Rock N' Roll - SEATTLE!

They say that setting goals is a way to make your life more meaningful. I would have to agree. You often learn new idiosyncrasies about yourself, and you have the opportunity to push yourself out of your comfort zone. Shoot for the moon, you may fall upon a star, right? But, with my stubborn determined spirit, often falling on a star isn't good enough. Maybe my next goal should be to relax a little. :)
Last year, as I laid on bed rest for 9 weeks, I was watching another hour of mindless TV in the hospital, when coverage of the 1st Annual Rock N' Roll Seattle Marathon come on. As I watched people running, partying, and celebrating at the finish line, I thought, "Look at how lucky those people are - that they can run." I set the goal for myself then and there that I would be participating in that race the next summer. My enthusiasm continued through the winter months, as I happily registered for the race in December. But as the spring months began to blossom, and the time for training began, I started to think, "What in the world was I thinking? I don't even like to run!" After almost a year of doctor's orders of "no exercise," it took me awhile to get into shape.

While I wouldn't say that I love running, by any means, I can say that my opinion of the sport has drastically improved. There were a few times that running helped clear my head of stressful situations or allowed me to appreciate the beauty of the area where we live. I listened to way more music in those 3 months of training than I usually have time for. I learned getting my Saturday morning 8 mile run done at 8 AM is a good idea - then I don't dread it the rest of my day. I realized that I have inadvertently set a good example for my daughter, who always asks to go running with me and even ran in her first 1K this year. I discovered that I actually have time in my day for important spiritual moments when I am awake and aware before my children get up. I developed closer friendships with a few running buddies and discovered new trails. I also learned that eating a delicious, sugary maple bar donut promptly after running 9 miles is not the best idea. And, most importantly, I know that I can run 13.1 miles!

The big day of the race finally came. I rode in with some friends from my church who were also doing the 1/2 marathon. None of us ran together, but it was comforting to know that they were there. I had only slept for 4 hours the night before - Jason was on a business trip in Canada and his plane was delayed. He ended up driving home at 2 AM so that he wouldn't miss the end of the race. It was cold as we were standing around waiting for the starting gun. There were 25,000 racers total. It was a huge crowd! I felt great at the beginning. By about mile marker 4, I drank one of their power drinks which was not a good idea. Next time I will stick to water. Besides the taste, it made my face and hands all sticky as it sloshed over the cup - you have to keep running while you drink, ya know? By about mile 8, I was feeling determined. I had forgotten my stopwatch at home, so I had no idea what my time was. They did have clocks at each of the mile markers though, so I was able to check my pace. My set goal was to finish around 2hrs 15 mins, but I was really dreaming of coming in under 2 hours. By mile 11, I started to feel sick. I kept thinking, "I better get a good finish time because I am never doing this again." The last mile we were running through downtown Seattle. I kept thinking that I had to walk, but I was determined to run the whole thing. It was soooo exciting to see the finish line! My finish time was 1 hr 57 mins. I'll take it. :) I didn't feel so great after I got home that day. I assumed it was from running so hard, but I realized the next morning that I had the flu... now I might need to do another 1/2 marathon - just to see if I can run faster. After I finish my next goal of relaxing!

So happy to be with my family at the finish line.

The race ended at Qwest Field in downtown Seattle.

My friend Beth and I with our bibs and medals.