Dexter Ann Arbor Half Marathon Race Recap

Fair Warning...This race recap is full of all the feels because that is what got me through that 13.1 miles. All.The.Feels. All of them. 

It's Sunday morning. My alarm goes off and before I wake up enough to listen for what's going on outside I think..."maybe the weatherman was wrong." 

NOPE. 

I can hear the wind whipping the rain into our bedroom window. 

SHIT.

We're really doing this.

I think the same thing I think every early morning...Get up. Feet on floor. And move...don't look back. 

BUT IT'S 50 FREAKING DEGREES, WINDY, AND RAINING....who wants to run 13.1 miles in THIS!?!

And let me be the first to tell you I did not WANT to run this race in these conditions. I wanted to join the 700 other people that signed up for the race but stayed home in their nice, warm, dry homes. 

Keep moving. Keep moving. Keep moving. 

I get a text from the group of Mother Runners...4 of the 5 of us are running 13.1 miles..in the rain...and wind..and cold. The other is on the injured list but because she is an incredible friend was still coming to be our support staff. As the other 4 of us are bitching about the weather she says, "Can't wait to see some badass mother runners cross the finish line today! Because there is a finish line and that amazing feeling you get when you cross it. Rain or not there is a finish line!" 

Ok Sarah. Get your shit together. You're doing this. 

Oatmeal. Coffee. Phone. Poncho. Post race clothes. Let's go. 

We got to the start line 15 minutes before the gun...After 3 pit stops in 45 minutes. For one we waited in a line of cars for the porta potty...A.line.of.cars. Not people standing in line. A line of cars. We are crazy...or driven, passionate, stubborn,...or crazy. You choose.

We  had a short walk to the school where the start line was. I'm trying to stay dry under our Support Staff's umbrella but it wasn't working. I could already feel the cold and wet creeping into my shoes. For the first time I feel just how cold the wind feels when my skin is wet...and the panic starts to creep up. I am COMPLETELY and TOTALLY NOT trained to run in this weather. If I woke up on ANY morning and it was 50 degrees, windy, and rainy I would NOT go out and run. Never. Freezing cold and snow...I'm out there. Boiling hot and humid...bring it on. Rain, wind and cold is a brutal combination because you cannot protect yourself from any of it. The rain will soak you and the wind and cold will chill you to the bone. And it was already happening and I've been outside for all of 2 minutes. My heart is pounding.

I've never done this race as a half marathon before...only the 5k...But based off their previous year results there's usually around 1,500  half marathoners...This year there were 723. SEVEN HUNDRED AND TWENTY THREE driven, passionate, stubborn, crazy runners waiting in the hallways of Dexter Middle School for as long a possible trying to enjoy being warm and dry for the last time for the next two hours. Worrying about wet feet and blisters, poncho or no poncho, sweat shirt or no sweat shirt...Are we really doing this? Are we really going back out there? 

2 minutes to start. 

We are out of our last bathroom stop and start walking towards the start line. Because there were literally HALF of the runners there usually are the pace groups were way, way, way far up towards the start line. Jen and I knew we really wanted to be under 2:10. Under 2:05 would be REALLY nice but under 2:10 would be awesome...especially on this hilly course and in these conditions....2:10. We wanted 2:10. But we couldn't find the 2:10 pacer and before I knew it the gun went off and we started moving forward...As we looked to say goodbye to our Support Staff...her umbrella flipped inside out...

Mother Nature officially hates us.

We kept inching closer to the start line and before I knew it we crossed it and started to run. Less than 30 seconds in Jen says..."I'm having a hard time keeping it together." and I was too! Here we were...not olympic athletes...not world class racers...just two moms who found something that makes them better inside and out...who have spent the last year running through whatever life has thrown at us...through fat days, frustration, self doubt, stress...We have gotten to a point where training isn't about just the finish line...it's about the journey to the finish line. What we have to overcome to get there...and for this race we have overcome A LOT. Our last big hurdle was in front of us...13.1 miles of cold. wind. and rain. And I cried as soon as I crossed the start line. Not because of the SHITTASTIC weather we had...but because it didn't matter!! It didn't matter that over HALF of the runners had stayed home because it was such a horrible day...it didn't matter that my shoes were already soaked through...it didn't matter that I had 2 hours of this to deal with ahead of me...We weren't quitting. We were finishing what we started. And 2 years ago...I would NEVER have had the mental ability to do that. I would have quit. I would let life beat me down and not fight back...I would quit things I loved if they got to hard...I would not give 100% for fear of failure. I was not strong inside or out...And here I was...fighting back harder than I ever have before not just against the weather, but LIFE...the ups, downs, and curve balls.   So I cried. Because I am so proud of the person I have fought so so so hard to become. I knew how MENTALLY hard these 13.1 miles ahead of us were going to be but I was going to kick them square in the ass. 

