Joplin Memorial Run 2015

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This weekend I ran half marathon #4, The Joplin Memorial Run.

If we're friends on Facebook you might have seen a status that read like this:

Today I finished half marathon #4 with a time of 2:13:08! It wasn't a PR but it was a great run. The JMR has such a special place in my heart. I run to remember the 161, I run to defeat lies and fears, I run for the glory of God. He is SO good and has abundantly blessed us.

Thanks to everyone who has encouraged me along the way. I couldn't do it without you.
Those words couldn't possibly be any more true.
Race weekend started like this. (My favorite part of the day)

And ended like this.

Everything in between was running, crying, mentally struggling, pictures, lots of hills, funny signs and smiles.
Let's take a closer look.
The race started at 6:30 a.m. we showed up about 5:45, prayed took photos and were ready to start.

My Dad surprised me and showed up to watch me start the race. It was really sweet to see him before I headed to the coralls and he snapped this picture right before we took off. 

Yes I am a total nerd.

The first several miles felt effortless. We were running and our pace was amazing. We can across the first official race photographer (who just happened to be at the top of a hill) and some how we were still smiling. I assure you Anna doesn't normally run with her eyes closed ;).


And I am almost always at least this awkward.

Things didn't get challenging until around mile 5. Anna and Lacey stopped to walk a bit and I kept running with another friend. I managed to stay with her for another mile or two but eventually my head won out and I stopped to walk then I found myself in a spot I never had been in before. On a long run, in a race and alone. It was completely bizarre and something I mentally had never done before. It was tough. I kept on the best I could. around mile 9 I realized a PR just wasn't going to happen but I knew I could at least stay within my goal if I didn't give up.

Then about here, I lost it. 

Those girls were a sight for sore eyes jumping up and down holding signs smiling at me. Tears flooded my eyes.

I stopped and talked to them for a couple minutes but knew I had to start running again or I never would. Off I went to battle out the last few miles. 
Around mile 11.5 I saw Michelle (in the left of the picture). She is a friend who was running her first half and she was just the inspiration that I needed. Someone to keep me accountable. I ended up running on a bit ahead of her but I knew with her on my trail I wouldn't let myself fall behind any more.
 
And eventually I somehow got here. There is nothing more beautiful at the end of a run than a finish line.

This half was so different than the previous three. This was the hardest course I have ever ran. The first time I have ran part of one alone and I knew this was going to be my last half marathon for almost a year. It felt so good to be done and each of those things made this race more challenging and meaningful for their own different reasons.

Exhausted I stood at the end of the finish line and cheered my girls in. 

I never imagined this race going this way, but I am almost glad it did. I learned so much about myself that day and ways that I can grow.
I came home, hung my medal up, stood back and looked.

I can't believe all of this has happened in just barely over a year. 
I run to remember, I run to defeat the lies and the fears, I run for the glory of God.

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OKC Memorial Half {Race Recap}

Last week I shared about my emotional visit to the OKC Federal Building Memorial, but I almost completely forgot to do another post sharing details about the memorial race. That would have been a shame since I have never had so much fun running 13.1 miles.

Let's start at the beginning.
Saturday morning we loaded up and headed out of town, OKC bound. This was a girls only trip that was bound to be fun, exciting and quiet. 
Ah yes, a mommy get away indeed.


I guess I could  go ahead and insert a joke about us being willing to run 13.1 miles just so we had a reason to get out of town :).
We arrived in OKC and headed to packet pick-up.

I obviously wasn't the least bit excited....obviously.

We found this AWESOME photo-op, how cool is this?!

Then we walked around the expo where we gathered a random aray of goodies including: pancake mix, good bars, sunglasses, a box of rice and some other random items. Who doesn't love freebies?

The rest of the day/evening was spent in Norman, OK. Anna has a cousin there and they were amazing hosts who let us stay with them. We had great conversation, laughter and an awesome Italian dinner. It was wonderful.

We headed to bed early and about 4:00 a.m. our alarms went off. Rise and shine? I have never been so glad that I am already an early riser 4:00 a.m. is brutal. 

We headed to downtown OKC where we caught our first glimpse of the memorial before heading to the corrals.

Next up were our obligatory pre-race selfies. 

Some traditions will just never die.

We had company this race too.

Anna's cousin Jacy was running her very first half marathon. 

It is so exciting when someone sets out to do something they never imagined them-self doing. 

I can't even begin to tell you how large the crowd was. Imagine 26,000 runners if you can.

Is your mind blown? Mine sure was.

That was something this "small race girl" was just not used to. Usually the first mile or two of a race is pretty crowded. Not in OKC. There was a mass of people behind and in front of you for the entire race!

And it wasn't just runners the streets were LINED with spectators for nearly the entire race. You were never alone where there wasn't someone cheering you on. 

Now we have to talk about the course. It was # 1) beautiful & #2) amazingly flat. Joplin is anything but flat and our half marathon course here is brutal. 

I can now officially say with my whole heart, "I LOVE Oklahoma."

The pace we ran wasn't our normal pace. We averaged about 2-3 minutes a mile slower than we usually run. But sometimes races are about more than an PR or a great pace.

Never leave a fellow runner behind. Anna and I learned that the hard way on one of our first ever LONG runs. Ever since then she and I have stuck together like glue. This race wasn't going to be any different. We had no plans of letting Jacy fall behind

So I danced, I sang and I had more fun than I ever imagined 13.1 miles could be. I was able to really soak up this AMAZING race. When the last few miles got tough I was able to see Anna be the encouragement for someone else that she has so many times been for me. That was awesome.

