Half Fanatics!

After I ran the Tinker Bell Half Marathon, I was all set to take it easy until the Glass Slipper Challenge at Disney World a month later. I looked into Half Fanatics and was disappointed the races were too far apart to qualify, but I figured I'd worry about that once I cane back from surgery. A smart individual who had only just completed her first half marathon ever would probably have left it at that. However, a runner would immediately start looking up other half marathons, because waiting to go completely insane would just be silly. I found a local race that would take place on February 16th, exactly one week before the half marathon portion of the Glass Slipper Challenge. I was going to run the IMS Arizona Half Marathon.

Inexperience be damned, I signed up. The day before the race, I found out that my grandmother had passed away. I almost decided to cancel, but as I was looking over the course map, I realized I'd run through the town she lived in. So I opted to run anyways, hoping that somehow I'd find a sense of peace and closeness. Somehow, being near where she lived made me feel like I was near her. It gave me the time I needed to apologize for not visiting more, for not calling, for not being there. Honestly, I have no idea if she knew how much I cared for her. But I took that time to make sure I said everything I forgot to while she was here. 

As for the race, it was alright, but not one I'll likely do again. Personally, I feed off of crowd support. And as one of the slower runners, I felt crowded during many parts of the race where we ran in the shoulder and oncoming traffic was only a traffic cone away. However, there was till water at every stop and the volunteers I spoke with after I finished were extremely friendly. 

On a side note, I ran in a medium Sparkle Skirt for the first time. My weight loss was finally starting to pay off and I was thrilled. Overall, it ended up being a wonderful day, and it made me reflect on mow truly blessed I am. Not only do I have a body that can push me to limits I never imagined, but I have the support of friends and family along the way. I have a wonderful husband who allows me to spend money to do races that make me happy, and running has given me peace, strength, and sanity that I never knew I had. This was a particularly difficult race because I was alone, depressed, and afraid, but by the time I reached the finish line, those feelings were replaced entirely with comfort, pride, and joy.

Next week I'll start recapping Princess Half Marathon Weekend. But as I write this post on Mother's Day, I want to take a moment to say thank you to all mothers and grandmothers. Some women have children and never become a mother, others who haven't given birth become mothers to children who aren't even theirs. I've been blessed to have several amazing women in my life who acted as mother figures for me when I needed them the most. It is from their love and strength that I become the woman I am now. Happy Mother's Day one and all!