How it All Got Started

Since I will be attempting to run my 4th marathon this weekend (and haven't yet blogged about ANY of them). . .I thought it would be fun to tell you all why in the world I would even THINK about running 26.2 miles. . .



I started running shortly after I had Ashley. I needed to get some baby weight off, so this is how I thought I'd do it. . . when I say started running, I mean walk/run for 20 minutes 3 days a week, no more, no less.

One year my sister-in-law and I took a trip to the beach. The upcoming year I would be turning 30 and she would be turning 40. She told me on this trip she'd always wanted to run a marathon. She wanted to lose some weight. . . so I told her, "Let's do one together". I thought with me doing it with her, it would help with accountability and also help her to lose some of the weight she wanted to get off. We both LOVE Disney, so the Disney Marathon it was.




We signed up and I told EVERYONE who crossed my path what I would be doing. I'm not sure if this was stupid or not. . . because life got hectic for my SIL. She wasn't able to train. I kept on training all because of my PRIDE!! That's it!!! I'd told too many people what I was doing. . . and I wasn't dare going to embarras myself and not pull through.



Life was C-R-A-Z-Y in the month that approached the race (that's when you're putting major mileage on your feet). We moved, I was getting my real estate license. Jon had a conflict with work and couldn't get off. I tried to talk him into letting me fly to Orlando, run the race, and come back home. He wasn't going to have it!!! I'm so thankful he insisted on he and the kids being down there to support me.



The first part of the race was AWESOME!!! My favorite part was probably running through Main Street in Magic Kingdom with all of these people cheering for you. I kept thinking, "There must be a lot of Michele's in this race". About halfway through the race I realized my name was on my racing bib (I promise red in my natural hair color).



Mile 18 is where I started breaking down or in runner's terms "hitting the wall".



Mile 21 is where I was literally in TEARS!!! Streaming down my face I tell you. I had no earthly idea how I was going to complete this race. All I knew was my family was at the finish line, and I COULD NOT disappoint them!!! Thinking of them is literally what kept me going.



Exhausting I tell you. . . like nothing I've ever felt. I got terribly sick after the race. I was miserable. Can't you tell what obvious pain I'm in crossing the finish line? Check out Ms. Bouncy Ponytail behind me.

I swore I would never do another race. . . that is . . until . . .