13.1 and Happy Birthday

My 33^rd birthday was on Thursday. I announced to my children that if anyone asks, Mommy is 29. N (my 5 year old) replied with, “But Mommy 29 doesn’t come after 32!” He was confused until I repeated that from here on out, Mommy will always be 29. He caught on quickly. I later got an email from one of his teachers telling me Happy Birthday. N apparently went to school and told his teachers that it was his Mommy’s birthday and that I was turning 29, ‘atta boy!!!!

I wanted to celebrate my day with a Half Marathon distance. Unfortunately, I had too many mommy responsibilities to do. Can you say Room Mom responsibilities coupled with washing floors and scrubbing toilets??? I decided to celebrate one day late. I can honestly say that each time I run the half marathon distance, it gets easier. Just as I had hoped! I was skeptical and almost backed out. I had only run three miles earlier this week and the pain meds I was on from my cyst really dried me out. I knew that I hadn’t fueled and hydrated properly in the days leading up to Friday, but I decided that I wasn’t going to make excuses. Just shut up, get out there and be your GBA Mother Runner self and get it done! So I did! It was EPIC! I have been training with the Galloway method for the Publix GA ½ on 3/18. I may or may not actually run the race due to hubby’s work schedule, but I wanted to follow a training schedule to keep myself up to snuff. This time around I decided to not take the walk breaks when my timer went off unless I really needed a reprieve. I was able to skip a few walk breaks and I don’t think it really hurt me too much. The next time I train, I will attempt to only walk every 2.5 miles and then stretch it out until I can run the WHOLE 13.1 miles.

It was hot and muggy. 65 degrees and I am not sure of the humidity, but let’s say we had a tornado come through that night, so it was MUGGY. Once again, my need for carrying more water on my fuel belt was the main theme of the run. I took my gels at miles 3, 6 & 9. In hindsight, I should have taken another gel at mile 12 to finish strong. Next time. I was keeping a solid 10:30 pace (not as fast as I’d like to be) until the hills. They are the bain of my existence. I slowed down, dug in and went after them. Mile 10 was my slowest mile (I LOVE my Garmin!!) and I was expecting it to be, since that is my wall. I pushed through and picked up the pace. When I finished in just under 2.5 hours I was ecstatic! I always think I can finish it in 2:20 or even 2:15, but I can never finish strong. Some day…

I finished feeling strong and confident that I can pick up my pace AND thankful for the ability to run!

Lessons learned: Take that last gel at mile 12 to finish strong, keep taking gels at 3, 6 & 9. Buy a Speed 4 or a CamelBak, I live in Atlanta and it is only going to get hotter as the year progresses! Face the wall, dig in, and push on through!!! I’m a GBA Mother Runner!!!