moving forward, Races

Medal Monday and recaps

Movin' it with Michelle

This was our first race in three years , and the first half for my daughter.

We arrived to the expo Saturday and had a complete blast checking out the booths. Thankfully we were able to stay downtown, so we had a 0430 wake-up to get ready for the race. We walked down to the start and got in the corral. The excitement was truly tangible.

The first four miles were almost easy. Cool weather and low humidity helped the miles fly by. I had to take a bathroom break around mile four but thankfully took only 30 seconds or so. We took our huma chia gels and kept running.

At mile five or so we saw my best friend Kandice who while was supposed to run the race, wasn’t able to due to injury. She still came down to support us. So amazing.

I was feeling great until around mile 9. My ITB seized up and I had to stop to stretch several times. It was Sophia who motivated me. Seeing her in so happy kept me going and her runners high was priceless. She was high fiving spectators was so cool. I only wish I had taken more pictures. But it took everything I had to keep moving. Stopping wasn’t an option.

Kandice caught this video of us just before the finish.

We finished strong with negative splits, with a finish time of 2:41. It wasn’t my best race, but the finish line feels and feeling the sobs of pride while we hugged at the finish line is something I’ll never forget. I may not be the runner I used to be, but man it felt good to race again and share this with my family is truly priceless.

Published by Movin' it with Michelle

My name is Michelle and I am a retired Air Force Master Sergeant. I have found a passion for running, cooking, writing, photography and all things that move my love for life! I've ran 3 full marathons, with a PR of 4:25, and 17 half marathons with a PR of 2:00:11 (yup-missed sub 2 by 11 seconds, lol). Thanks for joining me on my journey!

19 thoughts on “Medal Monday and recaps”

  5. Great job, Michelle! I know that that is much slower than you used to run halfs (and I’m sure I’ll be slower when I run one too), but you have to give yourself grace because you’ve been through a lot.

    And you are right — sharing the experience with your family is absolutely priceless! Congrats!

    Liked by 1 person

    Reply

      1. I know it’s hard, Michelle. As you continue to recuperate & acclimate you may find the pace picks up — or not. Embracing what is will ultimately make you happier. Although it’s ok to grieve the past, too!

        Liked by 1 person

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