I did it!

I didn't think I was going to be able to run The LaSalle Bank Columbus Half Marathon, but I pushed it a little for the last two months and decided to go for it. A wiser more experienced runner would have done the smart thing and skipped this one. I never said I was smart! Here's my race report for a fantastic day:

5am - I'm wide awake, ready to go. My alarm is set for 6:00, but I know I won't get back to sleep. I hop out of bed and start pacing around my apartment. Check my bag, eat a bagel, check my bag again, pin my bib to my shirt, check my bag, smother my problem spots with Body Glide, check my bag, eat another bagel.

6am- Stand on my balcony in my carefully chosen attire, decide I'm dressed to warm. Check my bag again.

7am- Danielle arrives. I pace. I pee.

7.10am- Mom and dad arrive and we're off.

7.30am - We're some of the first people at the race site. We stand around and shiver, use the bathroom. I obsess on whether or not to wear gloves.

9am- I line up at the back of the pack, figuring this is where I'll most likely be for most of the race. The gun goes off and the crowd of thousands of runners starts to move towards the starting line. My legs are jumpy, ready to go. It takes about 4 minutes to reach the starting line so for most of the race, my watch time is 4 minutes faster than the clock. We start running, slow at first, waving to the crowd on the side lines. It takes about a mile or two to warm up and find a good pace. My 2nd mile split is 22:00 on the nose, slow but comfortable. I want to go faster but know I should save my energy for that hill at mile 11. I wave to my friends who came out to cheer me on. At mile 4-5, we circle around the Ohio Stadium and the band is set up playing fight songs. The runners shout "O-H-I-O". We run up Lane Ave and turn south on High Street, headed through the Short North and downtown. At mile 7, I'm still feeling pretty good and am staying dead on pace. The wind picks up and I swear a little but decide that no amount of wind is going to keep me from my goal. We run towards Columbus State and I wave to my family. At mile 9, I start to feel a little tired and I wish I had taken my Cliff Shot sooner. Mile 10 past Schiller Park and I realize this is the farthest I've ever run in my life. Mile 11 crosses over 670 and HURTS. I allow myself to walk up this hill but pick it back up again as soon as I get to the top. People in the crowd are cheering "Only 2 more to go" and I can't believe it. It's almost over already! Most of mile 12 is down hill, thankfully. At mile 12.75 or so, I can start to hear the crowd at the finish line. I smile for my race photo and round the corner. Hundreds of people line the chute towards the finish. I can see the time clock just under the FINISH banner and I can hardly believe it. I cross the finish line at 2:29:03, a minute faster than my goal. A huge smile is plastered on my face and I fall into the arms of my friends and family, laughing and crying.

13.1 miles went by so incredibly fast and I can't believe it's over already. Crossing that finish line was one of the most incredible experiences of my life. I'll never run another FIRST 1/2 marathon again so I will treasure that day for a long, long time. Some people run these big races and afterwards say "Never again!". Me? I say "When can I do that again?"