A few months ago L and I were taking a walk in the woods and I casually asked; "Do you think I can run a half marathon?" Without the slightest bit of hesitation he responded; "I know you can." There and then the idea was born, the challenge was accepted. I trained. I had setbacks. I trained some more. I learned an incredible amount about myself and my body and I was humbled by the experience. I also LOVED the training: the discipline, the schedule, the routine.
A couple of weeks into my training I thought of two people who I knew would be open to this particular challenge; two people who are full of grit and joy and a willingness to try. Two of my First Descents sisters - Snorlax and Tawanda. These beautiful humans not only accepted my crazy invitation but they did so immediately and with enthusiasm and excitement and support and encouragement from the get go. They made flight arrangements and took time off of work so that we could all be together in Hilton Head to run 13.1 miles. Love does.
With a weather forecast of nearly 100% rain for three days straight we made sure to hit the beach as soon as I picked them up from the airport and got to the island. This was the driest moment of the entire weekend!
It was an early race day morning! And my sweet family made signs of encouragement for each of us! Luke quickly volunteered to make the sign for Snorlax (a nod to his Pokemon-loving self)
See what I mean?! Crazy rain! Crazy wind! Crazy puddles! Crazy mud! Certainly not ideal race conditions but despite all that the three of us were all smiles before the race! And a shout out to my parents who reverted back 30 years to their 'soccer mom' and 'soccer dad' roles - carrying all of our stuff, bringing umbrellas, and my mom even thought of beach towels to dry off with after the race - they both looked like pack mules but we were SO thankful!
I love this one! My dad took this as I was headed down the last .2 miles. I enjoyed this race, I enjoyed running, I was so happy out there! It was hard and humbling but in the best possible way! What you see in this photo is a look of "can you believe I just ran 13 miles and I am thrilled about it?!" I had the best time! (This photo also shows that I probably could have run harder if this is my countenance with .2 miles to go. Ha!)
Post-race Pride! Gosh, I love these gals!!
Showered, dry, and warm. My parents treated us to dinner out - such a nice way to end a great day!
The day after the race we weaved in and out of rain showers to see some more of the island, including one of my favorite Hilton Head hidden gems, this beautiful duckweed covered swamp.
I know this is an insanely long post for a measly 13.1 miles but it was a really big deal for me, for us, so bear with me for some acknowledgements:
1. L: Thank you for immediately saying "I know you can." You often have more confidence in me than I have in myself and I love you endlessly for that. Thank you also for your constant support and encouragement and for wiping away tears on the days where my mind and heart wanted to run but my body couldn't. And thank you for giving me Sunday mornings out on the road while the sun came up.
2. Snorlax and Tawanda: Thank you both for saying "yes". I wrote these First Descents sisters of mine an email in early December with the subject line "bonkers." I informed them of my crazy and perhaps uneducated idea to sign up for and run the Hilton Head half marathon. I knew they were both goal setters like me and had been doing some running on their own. Within two hours of sending that email they were all in - making flight arrangements and t-shirt designs. I am very thankful for their support and encouragement. There is such power in positive people! There is really nothing quite like the strength of female friendships. We laughed, we cried, we swore, we conquered. We are incredibly proud of each other and ourselves. We are indeed "Out Living It"!
3. Luke: Luke would sometimes meet me in the driveway after one of my long Sunday runs asking whether or not I completed it and then after my affirmative answer he would give me a "nice job" or "way to go". If you know Luke you know that that level of excitement is pretty darn good! He also provided a couple of songs for my running playlist and they made me smile every time they came on.
4. Molly: I cannot thank Molly enough!! She answered every phone call, every text, every email with love and encouragement and an endless amount of knowledge about the human body and how best to keep it strong and able. From stretching to foam rolling to mobility routines to altering runs and my running schedule she was there for it all...even the occasional Sunday night FaceTime foam rolling session on our respective living room floors. Ha! Her expertise and experience was priceless and I am beyond grateful. She checked in often and offered encouragement constantly. I truly believe I would not have crossed the finish line without her. I love her so!!
5. Mom and Dad: I have said this before but my parents are the most generous people I know. I called to ask if they would host my friends and I for this extended weekend and they quickly said "yes, of course!" Even though they were double booked they still said yes. They put on their raincoats and rainpants and trudged through puddles like pack mules to support me and my friends. They teared up when each of us crossed the finish line. They fed us and played cards with us and celebrated and supported us. They made my friends feel welcome and like part of our family. I am forever proud to be their daughter.
6. Music: Yes, music. My running playlist saved my sanity a few times during my training. It is a truly eclectic mix of everything from Florida Georgia Line and Old Dominion to Miley Cyrus and Pitbull. I also love a little Flo Rider and some AJR per Luke's suggestion. Lots of other artists sprinkled in there as well. But mostly it is my main music man - Andy Grammer - songs full of pep and positivity.
Okay, if you have read this whole thing thanks for hanging in there. As I have mentioned before this blog is a scrapbook of our life story and this challenge of mine deserved a written part in that story.
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