Only 1/2 Crazy

My resolution this year was to run a 1/2 marathon.  I've been training since March, since January and February are known as The Great Illness of 2011.  I'm loving running.  My friend Linsday has been training with me and we planned on doing the Coeur d'Alene Half Marathon. 

Because I'm also a huge planner, I called on my friend Brooke to help me with my training.  She's a professional walker and has done more marathons and 1/2 marathons than I even know.  She put together a training schedule for me and I stuck to it as much as I could.  She even flew up here from Portland to do the 1/2 with me. 

I've got two, crazy friends who like to torture themselves just like I do.  It's also nice to know that your kind of crazy has company.

Here are Lindsay and I before the race.

We run at about the same pace, we've trained together on our long runs and have found some beautiful country that we never knew existed around here.

The Cd'A half is a fairly flat course that ebbs and flows along the lake.  We figured this would be a great event for us because we can run flat, we aren't so found of hills.

Linsday and I ran it, while Brooke walked it.  We ran the first 6.5 miles will absolutely no problem.  We walked for a bit to drink water, but beyond that, we ran.  It felt great.  Right after the 1/2 way point, we were coming back and seriously 10 minutes behind us was Brooke.  Apparently she either walks at a jogger's pace or we run at a walker's pace.  I'm not sure which it is!

Around mile 10 my knee told me it hated me.  Literally.  I think I heard it scream.  I needed to walk for a bit and stretch it out.  Lindsay ran on because we have a rule to not hold the other person back.  I stretched out my knee, saw Brooke was only 8 minutes behind me and started doing my fast walk or as I like to call it, "my spring training with Oprah" walk.  It's mainly because when she was training with Bob Green for her marathon, she talked about walking once. 

Thanks to God, Oprah and my Powersong I finished.

Like 9 minutes later, so did Brooke.  She got a personal record of 2:57 for walking 13.1 miles.  She walks a 13:51 mile.  Linsday came in 9 minutes before me.  Aren't we sweaty and cute?

I even had my own personal cheerleader.  She came in her cheerleading costume, with pom-poms and everything.



If you had asked me on Sunday if I would do another one, I would've told you that my marathoning career was over.  By Monday, I was ready to sign up for the next one. 

Brooke informed me that by doing a 1/2 marathon, I'm now considered an endurance athlete.  I can't even tell you how excited I am to be considered an athlete, let alone an endurance one!  It's like getting an extra medal at the finish. 

I'm thinking September or October sound good for the next one.  Anyone else crazy enough to do it with us?