First 1/2 Marathon!

This past Saturday I walked my first 1/2 Marathon!!  I have had a half marathon on my "vision" list for a long time.  Originally I wanted to run it but after a fall from a horse a dozen years ago that resulted in 7 screws and a plate in my ankle the vision of running transformed into walking.

My friend Pat walked her first quarter marathon 

with me.  This was the "before" picture

         So this fall I decided to give it a go.  I signed up for the Hippie Chick half Marathon and just for fun the Crawfish Crawl 1/2 Marathon in August.  As I was in training for a hike in Ireland (more on this later), I figured having these goals would be good training. 

        Living in Oregon, you never know what you are going to get in terms of weather.  We lucked out and had a beautiful sunny spring day.  I have only done,  one official 5K before this so my experience with organized races was limited.  This race began in the Hillsboro Stadium and it was quite an event.  There was an overall positive energy that permeated the venue and it was palatable.  As the start got closer I felt the butterflies appear.  Pat, my friend who was walking the quarter marathon and I started together.   As we approached the mile mile mark - she encouraged me to go on, as my pace was a bit quicker.  As I did, with earbuds in and my "walking" playlist going it was an odd feeling of community yet isolation.  I was doing this for me - I was not competing against anyone but as people would pass or I would pass people I had to keep reminding myself that.  Around 8 miles it started to heat up - and the crowd started to thin, I was on the slow end of the crowd - which I expected this first go around.  It was at this time that the doubts started to enter just then  I looked up and there was a bald eagle circling above in the clear sky.  Wow!  It was the little push I needed to keep going.  No lies, the last two miles were tough.  But as I crossed the finish line with Pat cheering me I felt a sense of accomplishment that I could do just about anything I set my mind to!  And a little bit of muchness returns...