Marine Corps Marathon 10K Race Complete

Back in the summer sometime, Jake came home from work and announced that we would be running the 10K together come this fall. We had been whispering about it, but he made it official. We started taking jogs up to our cul-de-sac when we were able. Normally I would just walk back. It really hurt me to run. I kept thinking to myself, "There's no way I can run 6 miles. I can't jog a half mile without feeling terrible." Well we trained and slowly I was able to increase to a mile of running. Before I knew it, I was at a mile and a half and on one particular day I broke 2 miles! This is a HUGE deal for me, perhaps if I frame this to you in a different light... 

My mother was reminding me the other day of how my brother used to make fun of me when I ran; because I ran like a girl. Not only that, but even in school I'd be the kid that couldn't run a lap around the field in PE because I'd get terrible side aches. In high school I tried to run for the track team... I ended up being offered the job as Track Manager.. Obviously I didn't run well and as it turned out I was good with a stop watch. So in my high school yearbook pictures when I finally got my credit for athletics, I had put it off for my senior year out of deep fear, there I am dressed in my normal clothes. Everyone else is in a track suit and looking very athletic and fit while I'm wearing a big yellow happy face t-shirt and cut-off denim shorts. Athletics just wasn't my thing. I could knock your socks off with my acting skills and always took home medals for that, but in no way was I inclined nor any good in the physical activity realm. 

Anyway back to the training. I broke 2 miles and eventually got to 3 miles and was stuck there for sometime. Before I knew it we'd hit the 8 week out date and that's where the official 10K training schedule was to pick up. Together with Jake, Colby and Jackie, I set out to train for the MCM 10K. We had fun training together. It was hard. The kids would run and think they couldn't finish. I'd run and think terrible thoughts of jumping into a ditch hoping to hurt myself bad enough that I wouldn't have to run the 10K. Those were vain thoughts though and I'd finish my run. Eventually the training became very exciting and I would go for the run and really enjoy it. I was seeing some of the hail damage left on my thighs from all of my pregnancies fade away. It was really awesome. Running was fun. There I admit to the truth. Yes, I still run like a girl, but I've come to terms with the fact that I am a girl. Seeing my kids get over their own trepidation about running helped me with my own. In the end we were all finishers at the race. I ran my race in 1:09:12.  My pace was 11:13 miles. I would have liked to have run my miles in 10:30. So, maybe I have a goal for next year. As a matter of fact, Jake, Colby and I are talking about running a 1/2 marathon together in the Spring. I don't know what the Spring will bring, but maybe just maybe I'll train with my men.

Here are my sweet treasures. They ran hard. Jake is a charger and leads us well. Thanks for giving us a goal to aim for, darling! We had fun and got fit along the way. And look! I got my first athletic medal!!

XO