13.1!!!!!!

On Saturday Lindsey and I ran in the Kentucky Derby miniMarathon in Louisville, Kentucky. This was my first miniMarathon, and also my first race! We had spent the last four months training for this run and had a lot of fun doing so. The most milage we had ever got up to was about 9.5 miles so by Saturday we were still slightly unprepared. 

We arrived in Louisville around dinner time Friday evening. Olivia and Lauren came along with us as our personal cheerleaders! : ) They were both so great! Lindsey's parents also ran the miniMarathon with us. On Friday evening all the runners gathered for registration at the Expo center. There, we eat dinner and picked up our shirts and running packages. 

That night we stayed at a Hilton Hotel in downtown Louisville. The city was insane on Friday night! There were pre-party festivities going on everywhere, and crowds of people everywhere! We all hung out downtown amongst the crowds for a couple of hours then headed back to the hotel room to get to bed. Of course, because of me being an absolute complete nervous wreck, I was unable to sleep well.

 

Saturday morning approached real fast! We were up by 4:45a.m. and out the door by 5:15. Lindsey, her parents, and I caught the bus for the race in downtown Louisville at 5:30a.m. At this time I was even more of a nervous wreck (and truthfully I'm not even quite sure why). 

As all the runners gathered in their corrals at the starting line, my nerves finally began to fade and I was getting excited. The race began at 7:30a.m. 

My goal for the race was to run the entire thing, no matter how slow I was or how long it took me! I also made a goal to complete the race, 13.1 miles, in two hours and thirty minutes, which would be just under a 12 minute mile ( fast was not a goal of mine!!)

Well I completed the race! And it took A LOT out of me. I ran the entire time and my final time was 2 hours and thirty-three minutes. Three minutes over my goal, but I was still satisfied and proud of myself! : ) Running the race was such a blast, and it was such a huge accomplishment for me. I can honestly say that Saturday was one of the most memorial days of my life. When I crossed the finished line I thought to myself, Wow, did I really just run that?!!

I thank Lindsey so much for pushing me and for training with me and for encouraging me and convincing me that I was capable of running a half marathon! She was so awesome. I could not have done it without her! Also, I could not have done it with out Christ. I know running a half marathon may sound like nothing to many people, but for me it truly was something! I trucked along and pushed myself, and prayed and prayed and prayed until I reached that finish line! I was not going to give up! 

I am thrilled and so happy I was able to be apart of that! It was an experience I will never forget. Now, I can't wait for my next one!! : )