With the finish line in sight and a huge goofy smile on my face....

We all crossed together.



As for a finish time we wrapped it up in about 2:39. I went to OKC with different goals in mind but I walked away with an amazing race experience, a beautiful medal and a few lessons learned.



The first lesson is that people and relationships are so much more important than a time on a clock.

The next lesson is one about myself. I have said many, man times that the day I cross a half marathon line and feel like I could keep running I'll think about running a full marathon.

Well guess what? It happened. It may not be soon but I definitely see myself attempting one.... let's say in the spring of 2017.

For now I am content that I finished half marathon #3

Which also means 3 half marathons with this girl by my side.

As for OKC I will most certainly be back. I already have made plans of running the half again next year and taking Russell along to run it with me. He must really love me to agree to do something like that. I just hope that I can keep up with him. 

I have one more half marathon planned for this year. The Joplin Memorial Run on May 16th.

Even though the course is going to be hard I know the company, as always, will be good.

I can't wait.

Race Recap: Bass Pro Cohick 13.1

Okay I promised a full race recap and I plan to deliver!
Sunday was my second half marathon. I ran my first half marathon in May, it was an amazing life changing journey. Just to get to that point and to finish it felt surreal. I went into that race saying that I just wanted to run a half once, prove to myself that I could and I would be done.
 Yeah right!
 Hours after that race that I started looking for another half marathon and found the Bass Pro Cohick 13.1. I signed up at the end of May, made a training plan to get me through summer and resumed half training mid August. 
For the most part it seemed like race day would never arrive. I did my runs my miles increased but it felt so slow. Then October happened, which meant a crazy time warp, and before I knew it race day was here. Springfield is about an hour away so we decided to make a weekend of it and go up the day before.
Here I am at packet pick up, grinning like a newbie.

I went to bed "early" wanting to get a good nights rest. The joke was on me. I don't think I have ever slept so poorly. Seriously guys I would be SHOCKED if I ended up with much more than 3 hours of sleep. I saw EVERY hour on the clock, some multiple times, it was terrible. 
But we had a race to run!
We arrived at about 6:30 in the morning, found our pace leader and huddled like penguins. It was about 41 degrees but the wind chill knocked that down a bit more. I was surprised that it didn't feel colder than it did though, so that was a huge blessing.

Me, Anna (my running partner of one year now) and Lacey ( an old friend/new running buddy who was running her first half).

Before I knew it they were singing the national anthem and we were off. Between marathon runners and half marathon runners there were about 2400 people that first mile.

Miles 1-6 were great. We quickly got into a rhythm the scenery was new and the hills were pretty gentle. 

Around mile 6.5 we went through the college campus and were slapped in the face with a brutal chilling head wind. To say that stunk doesn't really cut it. Lucky for us our guys happened to be at the end of that road cheering us on.

That was just the pick me up we needed.

They also greeted us around mile 8.5. I look at this picture and think how fake I am being. I know there is no way I was feeling that happy, but there I am grinning away.

Shortly after this picture was taken I hit a wall. A terrible, awful wall called Jelly Belly Sport Beans, cotton mouth and a steady incline. The first two made for a bad combination add in the hill and it wasn't good news. But I pushed through pretty easily when the hill ended and I was able to take a drink

Mental wall #2 came around mile 11. I was feeling tired and wanted to stop but again I was easily able to push through and keep moving. When I caught a glimpse of the mile marker #25 sign for the full marathon runners. I told myself to stop complaining. 
Around mile 12, the sun popped out and it got hot fast. Only a mile left and with no end in sight I started to crumble. 
I stopped to walk, the girls stopped with me. "Pick a spot to start running again" I told them. Anna picked a spot 5 feet away, I wanted to throw up. But she was pushing us to do something she knew we could do, so we would be left with no regrets.
A few minutes up the road I stop again, "Don't stop" I told them. Not wanting to loose them I push through. Then a feeling hit me like I have never felt. My music started echoing in my ears, I felt sick and my head got really light. I stopped, we walked a few seconds picked the corner to start running and some cheerers said "Just two more turns and your there" That was all it took for me, I just needed to know exactly how far I had left to go. We took off.
And just like that

It was over. 

I have never been so happy to sit down in my whole entire life. My legs were EXHAUSTED.
So how did I stack up
Finish time was a new PR 2:10:49 I kept saying 2:10 was my goal and technically I stayed in the 2:10 range. Out of 1702 half runners I placed 735 Out of  1076 female half runners I placed 339 Out of 188 30-34 year old females I placed 64
I feel proud about those numbers.

Bass Pro you did not disappoint. Will I see you again next year?... who knows.
With half marathon #2 finished it is time to move on and set new goals. I am happy to say that for the first time in a year I am officially not half marathon training right now. My new schedule will be 3 runs a week the longest run being 6 miles. I plan to spend a lot of time doing HIIT and strength training and Lord willing I will resume half marathon training January 31st, 2015.
My next two half marathons
OKC Memorial April 26th, 2015 &

Joplin Memorial Run May 16th, 2015

I am so thankful for the gift of running, the amazing friends I have made through running and the 630 miles I was able to run this year. 
Over 550 of those were with this lady, I wouldn't change a thing if I could.

Here is to 630 more!