Because of the lack of runners and our late arrival at the start line...We were behind the 2:30 pace group and had to do some serious dodging and ducking those first few miles to maintain our pace. I was so focused on not tripping on anyone and slow up hills and fast down that the first 3 miles were a blur. I could hear my running coach says.....

Don't go with the pack...keep your pace...run your race. 

I did my best to keep us on pace and slow up hills and fast down. I ditched my sweatshirt around mile 4...I knew our families and Support Staff were waiting at mile 7 with our extra clothes so I could grab something then if I was cold. We did exactly what we were suppose to do...slow up hills, fast down. I was coldish but would warm up on every hill...and there were a metric shit ton of hills. Some small. Some rolling. Some NEVER ENDING. We drove the course the night before,,,in pouring rain...and I kept trying to remember what was coming next.  I remember passing the mile 5 sign and saying, "That went fast." 

We heard a voice behind us... "YOOOOOO HOOOOOOO Big summer blow out!!!!" (Get the Frozen refrence...) It was one of the Mother Runners we had started with.

Making you smile while running in the cold, wind, and rain...That's what Mother Runners are for. 

I knew we had less than 2 miles to our husbands and our babes. I knew I was going to need those high fives and bright eyed smiles....But I also knew they were going to be at the top of a big hill. 

We started up the hill and it wasn't nearly as bad as I thought it was going to be. And like I planned it the song "Welcome to the Jungle" came on right as we came to the top of the hill where you could see the people lining the streets....right where our  families...our own little Jungle...were waiting. We are Mother Runners...We run to burn of the crazy that comes with being a mom...living in our own Jungles of chaotic, hectic, unconditional love with those goons that were waiting at the top of that hill. 

First we saw our Support Staff and one of the other Mother Runner's Daughters who had THE BIGGEST smile on her face. Her mommy was ahead of us and of course I start crying...what an amazing example she is setting for her daughter and that little girl was just soaking it up. If you've never gone to a race to support someone you love you should...we get so much energy from you...to see your smile even if it's just for a second will propel us for miles... And that little girls smile and big bright eyes were EPIC. 

About 20 steps farther up I saw them...My mom, husband, and oldest babe. I slowed down just enough to really look at my son's face. He had that same smile and big bright eyes...He is one of the reasons I started running...I wanted to keep up with him, to not have to slow down, to chase him and his 2 little brothers all day long. He gave me the best high five and big bright eyed smile as we passed. I knew I was going to have to hang onto that image for the next 6 miles because it wasn't getting warmer...and it was still raining...and the wind had picked up. Right as we started to get out of the crowd and towards the water station there was a sign that said. "Runners don't get rained out...they get rained on." 

Combine that sign with our Jungle we just ran through...I lost it. We had to walk through that water station so I could pull it together. We were over halfway. We just got the BEST high fives in the history of high fives. And our kids are watching us finish something we started... Tears. All of them.

I rode that high for the next 2 miles...then at mile 9 I hit a wall. I was REALLY starting to get cold/hot/cold/hot/cold/hot flashes every few steps. I couldn't keep my arms warm so I kept sticking them back in my rain poncho then I saw it...this HUGE curve in the road where you could see how far you still have to go.  We are along a river...the wind picked up again and was blowing the rain off the trees so it felt like it was pouring. I was miserable. And I knew what was coming....2 HUGE hills at mile 11 and 12.5. HUGE hills. The 5k of this race I ran 2 years before and I remember those 2 hills VERY clearly. 

This is what happened next...

Me: I'm dying.

Jen: What do you need do you want to walk?

Me: No.

Jen: Slow down?

Me: Yes...but if you can go faster you need...

Jen: NO.

Another mile passed.

Jen: 3 miles left...that's once around the big loop. Zack will be there waiting for you.

I thought of EVERY.SINGLE.THING I've ever said in bootcamp. 

I thought of Laura...the Mother Runner with the sweet daughter that was at mile 7...She was probably already at the finish...she better get me a bagel.

I though of Jo...YOOOOOOO HOOOOOOOOO BIG SUMMER BLOW OUT! She was bobbing right in front of us . 

I thought of our Support Staff who would have given anything to be out there racing with us that day but she couldn't. 

Turn your mind off and RUN...Right now. RUN.

Mile 11

Me: When I ran the 5k I wanted to die right here too...but that was only 1 mile in...now I'm 11 miles in.

Jen: Now remember THAT.

Mile 11.5...the middle of hill of death number 1.... There they were...not our family...not cute kids with huge smiles and bright eyes...There they were....The 2:10 pacers. And we passed them...right in the middle of the hill I was dreading so much. And just like that the wall I had been struggling over for the last 2 miles was gone and the runner's high kicked in and we were off. 

Mile 12. Here we go...final push...the last half mile is all up hill...the only way to do it is run it as absolutely fast as you can. I ran it like those 2:10 pacers were on my ass...I saw the crowds getting bigger...I knew it was close. Then I could see it...the big banner over the road that said FINISH. 

