I did something unexpected today.

I did something I hadn’t really planned on doing.

I ran a half marathon.

Yup, I’m just as surprised!

As much as I am a planner, these things seem to happen to me a lot.   So maybe I am not as much as a planner as I like to think.   Maybe I  just like to think I have a plan!

As you know I’ve fallen off the wagon HARD after the Philly Marathon.   Really only doing a handful of runs and the longest run probably only being 5 miles or so.   Then I get a text from my dear friend Dawn telling me to join her for a local trail run.   I check the weather it doesn’t look promising (cold with chance of rain), but I miss the trails and Dawn.   So I say yes.   Somewhere along the way though even though I do realize it’s 2 loops on the trail it slips my mind that this means we are running the Half Marathon distance.   It must be the way my mind protects itself.   Similar to the way that it made me think my first half was a flat course even though I was familiar enough with the area to know the truth.   Funny how the mind likes to play tricks.    I guess that way it ensures the legs will get out the door.

Off I went.

Once I realized that I was indeed running a Half Marathon, I was worried.   As I said, I haven’t really been running.   Was I up for it?   I seriously thought about stopping after the first loop, but I didn’t.   I kept on going.   I did hit a bit of a wall around mile 8 or so.   I was saying that I needed another Gu, but was waiting till we hit this one point.   Dawn turned and took one look at my face and told me not to wait.   I’m glad I didn’t because it did give me the pep I needed to finish.

It really is a great thing when you find someone whom you are not only compatible with personally but also running.  On trails this is especially helpful to have a like mindset to start walking at the same points without thought.     I was joking with Dawn that we are the Ying and the Yang on our runs.   She motivates me and pulls me along in the beginning.   Setting the steady pace to keep us moving.   Then without a word or intention there usually comes a point especially when on trails that I end up taking over the lead at the end pushing us to the finish.   It’s nice when that works out.

I did it.

I got out the door and not only proved that I could run again, but I also can cross off one of my 2015 goals already!

I ran a Trail Half Marathon.

Although I am already signed up to do another one in October, it is motivating to already have met one of my goals.

Now even though I went into today totally unprepared and am slightly sore because of it, I am very glad went.  I’m very happy the rain held off till I was done.   I am further glad I ran the distance proving that as the saying goes,

“I’ve still got it!”

Finishing in a respectable time of 2;55 crossing the finishing line (literally a line drawn on the road) together with my Ying to my Yang:)

Do you have a friend that you run with regularly?