The race went great. There I was, at the starting line, all set to go with my essential supplies:
Ipod? Check. Complete with running music compliments of B*Witched, Backstreet Boys, Michael Jackson, Good Charlotte, All American Rejects, Aqua, Shiny Toy Guns, Disney, Jimmy Eatworld, Bon Jovi and a few others.
Gels? Check. I was a little skeptical about these because I hadn't used them in my training, but it turns out they're not too bad. I would even go as far as saying they are quite tasty (although a quick note to self for next time...take them when there is a water station nearby to prevent coating my throat with strawberry banana flavoring)
Beans? Check. Instructions for use: Eat approximately a kilometer before the Whitemud hill. They will do you wonders!
One thing I've heard about long-distance races is that you're supposed to find someone that you think will run about the same pace as you, so at the starting line I scoped things out. There was an older couple running together, and the first few kilometers they seemed to be going a decent pace, so I thought I would gauge myself against them. (Now, one side note about how I run: I've never been one of those people that can run, nonstop for hours, and never get tired. When I first started reading up on marathon training I came across a walk/run plan that I found quite appealing. Run 9 minutes, walk 1. I'm telling you, this makes a world of difference!) Well, at about 4.5 km there was a water station, and the husband turns around to his wife, who is walking as she drinks her glass of water, and says "Nadine, its a RUN!" Time for me to pick someone else to pace myself against I guess. Luckily, I found Kim. We were both first-timers, and I don't think she knows it, but she helped pace me the rest of the way. Thanks to her quick little reminder ("Last hill!" with a big smile on her face) and my ipod playing "I'll Make a Man Out of You" from Mulan, I made it up Groat Road hill alot easier than I had expected.
Now, when you run a half-marathon, you have ALOT of time to think. The next couple kilometers I was just kind of trudging along, until the song changed on my ipod. Forever, by Chris Brown. Awww...Jessica! (my old roomate - that song will always remind me of her). I got thinking how much I missed her, and how great she is, and then I remembered reading somewhere about a lady that dedicated every mile of her marathon to a different person that had influenced her life, and she thought about that person for the entire mile. I had nothing better to think about, so I gave it a shot. I'm not going to lie, I have a hard time focussing on one thing for very long, but for the rest of the race I just thought about all the great people that have helped me become who I am today. There are so many! My parents, my siblings, my grandparents, cousins, aunts, uncles, high school friends, current/old roomates, Hawaii friends, Edmonton friends, Lethbridge friends...I even thought back to a couple of inspiring gym teachers I had back in the day. I thought about the great qualities that all of these people have, the fun times I've had with them, the examples they have been to me, lessons they have taught me, and what great people they all are. If you need a way to pass the time while running for a couple of hours, give this is shot! Trust me.
2 hours, 17 minutes, and 48 seconds was my official time. 13/20 in my age category. That's decent isn't it? I'll take it! My goal was just to finish!
"You already have everything you need to be a long-distance athlete. It's mind-set - not miles - that separates those who do from those who dream"
Okay, I get the whole mind-over-matter thing. Then I get to this paragraph,
"It doesn't matter where you're coming from. It doesn't matter how un-divine your running skills are. It doesn't matter how low you feel you rank among the ranks of mortals. You can and will become a long-distance athlete. We promise. We've seen it happen. We've seen mortals of every shape and size, of every type of fitness background, of every sort of lifestyle cross the marathon finish line. You can be one of them. We invite you to experience the joy that many of us find as the miles we run exceed the miles we thought we could run."
Chalk another one up under "Half-marathons finished by normal people". Did I love it? Yes. Will I ever do a full marathon? Someday, but I think I'll conquer a few more halves before I get to that point. I think I need a running buddy for my next one though, any takers?
And oh yeah, cross this one off
the list!
Let me tell you, this is THE most motivating book I have ever read. Right from the very first page:
haha. I love the pictures I get off google. I'm in my last clinical of my 3rd year of nursing in general medicine. I wasn't looking forward to it at all because I figured it would be like long term care, which is fairly accurate, but I'm actually really enjoying it, and learning SO MUCH! Only 9 months and I'm DONE! Gah!
This past weekend I went down to Southern Alberta for my good friend Shayla's wedding. I even got to be her photographer...my first wedding on my own! It was so much fun. Shayla looked beautiful (well, she always does...but she looked ESPECIALLY gorgeous). Both her and KJ are great, and I love them together! It was a fantastic day.
Well, after 7 hours of STRAIGHT sewing yesterday, I FINALLY finished it. It wasn't quite what I had in mind, and sometimes when I put it on I feel like a Hutterite, but I still like it. Just don't look TOO closely at the sew job...I'm a beginner okay? 
