one in a million. (actually like thirty-five thousand)

2 weekends ago i ran the nashville country music half marathon.  well, it was myself and, what i felt like, half of america's population.  now... i've been preparing for this race for what feels like FOREVER.  i trained last year and just before the race i found out i was pregnant and my doctor wouldn't allow me to do anything due to a previous miscarriage.  i was disappointed, but obviously i had a fantastic reason to keep my feet very still.  i ached to run my entire pregnancy...and i knew that as soon as i could, i would start training for the 2010 half.  well, 4 days after graham was born, i was running. :)  it felt great and i was soooo excited!

the race was many things to me.  the first 4 miles were AWESOME!  they were so awesome that i didn't realize how much i was bobbing in and out of people.  then, at about mile 6 i was so worn OUT from trying to keep any kind of pace.  so.  i did the thing i did not want to do.  i walked.  eh.  so what.  i was just exhausted.  i was having such a hard time taking deep breaths....it was awful.  so then i did something really annoying.  i would sprint for about half a mile, then walk for a minute.  and sprint again...and so on.  i was in survival mode.  the whole time i kept thinking, "this is awful.  i will never do this again."  i mean, i knew there would be a lot of people, but my heavens.  it was just packed at all times.  the path never dispersed.  there were constantly a ton of people to run in and out of.

the morning after the race, i found out the probable reason i was having such an incredibly hard time with it all...but we'll get to that in a minute...

when i got done with the race, i said i would never do it again.  and at the time, buddy, i meant it.  i really did.  BUT, maybe i didn't mean NEVER.  i think one day i will do it again.  not anytime soon though.  i will stick to some 5 and 10ks.  but the whole "racing" bid just might not be for me.  i run because i truly enjoy my time when i am running.  when i have to worry about other people, it ruins it for me.  so, we'll see.  the half marathon may be a once in a lifetime thing for me... but running isn't.  i will always be a runner.  it's my favorite thing to do.

i swiped some pictures from the CMM website to share with you.  disclaimer:  in the first one i appear to be dying... it's only because i thought i was.  :) 

and here are some that craig took as he cheered me on!

 

clayton, amber and i the night before the race...just trying out our bib numbers!

the next pictures are the interesting ones.

so, i woke up the morning after the race and looked in the mirror only to see this...

that's right.  my face was so swollen from the pollen in nashville.  no wonder i couldn't breathe when i was running!  pollen was taking over my body!  and here's how i looked monday morning...

yep.  not ANY better.  it was AWFUL!!  i went to the doctor monday afternoon and got a steroid shot.  by the end of the day i felt like i was getting better, so i took this picture...

not totally healed, but better than it was!  so needless to say, the half marathon was quite an adventure for me.  i'm glad i did it...but i'm glad it's over and i know my eye sockets are even more glad. :)