Beast Mode ON. 

I knew our Support Staff was to our right but I couldn't even look...I could only see that finish line. And I ran as absolutely fast as I could through eyes full of tears up the rest of the hill and crossed the timing mat with no idea what our time was but knowing we beat our 2:10 goal. 

I hugged Jen and we found the rest of the Mother Runners that had finished ahead of us...all with HUGE Personal Records. HUGE. I mean they do workout at my gym....soooooooo............I wouldn't expect anything less.

We found our families. Took some pictures. And raced to the car where dry clothes, seat heaters, and coffee were waiting for me. 

I knew we were under 2:10....But I didn't know how far...as we were pulling into our driveway I found our official time. 2:08:19.

That's over a 5 minute Personal Record...on a hilly course. In cold, wind, and rain. 

Running is not just about the race..It's not just about miles and PR's...It's far far bigger than that.

The person I was 2 years ago is different than the person I was 4 months ago who's different that the person I am today. It's not the running that drives me and make me spend 2 hours in the pouring rain with 700 other driven, passionate, stubborn, crazy people.....it's the person that running has made me become. 

Left: Dexter Ann Arbor 5k  May 2013

Right: Dexter Ann Arbor Half Marathon May 2015

Just.Keep.Going.

DXA2. It's HERE.

50 degrees. Rain. Wind.

That's what it will be like when we are standing on the start line tomorrow.

Why don't you just wait until another weekend and do a different race?

Because that's NOT what running is about. It's not about quitting when it gets tough. It's not about slowing down when your brain tells you to. It's about pushing your limits. Not just stepping outside of your comfort zone but JUMPING OFF THE DAMN BRIDGE into a world of unknown challenges.

This spring training cycle has been tough. REALLY tough. The weather being Enemy Number 1. First there was snow. Then there was ice. Then there was more snow. Then there was never ending cold. Then it got nice for 5 minutes. Then the ice returned with a coat of snow on top. Then the cold lingered for another month before ALL THE HEAT AND HUMIDITY came like a freight train. But we ran through it. We ran when it was cold, dark, and raining. We skated over ice, hopped over snow banks, dodged thunderstorms, and faced ridiculous head winds that never seemed to shift to our back. We went from sweating through our shirts on our Tuesday run to wearing gloves on our Friday run. It.was.never.ending.

 But we did it. Even when we wanted to quit. We kept moving forward. Always moving forward.

Now here we sit...the day before the big race...4 months of HARD training under our feet and guess what.....the weather is going to by my absolute LEAST FAVORITE thing to run in. Cold.Wind.Rain.

But no matter what...quitting is not an option. Running is something I love. It has changed my life...not just physically but what's on the inside...and you don't quit things you love. Even when it gets harder than hard. You put your head down and push through it.

There have been a million times in the last few months I've had to remind myself why I do this...WHY do I run.

Why do I run? To be an example for my kids...to show them you NEVER quit something you started no matter how hard it gets...you find something you are passionate about and follow it...and you never, ever give up on yourself. I don't just want to TELL them these things...I want to SHOW them.  Zack has started to see what it means to work hard...he wants to be an American Ninja Warrior and he says things like, "When you get to the finish line I will be so proud of you like you are when I do my obstacle course at your gym." and "I'm not going to cry like you do when your proud of me but I'll give you a high five and you'll know that means I'm proud of you mom."



They will be there tomorrow at the halfway mark and the finish line and both times I'm going to need to see their mugs...see the excitement in their faces...soak up every ounce of their energy as I pass by and remember THEY are why I do this.

So bring on the rain, wind, and 50 degrees. We have faced a lot worse on the road and off....and we will not be stopped.

We Are...DETROIT INTERNATIONAL HALF MARATHON FINISHERS!!!

We did it. We finished the Detroit International Half Marathon...Here is our story.

Our Half Marathon Weekend (cause that's a thing) started Friday afternoon at the Expo. We took our littlest babes along to get our bibs.

Then Saturday morning I woke up and saw me and my sweet babe in the Detroit Free Press 

The lady across from me had found a headband that had the word MOM inside the Superman symbol and she gave it to me...In this picture I was in the middle of telling her I wanted to hug her.  And it was the headband I wore for the run. 

The night before the race we loaded up our kids and husbands and went to my favorite place to have a pre race meal...Smokehouse 52.  Smoked chicken, vegetables, 2 pieces of Jiffy corn bread, and fried pickles...oh and 5 glasses of water of course. It was heaven.

And our herd of children were actually very well behaved. That's always a win. 

Then it was home for a hot bath that of course Ty Ty HAD to join me for...........................................that kid...SOMEDAY he won't want to be attached at my hip right!?!?!?!

