You Are My Sunshine: Women Rock 2012- 1st Half Marathon

My 5 months of training is done; in April I started to train for my first half marathon- I have never in my life ran more than a 5k. Since I started running a few years ago I have always been in awe of people that run half and full marathons, running 13.1-26.2 miles seems crazy, yet awesome. In March one of my neighbors (who I have done most of my running with) knows my love of firemen and sent me the info on Team Ortho's first ever all women run...with firemen at the finish, and was all down hill. This seemed like the perfect run to do- 13.1 miles down hill and firemen at the finish...yes, please! And so training began...

Sara started doing runs with me, although she hated running and complained the whole time. After about 3 weeks of running with me I said to Sara "how can you do all this training with me and not do the half marathon?" Sara's response "watch me!" In early June Sara ended up signing up for the half marathon with me!

In May I had trouble with my IT band, due to increase in mileage and old shoes- so I had a month of physical therapy with no running. After four weeks I was feeling better and started running again.

I had a few mental block, which I think mostly had to due with running the same route over and over. Once I changed up my location and started running by work, I loved it, the miles flew by- I was up to 12 miles two weeks before the run. After my 12 mile run, the next morning I was having so much pain in the front of my thigh I could barely walk. I went to the doctor and he said it was my hip flexor. If I rested for the week and a half before my run I should be fine. Going from running 3-4 times a week to nothing a week and a half before my run freaked me out, but after reading a few running articles I found that many people have some of their best runs after taking a week or two off before their run, due to an injury. I did try to do a little running the week before the run and noticed a "hitch" in my run. After the week and a half rest I was having almost no pain while walking, but since I hadn't ran in a week and a half I was worried about my "hitch" and if I would be able to go the full 13.1 miles.

Jess, Myself and Sara

Saturday morning I was up at 5 am getting ready for the run. Michael was going to drive Sara, Jess (a neighbor who did the full marathon) and me to the run that started at 7:30 am. We took a few pictures and hopped on the shuttle to the Ford Plant, we arrive to the start line at 7:20. We all had to do one last bathroom trip before the start, the lines were so long we were worried we were going to miss the start. Thank goodness the shuttles were taking forever and the race started late, we made it just in time.

As I was waiting for the start I did a facebook post "In line ready to run!". The facebook comments and "likes" came in, it was such a great way to start a run of this distance, knowing the amount of support I had behind me. Not to mention the awesome post my husband did "Good luck today babe! Run your ass off and finish strong! Love you!" This just about brought me to tears before I even started to run. I knew that this was going to be an emotional journey for me, since I'm such a sap anyways!

Bang! We were off and running! I found a pace group I really liked (pace group: there is a pacer who is there to finish the race in a certain time and help runners keep that time), it was a 12 min 30 sec mile pace with a finish time of 2 hours and 45 mins. I knew that I would not finish in the time, most of my long runs my pace has been about 13:30 miles, but if I could stay with them for a while it would help me. I stayed with this group until about mile 5.5. There was a big hill and I knew that this is where I am going to lose this group. They did get ahead of me but if I could still see the balloons of the pace group, I was at a good time. Realistically I knew if I finished it would be about 3 hours, and I would really like to get under 3 hours.

At mile 6 I was having to get into my own groove, the pace group was too far ahead. I had a plan going into this run that I was going to be running 3 minutes and walking for 1, now that my group was gone, I had to do this on my own. Then what do I hear, "Go Summer!!" what, who knows me out here? I find the voice, it's Mike (Jess's husband) he is on the side of the road with is daughter Clare and Jess's Dad, so awesome to hear someone cheer for you! Ok, I got this, I have over and hour done, I'm almost half way and I'm feeling great.

Then comes mile 9... oh how I still hate you mile 9. My last water stop was at mile 8.5 and there wasn't another water stop until mile 10.5- I had water with me so that wasn't a big deal it's that there is nobody there... I mean nobody. It's quite and a big empty road with a wall on one side and trees on the other (trees that block a view from anything!). It was lonely, yes there were other runners there, but we were all focusing on our running. Then it happens... my leg starts to hurt, I know I can finish the run, but don't think I will be running any more of this. I start to tear up, I send Michael a text and say "the pain is so bad I can barely walk" he sends me a text back saying "You can do it!", "You're too close to stop now!", "I love you babe!" to which I start crying some more. Now mind you I'm not all out bawling, but there are a few tears. At mile 9.5 an angel appears, ok not really, more so this women who her and I had been chasing each other back and forth for most of the race. She comes behind me and says "how are you doing?" I tell her I'm hurting bad, she says to me "we got this, let's kick this hills ass!" (yes a course that claimed it was a down hill course had 3 huge hills!) so we were off! I could see the next water stop, so knew that there were people to cheer, I got this, only 3 miles left. I got back on my 3 mins running/ 1 min walking. I look next to me what do I see... the 3 hour pacer! Oh hell no! I tell the woman "you are not passing me, I'm going to beat you, that is all I want is to beat you!" she tells me she is about 2 min ahead of schedule and I should get under 3 hours, Thank God!

Whoa, suddenly to my left is my husband running at me "come on baby, you got this, you are going to finish under 3 hours, push it". I see the finish line, not far ahead and Michael is still running with me, I tell him to go away this is my race to finish! I look into the crowd and hear "Go Summer!" It's my family and friends, cheering for me!

When I cross the finish the clocks says 3:01:45, I was so bummed I didn't make it. I take my necklace given to me by a fireman, which I honestly didn't pay any attention to! I head over to the first aid booth and get my leg iced up. I go to the side lines where Micheal finds me, he is pushing Meghan in her stroller and she says to me "way to go mommy!" and I lost it, what a wonderful feeling that was! Micheal then tells me "The clock was about 2 mins off! You did it, you did it under 3 hours, " So my official time was 2 hours, 58 minutes, and 36 seconds!

I wish I could say I ended the race feeling great, but I have to admit that once I was walking around, I wasn't feeling too well, kind of sick and weak (I actually threw up a little!)

I just have to throw in some thanks you in here too! (I feel like I just finished a CD and need to thank my manager)

Thank you to my AWESOME husband who watched Meghan many, many nights a week for many hours and he never complained (even when she was super crabby!), I know it was time consuming and you were such a champ. You defiantly carried me through the run on Saturday and were my biggest supporter (even though you don't get running!)

Meghan- I hope one day when you are reading this you know you can do anything (yes, cheesy I know, but stick to it, and you can do it!)

Sara- I'm so happy you sucked it up and signed up for the run, it was great to have you be part of this!