Deciding to Run 13.1 Miles

How did I finally decide to run 13.1 miles?  That's half a marathon!!

When I started running in 2012, I didn't think I could go much past a 5K.  After doing a few, I finally figured I could do them all day long.  I wasn't going to win, but I could easily finish them. The challenge of doing a 5K didn't last long.

Also, I was looking forward to triathlons and completing them.  I knew in order to make it to the ultimate goal, Ironman, I would have to be able to run farther.  So, I began thinking what races I could start doing that were longer than 5K.  I was looking for 10K's, or 15K's.  Due to my school schedule, I couldn't find races that were conducive to my schedule.

Reading my Triathlete magazine, I kept seeing advertisements for Rock 'N Roll marathons. Cheer squads every mile or so, plus bands every mile or two.  Bands?? At a half marathon race, I'd never heard of such a thing.  I figured I'd just be trudging along listening to my music in my headphones.  Here was a race offering their own cheerleaders and bands.  It was very intriguing and I was still thinking I'd be running by myself and not with a group.  If I was going to go that far, this is the kinda race I wanted to do.

I've also been listening to Mickey Miles Podcast.  I'd heard Jeff Galloway on there quite often at the time.  He was saying that if you put in the proper training and run walk run, then anyone can do it.  I was becoming a believer.  

Mentally, I finally decided I could do it.  I looked at the time limit that most of the Rock 'N Roll half's allow and most of them put a 4 hour time limit on it.  Doing some quick calculations, okay, they weren't that quick, I was running about at 13' mile at that point, I could finish no problem.  I'd be around 3 hours give or take.  I could totally do it!!!  

My mentality about how far I could go was changing and it wasn't, "I can't go that far."  It was more, "I can go that far, how long will it take?"  Finishing is the objective, not how long it will take. The finish line is the goal, nothing else.

So, I began talking to my "partner in crime", Stacie, and told her where I wanted to go and if she wanted to go with me.  She'd done the Walt Disney World half and I knew she was going for a full in the same place.  I told her I was going to sign up.  She said she was going to do the Detroit International half but it was 2 weeks after the race I was planning to do, so that kinda put a damper over it.

She talked to her husband and our other running pal, and somehow they were game.  Well, Stacie just told them we were signing up and going.  We signed up to do the inaugural Rock 'N Roll Half Marathon in Cleveland.  And for good, bad, or indifferent, I signed up for the Detroit International half.  I'm such a DUMMY!!!!

Now, the training started, but I had a goal, and that goal was to finish a half marathon!!!!

Keep on Runnin!!!