I laid out my running clothes...packed extra warm clothes for after...checked 7,429 times that I had everything and then went to bed...I fell asleep just before 10.  I woke up to my alarm at 4:00. That's it. That simple. No crazy dreams...no kids in our bed...Nothing.

The morning was absolutely perfect. MINUS the fact that I had planned on eating toast with peanut butter on it...come to find out at 4 a.m. that we were out of bread. AWESOME. So bacon and applesauce it was.  The most AMAZING, LOVING, KIND, CARING, INCREDIBLE babysitter in the world ......no you CAN NOT have her number.........was at our door at 4:30 and Jen and her husband were there to pick us up at 4:40. As I was walking to the car Jen says,,,"Have you cried yet?" I had not...I was really trying to keep my game face on.

Now did I cry the entire time I was making the playlist..YES. 

And the last 3 nights while I watched You Tube videos of the Detroit Free Press Finish Line. YES.

And when anyone would post on my facebook wall with encouragement. YES.

But on the morning of the run it was game face time. UNTIL we were pulling out of our driveway. Some other Mother Runners we know had lined my and Jen's front yards with signs

OBVIOUSLY I took this picture when we got home because at 4:45 a.m. it's DARK...but I mean serioulsy...who does that? Mother Runners do that.

THEN as we were heading out of our little town on the way to the big city when this happened.

Those same Mother Runners that decorated our yards made us our own cheering section ... At 4:45 in the morning. What a perfect way to start our day. To feel that supported. To feel that loved. It was absolutely perfect. 

We headed to Detroit where our handsome husbands dropped us of in a COMPLETELY safe area.......................... and headed to the start line. We stopped at the MGM Grand to use the INCREDIBLY nice bathrooms. Casinos have the best bathrooms. 

We got to our corral at 6:50...10 minutes before start time. Perfect. We saw our husbands and stood there for a couple minutes taking it all in and then Eminem's Lose Yourself comes on over the speakers...You can feel the energy in the crowd...everyone we are standing there with had spent the last 4 or 5 months preparing for this race just like we had. We had all spent HOURS preparing our bodies and minds for THIS MOMENT. To be standing at the start line with the Ambassador Bridge in the foreground. To be 100% ready to CONQUER this race. It is so hard to put into words the feeling standing in a sea of over 27,000 runners is like. But it is one of my absolute favorite parts of this race. 

The countdown to the gun began and BANG the elite runners were off.  We were in Corral G and they released a corral ever 2 minutes...This was the first official race I wasn't running with headphones and I'm so glad I didn't.  As we were getting closer to the start line Don't Stop Believing was playing...All I could think was DON'T CRY. DON'T CRY NOW. You have a race to run. Crying during races gives me a horrible side ache and I have worked WAY TO HARD to not PR this race.

I kept my eyes on the American and Canadian flags at the start line and kept my game face on. 

No tears....just so much pride in what Jen and I have done. We were finally there. We crossed the start line and we were off. 

Mile 1 and 2 were PERFECT. Great pace. Lots of people. And the entire time we are watching the Ambassador Bridge...the bridge we would be crossing into Canada...my first time EVER being out of the country. That was my focus for those first miles. Then at about mile 2.5 we started the ascent up the bridge.  This is a moment of this race that every single person waits for...The Ambassador Bridge at sunrise. 

I wasn't thinking at all about running...or pace...I was thinking about this experience. This once in a lifetime experience. My first time out of the country. Crossing this bridge at sunrise. Being next to the Mother Runner that had been there with me every step of training. This moment was one we had talked about during every long run...and we were about to be there...about to cross over this bridge as the sun is rising. 

It was about a half mile ascent from the base of the ramp to the peak of the bridge but it didn't feel like it. There was so much to look at...And then...

There is was....The Canadian Border. All through training I had mixed emotions about leaving the country..Totally rational thoughts like....

"What if they close the border while I'm over there and can't get home to my kids?" 

But coming up to this flag we were on a huge down hill and people were cheering as they crossed the border... I could hear the crowd at the bottom but over it all I heard the announcer say, "WELCOME TO CANADA!! DON'T YOU FEEL SAFER ALREADY!?!" I will never forget that. It was the perfect way to cross the border.  As we approached the bottom of the hill I could see the actual gates and there were officers everywhere...but they weren't standing there with guns and stopping us for cavity searches...they were high fiving us as we ran through. 

We stopped for a not so quick pit stop....Stopping is always hard during a race...But we had two choices...stop to pee...or pee your pants...whichever we chose we just had to be fine with the consequence. Even though they had 75 porta potties it seems every runner made the same choice ....Standing in line I saw the 10 min mile pacer pass....then the 10:15 mile pacer...DON'T let this mess with your mind Sarah. DON'T try and catch up and gas yourself for the rest of the race. Being my 3rd half marathon or more distance I know the amount of energy I needed to finish those last 3 miles strong. Jen meets me back by the road and we are off again. We start out at an 8:25 pace....it takes every ounce of my being to say slow down. But we did...and I told her exactly what I just wrote. We will catch them...maintain our 9:45 pace. Run our race.  

