My first half - the good, the bad and the embarrasing

I finished my first half marathon! I ran the entire distance (I'm not fast by any means, but I didn't walk at all so I'm pretty proud of that!) The race was the MO Cowbell, so lots of cowbells were ringing for encouragement! Right before the race, waiting for the start, we rang our personal cowbells to "Don't Fear the Reaper". See the link for reason behind this song choice, its pretty funny.

http://www.ebaumsworld.com/video/watch/628756/

And then we were off. During the first mile I had somewhat of a wardrobe malfunction - my pants kept slipping downward! I thought, "How am I going to get through 13 miles if I have to keep hiking up my pants??" But thankfully, after I started sweating a bit, the problem fixed itself and they started staying in place. Whew! I was so worried about my pants falling down that I didn't even feel any of the first mile aches and pains that I get, so at least that was good!

At mile 5 we ran through a pumpkin farm which was a "high five" zone where all the spectators had their hands held out for a high five! It was pretty cool, and my husband and son had come there after the start to watch me come through. And of course at the farm, and throughout the course, people were there with their cowbells. I usually run with my MP3 player, and this time I put just one ear bud in so I could hear both the music and the race noises that I didn't want to miss.

The weather was fantastic for a race, very cool with a bit of a breeze. But - the coolness made my nose run like a river. There is some grossness that I won't mention here, but in the future, I will bring a Kleenex! (or several) And if I'm ever a spectator in the "high five zone", I might think twice before offering that kind of encouragement!

At mile 8, the promoters offered "gu gel" as well as water at a water station. I had never tried it before, so I figured "What the heck?" I don't know if it actually gave me any more energy, but if nothing else, it was a distraction to nurse my "gu gel" during the next two miles which were pretty much all up hill. That's where I noticed the most pain during the race. The "pad" of my left foot felt like it was being stretched so bad, it felt like it might split. But at this point, no way was I going to start walking now!

Thankfully, what comes up, must come down, and miles 11 and 12 were a much appreciated downhill, and when the finish line was in sight, it was very emotional for me. I ran across the finish line with a smile on my face, and tears in my eyes. Then a heavy finishers medal was placed around my neck, and I felt so proud that I had really earned such a cool thing.

Today, I am more sore than I think I have ever been, but I feel good just the same. And I already know that I will be back next year.