I didn’t get to run by a skeleton (how about a shower curtain??)

This girl just ran her first half-marathon!

Where do I even begin???

I can’t believe I actually ran it!!!! After all my training. I am finally a half-marathon finisher!!!! It was the hardest thing I have ever done in my WHOLE ENTIRE life.

I loved it!!!!!!

I ran it in 2 hours and 11 minutes which is GREAT!!! I had an average pace of about 10- minute miles. I had to stop every mile to drink and walk. So, I think next year I will be faster cause I (hopefully) won’t have to stop as much!!! But, I am SUPER thrilled with my time!!!

I love race atmosphere. It’s so friendly and fun. Since, this was a Halloween race a bunch of people were dressed up. That was cool too!! I saw some people dressed up as bride, groom, father of the bride, etc. And they are actually having a wedding in November. So that’s awesome!!! That’s so me in 12 years!!!!

Mom bought the awesome "monster" hat for me cause I was so darn FREEZING

Yep! My dear friend T came after all!!!! I was so glad to have her there! As well, as Abby, my mom, my Nana, and my aunt. They are great cheerleaders!

Little Miss Nothin-Gonna-Take-Me-Down

Yeah, I like making weird faces. That is before my race and I was SO SO SO excited!!! I had 10 million dreams the night before about my race and in all of them it went really great!! So, I was feeling pretty can’t-touch-me. Of course, as soon as the actual race started I realized I had some issues.

1. My knee hurt– and I mean like SEARING pain. For the first four miles, I just gritted my teeth through it.  When I did gymnastics, I got Osgood Schlater (did I say this already??) and i still feel the effects of it sometimes.. 😛

2. My belt was very bouncy– so I had to hold it down with one hand and then the other. It was annoying. Eventually, I drank enough water and it didn’t bounce anymore so I could pump both my arms.

3. I hadn’t run for 5 days– meaning I was a little out of shape. Whatever though, I had handled that before.

can't catch my breath but so very proud!!

stretching out hurts with sore legs and a bad knee

Anyway! I am going to do better next year. Here are my reasons why:

1) I (hopefully) won’t be sick…or recovering from a sickness next time!

2) I will continue to train and train and train…and train all year long!!! And get faster!

3) All runners continue to improve with every run.

But I am happy with how everything worked out!!

water, food, and a medal!!! I am set

And I am sorry that all my pictures are sideways but I cannot for the life of me remember how I flip them.

It’s really gonna bug me!!

More lovely pictures of me running to come as soon as they post them on the website!!!!!

I think I actually gained weight through this whole ordeal. 😛

I have eaten SO much good food!!!! Tonight for dinner I had blue cheese stuffed burgers, pesto fries, gluten-free brownies (so much better than they sound…they had orange extract in them!!!! mm…)… and yesterday after my race we went out to eat at Honey which was my choice and they have THE BEST mini burgers in the WORLD!!!!! I burned a thousand calories on my run…I think I have eaten a million!!!

I so love food.

I so love running.

I am so killing myself again for another half-marathon.

Advertisement

The Day Before: How to prepare for your very first half

FUN THINGS TO DO THE DAY BEFORE YOUR FIRST HALF-MARATHON:

1. Get sick.

2. Read 10 gajillion books.

3. Sleep.

4. Feel a little better.

5. Miss a party. 😦

6. Get excited about running the half-marathon.

Yeah, I got that list from www.claires-life.com which exists nowhere but inside of my head.

Last night, I got a sore throat. So typical for me, to always get sick for the main events. (It’s a christmas miracle when I’m not sick for christmas) I wenty to bed at 9 and got somewhere around 11 hours of sleep. Wake up, take a shower, barf. All in a pre-race day for Claire. 😛

So, what did I do today?

No, I did not got on my 1.5 pre-race run.

No, I did not go to Walgreen’s to buy marker eyeliner and a bday gift for my friend.

No, I did not got to a costume party.

I read The Help and a bunch of other books. I slept. I fretted about my race. I talked to my BESTY who totally knows how to cheer me up. I read somemore. I fretted some more. I thought about hwo depressing it would be if I didn’t get to run my long-awaited race.

I went on the laptop…. a special thing I only get to do when I’m sick!! And looked through emails!! I got 2 from the half-marathon and if I was iffy about running it before then I was completely confirmed now!

Yes, I’m sick

Yes, I’m running that half-marathon.

I will be high on endorphins and truly runner atmosphere is the best atmosphere!!

I doubt I will finish in 2 hours. 😦 Oh well, there’s always next time!

Mostly, Iam super duper excited!!!

I will have TONS of pictures!!

Ready to rock this thing!!!!!

Yes, I am in my bed and have been all day. Don’t let that trick you!!!! I am tough!!! 🙂 Oh yeah!!! 😉

( This is me pumping myself up for tomorrow!!!)

It’s fun being me