I knew that to catch up we would have to do some serious bobbing and weaving through this sea of runners but as we kept running I stopped thinking about our pace and watched the crowd. Canadians are awesome. The cheering sections. The signs. The energy. The love. Awesome. Those 4 miles absolutely flew by. We caught back up with the 10 min pacer with about 1 mile left in Canada and hung there for the remainder of our out of country experience. As we got closer to the entrance to the tunnel the crowds started to thicken up and there it was....my biggest weakness...a cute little boy holding a giant sign that said GO MOMMY. Tears. Instant tears. Then BAM the crying and running side ache started. Pull it together Sarah. You have a lot of race left to run. ALOT. 

GAME FACE.

GAME FACE RIGHT NOW!

Then right at the mouth of the tunnel my phone buzzed...It was my sister sending me the fishing pole emoji...because one of my other SUPER rational fears with this race was the tunnel collapsing while I was inside. I told Jen who of course knew about this fear of mine...we laughed...my side ache started to fade...and we began our underwater mile. 

The tunnel...oh the infamous tunnel. Think THOUSANDS of runners dressed for a 30 degree run but now stuck in a mile long air circulation-less tube. It was a decent down hill in but we were still sticking with the 10 minute pacer to let my side ache stop...and then the never ending up hill. This tunnel curves to the left at the end but you can't see it...you can't see the out..all you see are a sea of runners going up a giant, never ending, hill in a hot box of a tunnel.  The smell...the heat...the fact that I was running UNDER A FREAKING RIVER....The panic started to creep up...and then when I thought I couldn't take it anymore...There was daylight. We curved to the left and got hit in the face with the most amazing breath of fresh air I have ever taken.  When we crossed back into the U.S there as a banner that said WELCOME BACK TO THE U.S.A...I jumped and touched it. We made it back! 

We saw our handsome husbands that yelled super encouraging things like...

"Hi! You're doing GREAT! Now stop waving and RUN!"

Not to far ahead of that was the 8 mile water station. We walked through this one and got a decent drink for the first time all morning. And off we went again. I usually hit my wall at around 8 miles. But I hadn't yet. At mile 9 we were still going strong. Feeling good. 

Then...mile 10. Mile 10 was the longest mile of the day. We didn't hit a wall exactly...It was just a very uneventful mile. Not many spectators and a long straight stretch of road. Up until this point we had been running through crowds, over international borders, and under water miles...so this was pretty uneventful....................But we were passing people! I've never passed people at this point in a race before...I'm usually struggling to survive! I felt great...strong...and confidant in my ability to finish this race with BEAST MODE TURNED ON.

Towards the end of mile 10 there was an M and M station. I TOTALLY took some...out of a huge tub...that every other crazy runner had as well. Now thinking about that choice........................EW.  

At mile 11 was our last water stop. We walked through the water station getting a decent drink so we could finish strong....I said..."Home stretch mama." And we were off for the final kick. 

Our handsome husbands saw us right after this (that's me in the hot pink) 

And before I knew it we were at mile 12.  I saw a woman with a sign that said...

DON'T STOP NOW

PAIN IS TEMPORARY

THIS ACCOMPLISHMENT IS FOREVER

Just what I needed. 

I remembered another Mother Runner's words. 

"When you know that feeling of going deep within yourself, and being brutally honest with yourself, and seeing that yes, you can keep going, the victory at the finish line is oh, so sweet. It will last with you for a lifetime." 

I thought of the Mother Runners that put signs in our front yards and woke up before dawn just to cheer for us on our way out of town.

I thought of the friendship I've built with the Mother Runner next to me...The hours spent together talking and laughing while we ran miles on end. 

That last mile was our best mile of the day...9:03....that's a pretty freaking awesome kick.

Before I knew it we rounded the last corner...I could see the finish line about 1/4 mile away.  

I said..."I see the balloons...ready?"

And we ran as fast as we could. We passed our husbands for the last time hearing them yell "GO!! RUN!!! YOU'RE ALMOST THERE!!" 

The balloons got closer...

The crowd got louder...

We pushed to the very end and crossed the finish line together...with pride, power, and an incredible feeling of accomplishment. 

We did it. 

We are Detroit International Half Marathon Finishers.

This was literally RIGHT after we crossed the finish line...Those smiles say it all. All the miles. All the time. All the things we couldn't do because we were training. All the early mornings. It is all so worth this moment right here.

And those foil blankets.....LIFESAVERS. And it makes us look legit.  Our official time is 2:13:57...That's pretty freaking awesome.....It's a PR for Jen because it was her first half and a PR for me from my half last fall by 27 minutes. Yeah. TWENTY SEVEN MINUTES. I could not have done this without her. I would not have been that well trained and I would not have had nearly as much fun getting there. 

