I am not special.

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I have a confession to make.

I am not special.

I thought running a half marathon would mean I am special, but it doesn’t.

I am not special.

I DID something special.

You could do it.

If you wanted to.

If you were patient enough.

If you gave yourself enough time.

Started small.

Started slow.

Wanted to do it.

Accepted your failures as growing pains, and not as a sign of who you are.

Took the time.

Put in the effort.

Little, by little.

It took me over a year, from my first running steps, to my 13.1.

A lot can change in a year.

You can change in a year.

Do you want to?

Because you could.

You could change a little.

You could change a lot.

I did.

And I am not special.

My Half Marathon Post-Race Jitters (Huh?!)

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Yesterday I posted about running the first few times after my half marathon.  Here’s what I didn’t mention – as well as being sick, I think I may have delayed my first run after the race because of nerves.
It’s hilarious to me that after running 13.1 miles, heading out for a short run by myself could make me nervous.  No pressure for a fast pace, especially after a huge race the weekend before.  

Yet I was so nervous, and laughing at myself for being nervous.  I just ran 13.1 miles last weekend, on a challenging course, and now I’m afraid to head out for a 3 or 4 mile run?

For some reason, I felt all this pressure… as though I were a new type of runner, now, and I needed to live up to my accomplishment from last weekend.

Reality check – I’m not a half marathoner, I’m Kelly, and I have run a half marathon.  
Yes, I have walked up hills that I probably could have run up, and taken breaks when I didn’t need to, and been really tired on some short, easy runs. 
I’ve also run past people up hills during the most challenging race of my life, gone from running 0 miles to 20 miles a week and completing a half marathon in just over a year.  I’ve fit my running around being a wife and mother of two toddlers, and I even still have some friends.
Every time I go out for a run, I’m accomplishing more miles.  Every time I run hard when I want to stop, I’m increasing my chances of feeling great after my next race.  Every time I take a break, I’m keeping running fun enough for myself so that I’m willing to get out of bed and go for that next run. I’m not saying I’m happy with how every run goes, but I’m happy I went for every run.
Other posts you may enjoy:

My first two runs post half-marathon!

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Now that my half marathon is behind me,
I’m rotating in my new Nike Free 3.0’s!
I don’t really notice them.
That’s what I’m looking for in a running shoe, so that’s perfect 🙂
Finally went for my first few runs after my half marathon last weekend!  Our schedule had been busy after we returned, and I caught a cold from the kids that had my lying awake at 4 a.m. convinced I had a sinus infection.  (I think I’m in the clear, though…)

Friday afternoon, I finally felt well enough to go out for a run.  I planned on just 3 or 4 miles, to ease back into running after my half marathon.  It felt great.

One of my challenges with the taper weeks before the half marathon was that I was used to running so many more miles than I was that I felt like I’d quit running.  It doesn’t feel very reassuring to quit practicing right before the biggest race of your life.

The half marathon was great, and a lot of running, and left me feeling stiff for a few days, and with no urge to run.  By Tuesday or Wednesday, though, my urge to run was back but my body was too fatigued from my cold for me to feel comfortable, or even have time, getting out for a run.

I was so tired and sneezing so much on Thursday that I cancelled dinner plans with a friend… and I had REALLY been looking forward to going out to dinner… by myself… without the boys, to hang out, have a glass of wine, and talk uninterrupted about more than child rearing.

When I felt better Friday afternoon, it was such a relief to get out for a short run.  I felt like I had quit running before the race, and then felt like I had quit afterwards.  I know I’ve been running for over a year now, but I still feel like if I take more than four days off, that I may never start again!  I think this is just a crazy fear, since I’m clearly pretty into this whole running thing, but it’s a fear nonetheless.

I’m happy to report that I went for a run on Friday, and on Sunday, and… whew… I show no signs of quitting 😉

My first run after my half marathon!

Sunday morning run in the rain 🙂