Back in November, a good friend convinced me to run the Yuengling Shamrock Half Marathon. At first, I didn’t even give it a thought as I had no desire or faith in my ability to run 13 miles. I can’t remember why, but I did give it a second thought. I’m not sure what made me change my mind…maybe the realization that all runners were greeted at the finish line with free beer. I decided to go for it and that began the 5 months of training and injuries I endured to get to where I am now. It was also the start of my new love for outdoor running.
Before beginning to train for the half marathon, I preferred running inside on the treadmill where air conditioning and television were my good friends. The farthest I had ever run outside had been the Charlottesville Women’s 4 Miler, which both times I had to walk a great deal of . But now I find running inside pretty boring without the constantly changing scenery, and I can run 4 miles without stopping or walking pretty easily.
Yesterday, I ran my first half marathon and am so proud of myself today! The day couldn’t have been more perfect! The race was in beautiful Virginia beach. It was a glorious, sunny day with temperatures in the 60s to 70s. I ran most of the 13.1 miles with my friend Dana, but had to slow down a bit during the last 4 miles of the race due to an increasing need to go to the bathroom. The race ended on the Virgina Beach Boardwalk where I crossed the finish line as they called out my name. As I slowly wandered past the crowds of people, volunteers showered me with gifts: a medal, a t-shirt, a hat, water, and snacks. The rest of the day was filled with friends, FREE BEER, food, fun, and the sun on the beach. I met old friends and new friends and had a blast! Yuengling sure does know how to put on an after-party!
Even though everything about the day was wonderful, the best thing was knowing that I had accomplished my goal!
Here are my stats:
Bib | FName | LName | Div | Age | Sex | ChipTime | ClockTime | Overall | SexPl | DivPl | AgeGrade | 5 Mile Split |
11389 | LESLIE | ELSAIFI | WOMEN — 25 THROUGH 29 | 27 | F | 2:51:13 | 2:57:50 | 5464 | 3170 | 685 | 38.4% | 1:02:08 |
I definitely plan on running it again next year!