IT IS OVER!!!!

And I lived to tell about it!!  I ran my first half marathon (13.1 miles) on Sunday.  It was by far one of the most difficult things I've ever done.  The early morning runs since June to prepare for this, the sore muscles and aches and the joy of hideously blistered feet!  But it is over, and I did it!  And I did it in 2 hours, 12 minutes and 14 seconds . . . 2 LONG hours, 12 LONG minutes and 14 LONG seconds! :)

My friend Mary Catherine got up to run with me three or four times per week since June.  We would meet at 6am and off we would go.  She was my accountability -- I had to get up or she would be in my driveway all alone at 6am.  I couldn't have done it without her!  This is us at mile 13 -- so very close to being DONE!  And it hadn't been too long since she had run behind me because all I wanted to do was stop -- she said if I stopped she would run over me . . . and so I kept running.  Ugh!

This is my neighbor (and fellow Birmingham transplant!), Jacquie.  She got me to start running in April of 2008 and she ran Sunday also.  It was so fun to see her at the finish line . . . she is a half marathon pro.  This was her 3rd!
Ford and Virginia after the race -- they were proud of me!
The family, minus Jeb, after the race.  Watching for them is one of the best parts of the whole experience!  It is always easy to spot Brent towering over the crowd and it was just what I needed to get through the last minute of the race!!!
So, I'm taking a week off.  I'm sleeping past 5:30 and I'm not running unless someone chases me.  And even then, I might just give up and let them catch me!!  But I'm hoping to run again -- Memphis half marathon in December!!  And I might even be nuts enough to aim for April in Nashville too.  But one thing I know, I don't think there is any desire within me to run 26.2 miles -- I think I'll have to admit that I can't make my feet and legs go that far no matter what "zone" I enter!!!