A LOT of Catching Up To Do

It's been a couple weeks since I last posted and quite a bit has happened so here it goes...

My vacation in Maine was wonderful. It was relaxing and the food was great. Just what I needed. I was out of my comfort zone by just traveling with my in-laws without my husband but it was great. I ran on the beach for the first time and it was a great experience. I think getting out of my comfort zone every once and awhile is a good thing. And yes, I had lobster - twice. Yumm!

I got back from Maine on Sept 13th and went back to work on Sept 16th. On Sept 19th my mom passed away. I'm not sure if it was really unexpected because she has had health issues for a very long time but yes, I can say I still didn't expect it. She had endured so much for so long that I didn't ever think I would lose her. Never say never. I'm devastated to say the least. Of course timing is well, an odd thing. I had registered for my 2nd Half Marathon that was to take place on Sept 22nd. Of course I was in no shape to do it mentally and somewhat physically since my longest run was 6 miles in the last 4 months but I posted on a wonderful group on Facebook called "Running Friends" and many, many people replied to my asking for opinions as to whether or not I should do it by saying yes, I definitely should because my mom was very supportive of my running and weight loss. So after a lot of thinking, I decided to do it. It was one of the hardest things I've ever done.

The run was in Upstate NY in Schroon Lake. This is a beautiful area about 50 miles north of where I live, right in the heart of the Adirondack Mountains. The leaves are starting to change and the temperature was a perfect 55 degrees for running. I had my husband, in-laws and friends there to support me so off I went.

Before I get too far into describing my race experience, I have to admit that all of my intentions for doing this race weren't virtuous. My husband promised me a pair of Frye boots (the brand of boots I've wanted for over 30 years but never purchased for myself) if I beat my last Half Marathon time so I must admit there was another reason to do this race but yes, it was minor compared to my need to do this for my mom. 

The signs that my mom was watching over me started before I even got to the start of the race. It was while I was waiting to board the bus to take me to the start. Someone's cell phone rang and it was the same ring tone that my husband used when my mom would call him. That was sign #1.

Sign #2 was when I was around mile 10 and a woman along the side of the road held up a sign that said, "Go Mom!" Wow, that was rough to see. I told the woman how much that sign meant to me and explained to her why. She was very nice as I was balling. Jeez.

So I started the race with two of my friends who decided they were going to walk it. It was a wonderful experience to talk to them. This was what I did for the first 35 min. After that, I started my run/walk routine.

I ran in the rain for the first time. That was interesting. I'm not sure it's something I would seek out like other runners do but I didn't really mind it.

In general the race was very well-organized and I will definitely do it again next year. It's actually an entire weekend of races including a 5k, 10k, Half Marathon, and Marathon, and relay. Maybe someday I'll do the full marathon but I've got a ways to go before I consider that. The Half is enough for me at this point.

Oh yeah, I'm getting the boots. I PR'd and beat my last time by 5 min. Not too shabby.