I did it! I ran my first half marathon! I set this goal back in May when I started running again. I have wanted to run longer distances but never really pushed myself to do it until now. I must say it was definitely a learning experience but I did it and I have the finisher's medal to prove it! The course started a Dameron Valley ran down through Snow Canyon State Park and then finished at Snow Canyon High School.
My time was not all that bad either. I ran the 13.1 miles in 2 hours and 2 minute (a 9:19 minute mile). I feel good about my time but to tell you the truth, at the time, I did not feel too good about my experience. Now that I have had time to think about it though, I have a better outlook and am really happy about this accomplishment. I am sure there were many factors that normally would not have been there that determined my state of mind during the race. First the race was the day after Halloween so I did not eat the best the day before the race. Second the weather was very crappy. Practically overnight it turned winter in St. George. October 31st was a beautiful day in the high 80s then, bam, the next morning was a very chilly, and windy 40 degrees with a little bit of rain. I was not used to the cold weather and the wind was blowing against us during the whole race. I could not seem to get warmed up during the whole race. All of these things combine did not leave me with a very good mental outlook on the race. Mental readiness is just about as important if not more important than the physical readiness. I really hit a wall at about mile 9 and had to push myself to keep going. But I did keep going!
Here are some pictures Russell took of me crossing the finish line. If you look closely you can see that I am crying as I cross the finish line. You have no idea how amazing that finish line looked to me. It literally brought tears to my eyes knowing that I had just accomplished a goal that I had been working and training so hard for over the last five months. I felt kind of embarrassed crying as I was finishing but I felt so good as the announcer's said my name as I crossed the finish line and they put the Finisher's Medal around my neck. That right there made it all worth it.
This might sound funny but I think running a race is a lot like life. Before we came to earth, we were so excited about the plan our Father in Heaven had for us and we agreed to do what it took to come be part of that plan. Similarly, I was very excited to sign up for my first half marathon. I knew it would take some special training and a lot of work but I was willing to do it. As in the race, there are going to be trials in life. There are going to be hard times and hard conditions. The winds of the adversary are going to blow against us. We are going to hit walls and be tempted to stop. But we have to keep going, we have to endure the trials and endure to the end. This does not mean we have to do it alone, there will be people along the way to cheer for us, give us that high five as we run passed them, offer us water and assistance along the way. And our Savior, Jesus Christ, will be there to strengthen us when we feel like we cannot go any farther. Finally, when we see that finish line at the end we will be so happy because we have made it! We have endured the trials and made it back to our Father in Heaven. I think we will have tears in our eyes as we finish this life course. We will feel so great that it will seem like the trials we just went through were nothing. It will all be worth it in the end when God calls us be name and welcomes us into the winner's circle. I cannot wait for that day.
I ran this race with my cousin, Shawna. Here we are before and after the race. I am so glad I decided to participate in this race. It was definitely a learning experience but, surprisingly, I am looking forward to my next half marathon in January.
In 2 Timothy 4:7 Paul exclaims, "I have fought a good fight, I have finished my course, I have kept the faith." I hope we can all fight the good fight and finish our course in life and hold strong to our faith in Lord.
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