13.1 miles, baby!

So, this past weekend, we finally (FINALLY) got to participate in our very first, and definitely not last, half marathon.  It was such a blast. We had been training for a good 3-4 months.  As we mentioned in a previous post, we drove up to Virginia Beach after a rather exciting adventure in Greenville, SC.  It was a bit chilly when we arrived, but we were told that the wind would die down the morning of the race.  Exactly what every runner wants to hear!  Especially when you’re right on the beach.  When we got to our hotel, we realized that we were obviously not the only ones who would be partaking in the madness that is running 13.1 miles.  We did some serious carb-loading both Friday and Saturday night, just to make sure we had enough energy to run over 2 hours…  I’ve never eaten that much pasta in my life.

On Saturday the day before the race, we picked up our shamrock packages, which involved a very green shirt, some brochures, a bib, and some other running gear.  We walked around the town, which is sort of the typical east coast beach town.  A bit rustic and funky.  Of course, I’m sure it’s much nicer when it’s warm and the Boardwalk  is open and bustling.  But, it was charming in its own way.  And, it was so nice to be by the ocean.

Sunday morning, we got up bright and early (5:30am), and walked out onto the balcony, only to realize that everyone else at the hotel was up too…for the exact same reason!  We all had one goal in common – to finish the race.  The race itself was almost painless.  I mean, don’t get me wrong, running 13 miles isn’t a breeze.  In fact, at about mile 11, I could definitely feel it in my legs.  But, with my music playing in the background (yes, we cheated and brought our ipods) and the gorgeous sand dunes and beach scenery, it was a surprisingly pleasant and refreshing experience.  We actually sprinted through the finish line, just to prove to ourselves that we were “hard-core”. 

Anyway, it was a fantastic time!  And, we’ve already signed up for the Rock N Roll half marathon, which will also be in Virginia Beach, at the end of the summer.  It should definitely be a lot warmer, and loads of fun since there’s supposed to be live music throughout the course.  Can’t wait!  Perhaps the New York Marathon is in our future.  Who knows?

Cheers,

K