Yup. I DID IT!

13.1. Done.

Boo. Ya.

Time: slow. But not last. (one person came after us)

Course: Miles 1-8 were lovely. Then it sucked until mile 12. Last one was exciting.

Other competitors: Mostly Marines. There were only about 300 people registered for the half-marathon, so it was a pretty tiny race.

The finish line: "Don't Stop Believin" came on as we entered the stadium. I mean, what are the odds of that? A 4 hour playlist, and it comes up then. Wild.

Pain: My poor feet were in sad shape. I hurt something on the side of my foot the week before the race, but my stubborn ass ran anyways. It hurt. A lot. But in all seriousness, I didn't care. I hobbled around for a day or 2, but now I'm feeling pretty dern good. Sunday when I woke up, my legs felt like lead, but after about 20 minutes of good, active yoga, things improved greatly.

I've gotta say it was a pretty amazing feeling. To go from "I only run when I'm being chased by zombies," to, "I run 13.1 miles in 85 degree heat just for the hell of it and because I get a medal," is kind of insane. But I'm wicked-proud of myself and my friends.

That does not mean, however, that I'm ready to jump out there and do another one. I think I want to concentrate on getting my 5k and 10k times up for the fall. And, let's face it, when you're as slow as I am, running 10 miles on a saturday is a major time suck. I'm sure I'll go for the 13.1 again, but it'll probably be a while.

I want to concentrate on my weight loss and general fitness. Since I'll spend less time running, I can concentrate on weight lifting, toning my core, and cross training. I still want to do a sprint tri this fall, so I've got to get in the pool and on the bike.

Thanks for all the support, dear readers. It was nice to know people were rooting for us! Thanks to Brandy, Mom and Becca for the signs, Rosa for making our awesome Penguin logo on our shirts, Preston, Shriya, and the Brown-Reynolds family for cheering us on, and the cops of Jacksonville, NC (one even ran with us for a while!) who stayed out there long after the other racers had finished to make sure we were safe.

Sarah Mann Willcox, HMF (Half-Marathon Finisher)

I'ma say it again... BOO. YA.