The alarm went off at 5:30 am on Sunday morning. My stomach still felt gross and my nerves were getting the best of me. It took me what felt like forever to down my breakfast, knowing I would need the energy in a few short hours. Sitting there, drinking my coffee and looking out the window at the trees dancing in the wind, it didn't seem like a great day for a 1/2 marathon.
Standing at the start line, trying not to vomit, all I could think about was those measly 29 seconds that have been haunting me for the past month. All I had to do today was keep a steady pace and maintain my strength and energy for the last few kilometers.
The first 5 km went by easy, and I was able to shake those butterflies. At the 10km mark, my time was 58 minutes and 29 seconds, a personal best for me. As I looked down at my Garmin and saw a 5.30 pace, I kept thinking to myself "you need to slow down, this is going to hurt!"
As the kilometers ticked by, it was as though I was not myself. No, I was SuperGirl! I had unlimited energy, and I was maintain a pace that was unimaginable to me. I passed the 20 km marker, and looked down again... 1 hour, 58 minutes, 28 seconds. Not only was I going to run a PB today, I was going to kill it!
I crossed this finish line at 2 hours, 2 minutes, and 39 seconds - a PB by 12 minutes. What an absolutely amazing race!
