RUN

Running to me is.....

my friend and my enemy, calming, grueling, peaceful, long, rewarding, lonely, painful, thoughtful, scenic, boring, and sometimes.... the definition of insanity. It truly depends on the day and on my mood.

This past Saturday, I ran my first half marathon and it did not disappoint. It was a combination of all of the above.

It was 35 degrees when I stepped out of my car into the dark downtown streets to head to the start.

I set out with a few goals in my head (one of which was just to finish) and those goals pushed me the entire way. I am a bit neurotic that way.

Mile 1: get used to the chill in the air, find a beat

Mile 2: survey the road for all of the pieces of clothing the runners ahead where shedding already. Cute hat, nice jacket, I could use that glove. Focus on anything but the fact that I am only on mile 2.

Mile 3: Heard a voice call my name from behind.... Our friend Brad St. Clair running the same race. It was good to see a familiar face. encouraging.

Mile 4: check my time. Grab a water cup from one of the nice volunteers along the way. Take a sip and throw it toward a trash can. Whoops....missed. Keep going.

Mile 5: Lots of people along the way, carrying signs, shouting encouragement. Miss my kids!

Mile 6: Oh the hills, why are there so many hills in Denver? When I am driving those same roads, sure doesn't seem like a hill. I am almost halfway.

Mile 7: City Park....pretty. Focus on the people in front. Pass as many as you can without twisting an ankle. Look at the mountains.

Mile 8: I have been running 8 miles and never did put my headphones on. They are flopping around my neck and I never noticed. Too busy listening to the sounds of breathing behind me, the clomping of shoes. The random conversations of people who are crazy enough to run 13 miles and carry on a conversation while doing it. So much for all the great tunes Jon loaded on my I-pod.

Mile 9: I can do this. Getting warmer. sunglasses are too foggy to wear.

Mile 10: Cheeseman Park...never really spent any time there. Nice, good views. The marathoners split off from us at this point. As I tried to keep my breathing even, I was in awe of those 26 milers!

Mile 11: Uphill again. Are you kidding me? And then it starts. The doc mentioned 3 weeks ago the time may come when my left knee starts to hurt because of the way my foot pronates. And so it begins. 2 more miles...I can get there.

Mile 12: adrenalin starts to kick in. Crowd is getting bigger. Completely forget about my knee. Starting to feel like I might vomit but I practice breathing and listen to the people around me who are all feeling the same way.

Mile 12.5: the girl in front of me stops and starts walking. Three of us around her shout out encouragement. She has come this far. Don't quit now. Less than a mile to go!

Mile 13: Round the Corner and I can see the finish line. It's downhill....thank God! Pick up the pace and run as fast as I can....why not? Can't hurt any worse than I already do. I hear Jon's strong voice from my right hand side on the sideline..... "GO CHRISTY".....just what I needed.

I cross the finish 1 Hour, 55 minutes, and 40 seconds after I started. My goal was two hours.

next on the agenda....a bath, a shower and a nap.

It's been more than 24 hours since the finish and I am happy that I did it. I am not sure if I can do it again.....we will see what the doc says about the knee. I have never been so sore in my life.

Thanks to my family and friends for the well wishes and support for a moment that meant something special to me!