Mardi Gras 1/2 Marathon

Let me start off by saying there is "Power in Prayer." For the past month, I have been struggling with a possible stress fracture in my left foot. Two weeks before the race, I didn't run one time. I decided letting my foot heal for at least 14 days would be best for me in the long run. I told several people to keep me in their prayers as the race was approaching. I prayed for my foot every single day, and if you think I'm kidding I'm not. 2 weeks ago I went on a run, and I only made it 0.5 miles. Yes, that's right....1/2 of a mile. Well today...

I ran 13.1 miles.

I was beyond nervous for the race because on Saturday afternoon we walked around New Orleans and my foot was giving me problems simply walking around. I just knew there would be no way I could possibly run 13.1 in less than 24 hours. At 5:45 a.m. this morning we were off to the race site to load the shuttle bus. Shortly afterwards, we made it to the start line with "Eye of the Tiger" playing in the background.

I walked to my race corral number and begin warming up. It was quite chilly this morning but with all of the body heat from the runners, I was fine. I talked to a older lady beside me who was running her 1st half-marathon, and I wished her luck. I plugged in my I-pod, and the race was on. As I began running, I immediately began praying for my journey I was about to try to conquer. As I reached the 3 mile mark, my foot was in good shape as I grabbed some water from a volunteer. Then, at mile 6 (almost the half way mark) I saw a lady on the side of the road holding up a sign that read,

PAIN IS TEMPORARY, BUT SUCCESS IS PERMANENT!

My eyes nearly filled with water as I passed a complete stranger knowing she had no idea how much more she just motivated me. I continued running, when I reached mile 9. I started running behind a group of older men who had a good pace. I kept pushing on. At mile 10, my legs started feeling extremely tight, and my foot was beginning to give me discomfort. However, as I ran past a woman wearing a sign on her back that was in memory of her 1 year old son that had passed away, I trekked on. Mile 11 and 12 were tough. I slowed down a lot, not even meaning to. My body was telling me to STOP but my mind was telling me to FINISH! When I came to the 20K part of the race (12.4 miles), I saw the end in sight. I kept telling myself that in less than a mile, I would be crossing the finishing line and heading to the food table to stuff my face. As I turned the corner, my I-pod started playing "Glorious Day" by Casting Crowns. It is a personal favorite that will make me cry on a drop of a hat. Then it happened. I saw hundreds of complete strangers cheering me on, and that in itself made me smile from ear to ear. I crossed the finish line as a medal was placed around my neck.

I stocked up with a bagel, 2 fruit packs, Cytomax (like gatorade), and headed to find the meeting spot.

It felt so nice laying down on the pavement with the sun shining on me. It was a fantastic feeling knowing that my foot didn't give me much trouble. The race was amazing and I had a wonderful weekend!! I also beat my personal record from my 1st half-marathon by close to 20 minutes. But just remember, when you think you can't do something, keep pushing through. Life is full of battles but it is possible to overcome them. I'll post pictures later......

After I take 2 more Advil and a NAP!

Lots of love,

CAT