here and there: experiencing the extraordinary: Half Marathon Success

So back in June, I was going through a rough time. I thought I was the kind of person who couldn't do something hard. I was going through a challenging time, so I thought needed a challenge to occupy my time. I had always wanted to do a half-marathon, but I'm not a runner, by any means. My extent of running was in high school, and I view running as punishment, not something to be enjoyed. All that to say, I signed up for a half-marathon that would take place in November, and somehow convinced one of my good friends, Miss Emily McCracken, that running the half-marathon would be a great idea!

I trained and trained, signing up for multiple 5Ks, spending tons of time in the gym. I would go on long runs through downtown Lexington and spend my Saturday mornings running the Legacy Trail from Lexington to the horse park. I had a lot of issues with my ankles and knees; turns out, I suponate (meaning I run towards the outside of my feet) which caused a lot of pain on the outside of my feet, ankles, and knees. I had to try a few different types of running shoes, but by the time the half rolled around, I felt ready to go!

We arrived early on Sunday, November 10. Emily brought her boyfriend, Jeremy to cheer her on. My mom and Blair rode up with me to join "Team Emily and Ashley." Blair even made a shirt, it was pretty amazing to have the support and encouragement from my loved ones. The half was much easier than I believed it would be. I had some pain in my knees around mile 2, but then got into my stride. The half-marathon was in downtown Louisville, so part of the race went through Cherokee Park. Therefore, miles 4-8ish involved a lot of hills, which I was not totally prepared for. However, Emily and I kept trucking, getting excited at EVERY mile marker, knowing we were getting closer and closer to our goal each time.

We ran into some problems around mile 9. Emily started dying…haha. She was having a lot of pain in her legs, and I was afraid she was going to have to stop the race. I knew we had started together, and how disappointed, after the all the training, she would be if she stopped. So I stayed with her, encouraged her, pushed her to keep running. The last 2 miles were killer. Literally, they were miserable. At that point in the race, I was so over running, so ready to eat and just get off my feet. We finally saw the finish line, and I told Emily to run hard. We took off and made it to the finish line. I was so extremely happy (although I didn't cry!), and Emily just laid down, literally crossed the finished line and laid on the ground.

We decided to go to the Cheesecake Factory and carb up. I ordered food, then immediately felt sick. I threw up in the bathroom, then asked for my food to be boxed up. It's crazy how your body responds to running so far. I really could hardly eat for the next day, but once my appetite finally returned, I pretty much ate everything in sight.

All in all, it was a successful first half-marathon. And I'm planning on doing the Derby Half Marathon in April. I loved the training, the intensity, and the feeling of accomplishment after you finish. I think I'm addicted :)

Here are some pictures from the big day!