This is the best photo I could get from the Des Moines Marathon that I ran in on Sunday October 21st. I will probably go to jail for posting it on here since it says PROOF and COPYRIGHT right on it, but hey, at $35 a pop I'm NOT buying it! Anyways, I used to run...a lot...before I got married and shortly after and before I had kids. I had previously run in 2 full marathons, a few half marathons, and some 5 and 10k's along the way. I got pregnant, had my girls, and took nearly 4.5 years off from running. I don't know why I stopped. I probably made every excuse not to run, such as, I have 2 little kids, I work nights, I'm tired, etc. This past March, when the numbers on the scale kept climbing, I decided that I had to do something. The weight fell off when I was breastfeeding and once I was done it hit me like a truck! I LOVED to run and I knew I could get back into it.
Last March, I started in the basement on our treadmill. I wasn't ready to get back into the gym until I knew I could comfortably run more than a mile without stopping. It took some time, but in a few weeks I was back to running around 3 miles without stopping, and we renewed our YMCA membership. At this time I was only running to get healthier. There were no race plans in my future. I think I was running 2-3 days a week and maybe 2-4 miles at a time. I was soon running 4 days a week and then 5 days a week. The mileage kept increasing and then I knew I could run another 1/2 marathon. When I started I was running at 5.5 mph on the treadmill and in a few months I was back to running anywhere from 6.8-8.5mph on the treadmill. I was back to doing long runs and feeling pretty good about being a runner again. If you aren't a runner you can't understand the high you get from it. On my shorter runs I am able to run 7:45 minute miles and I ran the Des Moines Marathon in 4:05:14 which is a 9:22minute mile for 26.2 miles. My goal going into the marathon was to run a sub 4 hour race, but it wasn't my day that day. I have run 2 20 mile plus runs under a sub 4 time, but each day is different. If you would have asked me last March if I would ever run another marathon I would have laughed at you and said "HECK NO!" Just this past Sunday I ran in my very first Ultra Marathon. An Ultra Marathon is anything over the 26.2 miles of a regular marathon. I ran 32.81 miles in 6.5 hours. It was the most difficult course I have ever run on, and also the most beautiful. It was a trail run at Lake Cunningham here in Omaha. I will post about that one later when I have pictures back from it.
I hear people say all the time that they can't run. I couldn't either when I started. I couldn't even run a single mile without stopping. Trust me...if I can do it...so can you! Jason and the girls have been a fanstastic support team. They go to my races when they are able and seeing them at the finish line is the best part of the race! Jason still doesn't get why I would want to run for that long or that far, and neither do a lot of people and that's okay. It is something that I have a passion for and something that I love to do. It is MY time and my escape and a way to help me feel better. I am thankful that I am able to do this without missing out on much family time. I either run with one of the girls on my shorter runs, take them to the gym with me, or get up early on the weekends to run before they are even awake. I know if I keep running that I will be here on this Earth longer, that I will be happier, and that I will be a better mom to my girls.
Omaha Half Marathon
I set Personal Record with a time of 1:51
8:30min/mile pace for 13.1 miles
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