We found those handsome husbands that had cheered for us all morning. Took some pictures and headed to the car. 

When I told people that I was doing this race they would say things like, "Oh is running like that in Detroit safe?" 

YES. YES IT WAS! Not only was it safe it was a once in a lifetime experience. 27,000 runners. the energy at the start line, crossing the Ambassador Bridge at sunrise, running through Canada, the underwater mile, the signs, the encouragement from spectators,the neighborhoods that we ran through where people set up their own music and were dancing along the sidewalks, the volunteers that gave us encouraging words at each aide station and wrapped us in foil blankets at the finish line. 

For the first time ever I ran without music blaring in my ears...This time I heard the people...the cheers...the encouragement...the love for the runners. 

THAT is Detroit. And I cannot wait to go back. 

Detroit International or BUST!!!

It's here...It's FINIAL Y HERE!!!

What's that you ask......................

IT'S TAPER TIME!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

But first...let's start with how we got there...

At 11:59 p.m. on December 31st, 2013 I sat on my couch...lap top open...credit card ready...and registered for what was going to be my BIG RACE this year.  Detroit International Half Marathon. Registration opened at midnight...they only allow a certain number of people to register that early and for a SERIOUSLY discounted price and I made the cut.

My husband was all WOOOOO HOOOOOO for the discount........................

And I was already crying...because I just committed to a race that was 10 months away....10 months...a lot can happen in 10 months...But signing up for this race meant that I was committed to not just running this race...but making this the best race I've ever ran.

I know...I've ran 2 other half marathons...But that doesn't mean I was well trained and mentally prepared for them.  My first half you can read about HERE...I was totally under trained... But I was there to finish...and experience it...and I loved it....My next long distance race was a 25 K that I ran in May...You can read about that HERE...I was 100% trained to run a half marathon...not 2.5 miles farther than that. That wall runners hit is no joke. When I passed the 13.1 mark in that race my body said........I'M DONE! I finished...but I remember thinking I could have done better...I could have been stronger...I could have not had so much self doubt...

I knew I wanted this race to be different. I knew I wanted to stand on that start line with all the confidence in the world. To feel like I would not have done one single thing differently. To not have the guilt that comes with missing a long run...or not doing enough cross training...To know without a shadow of a doubt that my body and mind were ready for this race.

Since the night I registered for this race I have been training.

Ran my fastest mile EVER...cutting my last mile test time in HALF!!! 15:30 mile to 7:30 mile in one year!!


I have trained and ran a 25 k,




Placed 2nd in a 5k, PR'd said 5k by 5 minutes.


Ran a sub 9 minute 5 miler that even had a mile of TRAILS in it...and may or may not have finished without my shirt on.............................

Attended countless bootcamps


And then spent the last 4 months training harder than I ever have before with one of the best training partners I could ever ask for.

We completed every.single.long run. From 4 to 11 miles.

We both have little kids...Mine our 5, 3, and 1...Hers are 5, and 2.......In order to not drive our husbands completely crazy we would get up and run our miles or go to boot camps before the sun was even up....

There were mornings I would NEVER have gone without her.  I would have stayed in my warm bed and said..."I'll make up those miles later today." But what I learned from past training is "later today" turns into not happening...which is why I've never been 100% ready for a race...Until now. We didn't let each other quit...we didn't let each other sleep in...we didn't let each other stop early...or skip a workout...we pushed each other to be the best Mother Runners we could possibly be. 

After finishing our last long run on Sunday we celebrated the beginning of TAPER TIME!!! It's the time in training where you cut back to let your body rest and recover for the upcoming race... I have never been so excited to taper and I attribute that to the incredible amount of work we have put in these past few months.  Since finishing our run yesterday I have randomly busted out singing IT'S TAPER TIME....IT'S TAPER TIIIIIIIIIIMMMMMMEEEEEE!!! 

It's time to rest and let our bodies repair......

And turn it on......................

Because in 6 days we will be standing at the start line with thousands of people getting ready to run..........

We will cross the Ambassador Bridge at sunrise and run the next few miles through Canada...I've never been out of the country...this is big news for this small town girl.

Then we will run back through the tunnel that goes UNDER the river...{Insert small to medium size anxiety attack here................... }and back into the U.S. where we will see our handsome husbands waiting to give us the last push we need to finish the final 5 miles......and by push I mean brightly colored and hand made signs.................HINT HINT HUSBANDS!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!  In the stories I've read about this race many people say this is the best part...You can hear the crowd cheering on the U.S. side as you enter the tunnel. I'm already crying about it.

And we will finish those last miles strong...because we have trained like BEASTS for this race. 

We are ready. 

We are 100% ready.

We are the definition of Mother Runners...and damn proud of it.

