Nashville Country Music 1/2 Marathon

I feel like the last 6 months of our lives were dedicated to this one day. What we ate, how we trained- everything leading up to this one morning run. Nashville Country Music 1/2 Marathon- 13.1 miles. On the morning we woke up we honestly did not feel like there was anything else we could have done to better prepare us for the race. Tommy had build up tons of muscle, and was down to 11% body fat. My challenge was a little different. From my first "run" in January, I realized I was needing to drop significant weight to be able to run this distance (not that I did not know this before- but carrying any extra on your knees is a fast wake up call). I went to the gym every day and really watched my diet and lost over 20 pounds and built up my arms to compensate for the weight I still needed to lose. About a month before the race, I bought a new pair of running shoes and picked us up some dry weave socks- determined the socks would make a difference...

We headed to Nashville on Thursday, visited with friends and family and carb loaded all day Friday. Got ready at 4:00am to be ready to get on the shuttle downtown at 5:15am. Our adrenaline was up and we both felt great.

The race itself was, well, long. There were alot more hills than I was expecting and it was hot. When I was finishing it was almost in the mid 70's. I felt great for the first 6 miles and then my right knee started hurting (been dealing with it since training outside for the last month). It started out as a pin prick sensation and built in pressure until it felt like it would explode by mile nine. About the time I decided I had to stop or I was going to get my socks wet for a bathroom break at mile 9, my knee was shooting pain to my hip. I was able to stretch it out while waiting in line for the port-a- potty for SEVEN MINUTES waiting in line (not happy about the wait- but I think the stretching helped get me through mile 10). Mile 10-13 were just completed with the thought in mind "This is what you have been working so hard for- push through it and you can ice it later". My finishing time was 2:35-I was pleased.

Tommy started way ahead of me with the goal of running it in under 2 hours. The best he had previously run it was 2:09. He said he felt incredible the entire run and finished in a whopping 1:54!

Tommy's metal is currently engraved with his name and time and sitting neatly in his closet, mine is somewhere in one of the boy's rooms- perhaps under a bed...