Half Marathon RUN

Yolanda, Meghan, and I,
Proud 1/2 Marathon Finishers!

I’ve been able to say I’ve completed a half marathon for a while now but I have always added the caveat that I’ve WALKED the 13.1 miles with only a few running bits thrown in. As of this weekend I feel I can say I’ve RUN a half marathon. I ran most of the first 4 miles and quite a bit after that. If I go back through my Garmin data I could get exact figures but I’m confident in saying that I ran at least 5 miles. I don’t know at what point that becomes enough to move from the walk to run category, but by the powers vest in me by, well, me, I declare it a RUN!!

The OKC Memorial Marathon/Half Marathon is an amazing race with unique community support and an atmosphere that begs runners to return year after year. Last year’s run was filled with drama as well as emotion with storms delaying the start by almost 2 hours. I walked 13.1 miles with my good friend Claudia B. and finished with a smile. This year I was to walk with Betsy G. a friend from high school. Several from the area were doing the run as well including Meghan M., Yolanda R., Dan K., and several others from my Running Friends group. It’s a party and we don’t mind making the long drive to OKC to be part of the fun.

Unfortunately Betsy found out the day before we left that her mother needed to be moved to the big city for more medical attention and needed to be with her. I absolutely agreed but realized that I would be walking by myself this time. I adjusted my thinking and decided to take the opportunity to really enjoy the day and make connection with the wonderful people in the neighborhoods that make this such a special event.

Always ready with a glass of wine.

Meghan, Yolanda, and I drove down Saturday morning and aside from forgetting to look at the fuel gage and thankfully finding a gas station quickly the ride was smooth. Saturday evening we shared supper with Kate H. and her sisters (Kate is coming back from an injury but her sisters were running the 1/2) and got to bed by 9:00. 4:30 came around awfully fast! We woke to perfect weather: temps in the mid 50s and overcast with a slight breeze. Not a thunderstorm in sight!

We wished each other luck at the starting line and promised to meet up on the other side with a smile. Since I’ve been feeling better and was full of energy I decided to run the first 3 miles. That part is through mainly business and commercial areas so there aren’t as many spectators along the way. It’s not until we get into the neighborhoods that the fun really begins. So I kept up the pace and amazingly finished the first 4 miles with only a few walk breaks, mainly on uphill portions of the route.

One of the first characters I came across was a lovely older gentleman sitting at a small bistro table with a bottle of wine smoking a big cigar who was willing to share a glass of bubbly with anyone who wanted to stop. I didn’t share a drink but did stop to take our picture. So many of the neighborhoods play music and post signs and offer water, pretzels, fruit,

Bouncing along with Tigger.

and encouragement. It’s a party all through the middle of the race. I stopped to take a picture with a cute little guy in a Tigger costume who was bouncing all over the place. And of course I had to get a picture of the gorilla waiting for us at Gorilla Hill. This group goes nuts! Music, people in banana costumes, fruit, cheering, and all of this well into the run with as much enthusiasm for us slow people as for the fast people who went by much earlier.

One little guy caught my eye as he held a sign that said “Free Cupcakes” He looked a little sad that not everyone was stopping to take his cupcakes so I HAD to stop. I thanked him and bit into the treat and it tasted so good at mile 9 that I think I groan and he started to chuckle. That made my day!

Gorilla Hill, Party Central!

The last part if the race is back through business areas but the crowd support is still amazing. When I got to the finish line chute the sidelines were packed with cheering crowds who didn’t care if you were fast or slow, running or walking. They were there to thank the participants for supporting their city and the Memorial. To them I say, You’re Welcome!

When I stopped my Garmin I realized that I had set a new PR. I can only imagine how much faster my time would have been if I hadn’t stopped to take pictures and eat cupcakes and dance with a cute little Tigger, but I wouldn’t change a thing. I ran more than I thought I would, stopped to enjoy the sights and sounds, and made a mountain of new memories. Today I’m sore and my hips are not happy but I will be back next year and maybe this time I’ll stop and have that glass of wine and hope for a cupcake or two as I RUN another half marathon.

Finished and smiling!