still in the works, so hang in there.

Mission Accomplished!!

I did it! I finished the race in a steady but respectable 3:21:40, an average pace of 15:23-miles. I was 8496 out of 9385, and had a really good time.

Billy and I are still in Louisville, celebrating his birthday and our anniversary, so I'll post more tomorrow.

Thanks, thanks, THANKS to everyone who supported me in so many ways!!

T-minus 10 hours and counting...

Here I am at the Galt House in downtown Louisville on the eve of the race. We had a great pasta party tonight, where we had a lovely dinner, collected our race bags and jerseys, and recognized our Honored Heroes (people battling cancer for whom we're running). My special hero is Ricky Westman, a friend from the ASP days who truly makes the best and hottest rice dishes I've ever had, Louisiana-style. I just tried to get a pic of him for this post, but the hotel computer won't allow it. I'll add it later.

I guess I should be nervous, but I'm really not. Perhaps because my training has been somewhat spotty, perhaps because I'm just not very competitive. Or perhaps because we've been busy lately, and getting ready has been just another thing on my to-do list. But now that we're here, it's feeling much more real -- and much more fun. Tomorrow will be here soon enough, and worrying won't help anything. I'll just do the best that I can.

My goal is to finish in under 3 hours, which translates into 4.4 miles/hour, or an average 13.6-minute mile. Hardly an Olympic pace, but I will truly have to push myself to achieve this over 13.1 miles, especially considering that the first 6 miles are in Iroquois Park, which everyone says is a killer. I guess it's better to have it at the beginning and get it behind you.

I'm drinking tons of water and have a bagel, PB, and a banana ready for breakfast. Plus a few Aleve for dessert, and I should be ready to catch that bus at 5:45 tomorrow morning.

I'll post tomorrow and let you know how it turns out!

This ain't my first rodeo...

...even though it is my first half-marathon. Back in 2002, having gained almost 40 pounds since graduating from college, I realized that I needed some sort of goal to get me in shape, and I decided to try a short triathlon. I picked what is called a "supersprint" triathlon, which is roughly half the distance of a sprint triathlon. It consisted of a 1/4 mile pool swim, a short (but very hilly) 6-mile bike, and a 1.8-mile run (whereas the sprint is 1/2 mile swim, 15-mile bike, 3.2-mile run.) I finished in 59 minutes and had a great time. Since then, I've completed 4 supersprint and 2 sprint triathlons, and can honestly say I've enjoyed every one (well, maybe not every minute of every one). I've also done a few 5K races, but have only once been able to run the entire race, no walking.

Anyway, here are a few pics from the sprint triathlon I did last August with my sister in Denver. We did the Tri for the Cure and had a great time. I had a picture of me crossing the finish line, but for some reason it looks like I have a huge gap in my front teeth!! No need to circulate that online.

That Denver altitude ain't no joke.

My finisher's medal, hung on my rearview mirror for inspiration.

The F Word

Fundraising is very scary to me. When I signed up for this, I was less worried about the 13.1 miles than the $3000. I suppose one reason is because I have control over training for the run, but I don't have control over whether people donate to the cause.

I don't enjoy asking people for money (although Billy might say something to the contrary -- ha!). I've only had one job where I had to raise my own support -- I was an intern at a campus ministry -- and that was enough for me. Some people are just gifted at it, but it terrifies me. So it's been a definite challenge to ask my family and friends (as well as my plumber, home inspector, and friends of my parents) to support me in this cause. Admittedly, there is a certain distance in asking for money for an organization as important as the Leukemia & Lymphoma Society, but it still makes me slightly nervous.

Well, I've bitten the bullet and asked, and people have been generous beyond my imagination. People have given from their abundance and from their scarcity, and I'm so very grateful for both. Thank you, thank you.

It's Almost Here!