Run Manchester Race Recap

So I've been running...alot...I know...You're shocked.

But we're 10 weeks out from THE DETROIT INTERNATIONAL HALF MARATHON and I've not missed a single workout, I've ran every short run, I've ran every long run. My goal is to stand at that start line on October 19th and feel like I did every single thing I possibly could to make this race my best race yet.

SO two weekends ago I ran in our local 5k. RUN MANCHESTER!!!!!!!!! I will never ever forget my first year living in this little town...I hated everyone. Including my husband for moving me here...I hated that there was this awesome event going on and all these active people organizing it and I wan't part of it. I hated that I couldn't run it. I hated that I went from a town where I knew everybody to a town where I knew nobody. I hated it. So I walked the fun run and hated that too...Man I was a freaking RAY OF SUNSHINE............

So here I am 6 years later...standing at the start line of this same race. My amazing husband announcing the whole event, one of my best friends organizing the entire festival, and countless people I know and love all around me. Man how life has changed.

Through my blaring music I hear my hubs say..."RUNNERS ARE YOU READY>>>ON YOUR MARK>>>GET SET>>>GO!!!!!!" And we were off.

I had a plan to run the first mile at lightning speed because it had an up hill and I'm really good at up hills...HILLS MAKE THE BOOTY GO WO WOOOOOO...and I have a booty that LOVES to run hills.  The only mistake I made in this mile was taking a cup of water from the cute little Boy Scouts...Damn them and their cute smiles. GAH...I drank the water and a HUGE bubble of air. **NOTE TO SELF>>>next year take the water and throw it away**

The next mile was flat and I SUCK at flat running....so I knew I was going to slow down a little...which worked out nicely because my freaking playlist switched to all songs and was playing my ring tones..... So knowing I was slowing down I changed to my running mix and like I planned it THUNDERSTRUCK starts booming in my ears.

It's time to kick it in the ass.

I'm on the last mile...The last stretch of flat where I pass my volleyball team and their cheer section...I knew if I started crying...because that's what I do when I run...I would slow down...So i knew I couldn't really look at them...as I ran by they did do a toe touch...which might possibly by my signature move....I felt the tears coming but then remembered I was almost to the corner...The last up hill and then the big down hill...The part of this route that used to be my least favorite place to run...that's now my favorite...

Uphill...I passed a guy that had FLOWN by my at mile 2 (insert evil laugh here)..

Rolling flat road...don't let him catch you. don't let him catch you. don't let him catch you.

Downhill... I see my friend that's organizing the event at the bottom of the hill...this happens to also be the skinny hooker that got me started running...The one I would be blocks behind and she would be kind enough to wait at the stop sign to make sure I was still alive and then take off like a gazelle again...................She knew exactly what I was trying to do in this race...I wanted to be in under 25 minutes and place in the top 3....She had been watching the runners come in and could see the clock from where she was standing so she knew exactly where I was at.

The smile on her face and the crazy cheerleader type jumping she was doing said it all.

I rounded the corner and the clock said 24:18. I crossed the finish line at 24:29.

Exactly 5 minutes faster than I ran this race last year.

And 2nd place in my age group.

And that skinny hooker got to give me my medal.

Then later that day I sat in a dunk tank for an hour...raced a bed...and climbed a rock wall. Like.a.boss.  

The next year is going to pass by no matter what...You might as well make it amazing.

Left: Run Manchester 5k 2013~29:29

Right: Run Manchester 5k 2014~ 24:29

Equally awesome. Just a little faster.

Just.Keep.Going.

I'm back!! With some BIG NEWS!!!

It's been a hot minute since I've blogged. But today...it a really really really really really big day.

I decided when school ended I was going to spend every.single.bright sunshiny day outside enjoying it with my 3 crazies. And that's exactly what we've done. 

That doesn't mean I haven't been running or working out. I've actually fallen into a pretty great routine that includes equal amounts of running and cross training. I found it's really important to change up my workouts so I don't get burnt out on just running. Don't panic........running is still my first love. There is NOTHING like the feeling I get when I do something I never thought I could. 

So my summer has looked like this......................

Pushing my almost 5 year old for miles on end...he's learned that we 

1. Always stop for ice cream and 

2. Run past one of his bff's house where he usually get's to stop and play while I then get to run without pushing 70 pounds of kid and stroller. It's a win win.  

 

I ran a 27:05 5k WHILE PUSHING THIS NUGGET!! He's the babe that destroyed my body...When I stopped at the end of that run and saw my time I ugly cried. It was like I had finally beat it. What's it? I don't know exactly. When I was pregnant with Tyler IT made me think I would never get my body back. IT made me think I could never be a runner. IT....But I beat IT.

A lot of my runs this summer have been spend pushing children...and we often stop to sight see....There's been some big events going on in our little town! It's not every year a church gets a new steeple and a huge crane comes in to put it on!! I mean that's front page stuff!!

