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Tuesday, October 22, 2013

Rock 'n Roll- Denver



This weekend I completed my 2nd half marathon!!!
I was excited to run it with my friend Rosa who was running her first half...and I am already trying to get her to do another one...her words after asking her were..."Give me a week!"
The first text I got today was...ALLISON, I CAN NOT MOVE!!!  Oh, the memories of running my first half marathon...

Rosa and I at the expo!!!


Rock 'n Roll- Denver is the biggest half marathon I have ran.
15,000 people ran this race...between full, half, half relay, and mini half...that is a lot of damn people!  It was a great race, fairly flat and right through downtown Denver.
I would never have been able to run through downtown if I had not run this race...it was so nice with all the streets closed down to be able to take in the gorgeous city of Denver!

I felt great through the whole run until I hit mile 10...
...for some reason that dreaded mile 10 was a pickle for me in my first half marathon and this one.
I just hit a wall, my legs feel like they are 400 lbs. each, I felt like I couldn't take another breath, and I just had no more energy.
As I was between mile 10 and 11, I came upon a little hill...
...I got to the top and saw the mile 12 marker.  I thought, "WHAT, I'm already at mile 12???  Hell ya!!!"
I looked at my watch and the miles were off, but if this was right, and I was really at mile 12, I was going to make great time...
...but then it happened...
...I had to turn the other direction.
....and run all the way around another park.
I felt so defeated.
I wanted that to be for real so bad.
I wanted to turn right instead of left.
I wanted it to be over.
I didn't want to run around another park.
I wanted to cross that finish and cross it NOW!

I didn't PR, and I was disappointed.
However, I finished...and that's an accomplishment of it's own!

As I went through the pictures of me from the race and the professional photographers, I was in shock...
I look HORRIBLE when I am running...besides it looks like I am not even moving...like at all!
Just think of this when you are wondering what I look like because this is pretty darn close!



Official Stats:
Time: 2:23.51
Pace: 10:59
Overall Place: 5141 out of 8273

I have to say this race shirt is the best one yet!!!!  Love it!

Rosa (on the right) ran her first 1/2 with me and I am soooooo proud of her!!!  She accomplished something that she never thought she would!  Sabra (on the left) rode in the bike ride.  I was so jealous of her participant medal!!!

So, I'm trying to find my next half...and I have several friends trying to talk me into the Hospital Hill 1/2 in KC in June...I just might take on the challenge...but this girl has got to get some more muscle and drop some weight for that hilly race!!!  







Monday, October 14, 2013

HATED running...

I have one week left until I run my second half marathon...
Something that I never thought I would ever do...
When I was in middle school, I did all the field events when I was on the track team...
I HATED running...
When I was in high school, I remember running 10 times around the gym and 10 times up and down the stairs, 3 times during each volleyball practice...
I HATED running...
When I was on the basketball team we were timed doing down & backs, and running lines...
I HATED running...
I dreaded each and every basketball practice with a passion because I knew I would run countless times up and down the court...
I HATED running...
It was no secret...I would have rather worked day in and day out than run...
I HATED running...

I would have rather worked day in and day out, until I found my place in the running world...
I have this need to run...
I have this want to run...
I have this desire to run...

I never thought that I would ever, in my entire life, admit that I love to run...
I LOVE to run....
My therapy when it seems like my head is going to explode...
I LOVE to run...
I may not be the fastest, but I finish...every.single.time...
I LOVE to run...
I may be in the worst mood ever, but I will always find time...
I LOVE to run...
My feet may be calloused and ugly...
I LOVE to run...
My knees may hurt every time I run over 5 miles...
I LOVE to run...
I may feel like I am going to die while running...
I LOVE to run...
I may stalk many blogs where all the readers are runners...
I LOVE to run...
I may not break my personal record...
I LOVE to run...

I have that love hate relationship with running....
I have had this kind of relationship with running my whole life.
I still have this kind of relationship with running...
There are time when I hate running and have to talk myself into it, but when I am running and finished running, I love the way I feel!
It's an amazing euphoria....

Here's to Rock n Roll-Denver!!!