90 Seconds to This

"So," I turned my attention to Erin, "you're a runner, right?"

It was the last day of school and we all sat sipping our Zuppa Tuscana or Minnestrone, dipping breadsticks, and eating salad. As the conversation turned to running, excitement grew like creeping Charlie until it covered all of us. By the end of the conversation seven had committed to training for a 10 mile race in October. One would become pregnant within a month and another would get the wild idea that running causes varicose veins (it doesn't) and drop out. Five of us continued.

A few short weeks later we found out that we didn't make it into the 10 mile race that we were hoping for. Well, what the heck, we thought, let's sign up for a half-marathon.

The first time that I started running, I could barely last 90 seconds. Somehow I kept going and worked up to going seven minutes straight. I was elated, but nervous, after finishing my first 5K.
I allowed myself to sign up for a 10K by assuring myself that I could walk part of it if I needed to. It ended up that I ran the whole thing. I signed up for a 10 mile thinking that it would be a remarkable milestone. If I can make it through the ten mile, I thought, then I know that I can do the half-marathon. The ten mile race was an especially pivotal event because it was held a week earlier than the original ten mile that we couldn't get into.

Finishing the ten mile was a great accomplishment for me. I went from 90 seconds to this! My goal was to finish the entire thing in 100 minutes--averaging a ten minute mile. I actually finished in 1 hr. 37 minutes--averaging a 9 minute 40 second mile. I have to say, though, that I was definitely ready to be done after the ten miles were up. I'm glad there are a few weeks left until the half-marathon because it'll take me a while to build up to that.

One other bonus was that this was the first race that Aaron, Caeden, Avery & my dad were at. I kept looking for them all along the way. At about mile 7 I ran past Aaron & Caeden (Avery was sleeping). Seeing them energized me so much that I think I ran the next mile and a half with a smile on my face. I saw my dad at the finish line.

Here's to accomplishing goals!


Here's the pic that Aaron took right around mile 7...it's a bit blurry because I had to enlarge it.


And here's one from fotojack...