I've spent a lot of early mornings with some lovely ladies workin it out at bootcamp.  We all get up before 5a.m...Whoever's turn it is to drive goes around and picks everyone up and off for an early morning ass kicking we go. It's so much more fun to go with friends...and the chance of me hitting my snooze button is much less when I know there's 3 other people counting on me being there.

I've sweat through my shirt a gazillion times. 

I stop and admire my awesomeness on the reg.

More awesomeness admiration...............................................EVERYTHING IS AWESOMMEEEE!!!

I've done a couple long runs with a good friend doing something I never thought I would do..............TALK WHILE RUNNING... And by talk I mean solve the world's problems. All of them. If only everyone was as smart as we are....................................................... But even WHILE TALKING we ran 9:21/mile 6 miler. That's pretty freaking awesome. EVERYTHING IS AWESOMEEEEEEE

And on mornings we couldn't go to bootcamp because ALL THE ROADS TO SALINE WERE CLOSED. All of them. I swear. 

We improvised and did an equally ass kicking workout right in her driveway. On the busiest street in our town. Like a boss. We got lots of honks. 

Now with all my working out I've not exactly been focusing on my eating which has caused me to gain about 5 pounds. I've been TRYING INCREDIBLY FREAKING HARD to not beat myself up about it because I am still doing awesome things....................see above............................

But DAMNIT...I was 1 pound away from being able to OFFICIALLY SAY I've lost 50 pounds. Now I'm 6 pounds away.................................................Some of that is from added lifting heavy things to my workouts.

 #sunsoutgunsout

And some of that is from simply not caring at all about what I'm eating. 

#dairyqueenfordinner

You win some you lose some....But with what's coming up I know that number is not what my focus is going to be anyways............................

NOWWWW FOR THE BIIIIIIGGGGGGG NEWWWWWSSSSSSS

No.I.Am.Not.Pregnant.

Today is a day I wrote down in my calendar at 12:07 on January 1st 2014. I've been thinking about this day and what the next 12 weeks will be like for the last 7 months. On the scale of big events in my life this will rank right behind our wedding and the births of our children. 

Today is the day I start training for THE DETROIT INTERNATIONAL HALF MARATHON!!!!!!!

Oh Sarah...You're so dramatic...You've ran 2 half marathons now. This should be a walk in the park for you. You could go run a half marathon today if you wanted to.

You're right. I could. Because I'm awesome.

BUT It wouldn't be pretty.  And the actual event is only a small part of what training for a distance race is about. It's the 200 miles I'll run over the next 12 weeks. It's the early morning workouts with the women that will be standing at that start line with me. It's knowing the person that crosses that finish line will be completely different on the inside than the person that starts training today. 

What changes? 

I'm stronger.

Mentally stronger. I believe in myself so much more. I don't let the negativity I used to deal with win. 

I can. 

And  I will.

And I'll prove just how freaking awesome I am along the way. 

My goals with this race are something I've struggled with. At first I wanted this to be my first sub 2 hour half.  Being that my first half last fall was 2 hours and 41 minutes that's quite a jump! At my 25k this spring I crossed the half mark at 2:20....so 21 minutes faster than my last time running that distance..And I still had 2.5 miles to go...............for those bad with math............a 25k is 15.5 miles........................................

So what can I do? What should I do?

Those are two totally different questions. 

What can I do? Absolutely anything I set my stubborn mind to. 

What should I do? Train like a beast BY MYSELF for the next 12 weeks to reach my sub 2 goal or train like a beast for the next 12 weeks WITH MY FRIENDS and get as close to that 2 hour mark as I physically possibly can..................................................

Both have serious pros and cons. I am the type of person that genuinely enjoys being all by my damned self. It's quite. I can fart when I want to fart. I can spit when I want to spit. I cry without anyone else knowing about it. I promise I'm only talking about when I run...........................................................

But then this weird thing happened in my life. I made friends....that love me for me...and when we run it can be quiet and that's ok. Or we can solve all the problems of the world. I can fart and spit...even though they have yet to join in these super classy activities with me they don't judge me for it. And I can cry. And they will listen. And then they know me better...and understand me more.

12 weeks and 200+ miles of that seems like a lot more fun than doing it all alone.

So that's my plan. Train like a BEAST and have fun with my friends that are running it with me along the way. As we run our longer runs ... 8+ miles...I'll start to formulate a realistic time goal. I know I will be faster than 2 hours 20 minutes...the question is how much faster. 

SO YAY FOR TODAY!! THE FIRST OFFICIAL DAY OF TRAINING FOR THE DETROIT INTERNATIONAL HALF MARATHON!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

And guess what...It's a rest day. BOOM.

Left: July 28, 2011.....2 days before Maxamillion made his grand entrance into the world.

Right: July 28. 2014....3 years...another baby...and countless miles later...

Just. Keep. Going.