the LONG version of my second half marathon

Ok, so this wasn't my first rodeo. I mean half marathon. Remember, I did the St. Jude Country Music Half Marathon back in April. 

But THIS TIME I was training with a friend. A friend I've known and loved since we were 10 years old... Angela 

Having a running buddy is N-I-C-E. If you're thinking of training for a half marathon (or a full) I'd highly recommend finding a partner.

Angela's hubby carted us to Nashville for the race and even stuck around to take some pics and watch us cross the finish line. Props to Jason. 

Unfortunately we had to stand in line with all the other gals with full bladders for the port-o-potties before the race started. 

My potty stunk pretty bad but I knew Angela's musta stunk worse than mine cuz I heard her gaggin and carryin on. Still makes me chuckle when I think about it. 

Here we are, throwin up deuces cuz we are PUMPED for some runnin! Yo~

We started in the second corral. Kinda cool since I was running in my second half marathon.

And there we go... 

us and a buncha other girls and 3 or 4 fellas 

Somebody is feelin spry... unfortunately it wore off 

We had already logged 3 1/2 miles by this point in the course. Still feelin pretty good. It was a beautiful day and we were blessed with nice, mild temps. 

Deuces again... 

this was my SECOND half marathon... 

Anthony once again teased me for my crazy faces in my marathon pics. Said I didn't look "normal" in any of em. I don't know what gets into me. And no, I haven't posted all of em here. I do have to maintain some dignity. Even if it's a tiny amount.

And now for the sad part of the story... go on and get your tissues.

Angela was running a little fast early on. I guess she had some Red Bull with her oatmeal that mornin or somethin, I can't call it.

She kept inching ahead of me. I watched her and kept thinkin oh, I'll catch up in a minute. And I tried. I did. But I just didn't have the speed in me. I could still see her but I kinda lost her about mile #5. 

I was running solo for a pretty brief period and along came a girl named Kim.

She was a nice, friendly gal. She told me how she had worked til 3am the night before and how her car broke down and she had NO SLEEP. I was in awe. And impressed with her determination. 

She asked me if I'd mind if she ran with me. I said sure, I'd love the company. I explained how my speedy friend was up ahead that I had trained with and all. When I got tired, Kim pushed me to keep going. And I tried to do the same for her. We traded family stories and had a nice time chatting and running. And we managed to stay together til the finish line. 

But during the last 5 or 6 miles, I'm not gonna lie, I got real tired. 
   And thirsty. 
      And hungry.

Meet tired thirsty hungry Lyndy - - 

Meanwhile, up ahead was 
  happy excited speedy Angela

All in all it was a good race, but when I compare it to the Country Music Half I did back in the spring, it falls a little short for me if I'm being honest. 

Here's why I enjoyed the Country Music Half more than the Women's Half - 

#1 waaaay less spectators along the WH course cheering you on and helping you stay motivated

#2 not as many water & Gatorade stations for WH

#3 waaaay fewer bands along the WH course 

#4 not nearly as many snacks & drinks at the end of WH 

#5 the CMH training doesn't happen in the hottest months of summer 

#6 the CMH shirt and medal were a lot snazzier/cooler than the WH ones

BUT, I will say this - because the Women's Half had fewer participants, it made for less bumping and sweat swapping (and less congestion at the water & Gatorade stations). So that's definitely a plus.

Oh, and they actually hung your medal on your neck for the Women's Half. At the Country Music Half, they just handed it to ya. Like here, get on outta the way cuz 200 people are right behind ya.

But of course I LOVED THIS RACE because I got to be there with Angela for her first and celebrate with her. 

She finished in 2 hours, 25 minutes and 9 seconds. So proud of her.

I finished in 2 hours, 27 minutes and 55 seconds. 

Although this wasn't the exact same course as the Country Music Half I did in the spring, I was still proud that I finished this one about 12 minutes faster! And just like last time, I was able to RUN THE WHOLE TIME :-)

Here we are post race with our medals - 

and here's a closer look at the medal
   she's a big un... and plenty shiny

Now that I've run in TWO HALF MARATHONS I felt like it was time to let the whole world know about it. . . 

It's kinda crazy to think that before this year, I had never run farther than 5 miles. 

  

I am proud of myself. Not everybody can say they've challenged their bodies in this way. Not that I'm gettin too big for my britches or anything. There are tons of folks out there running full marathons and doing triathlons and lotsa other stuff. 

But for me, this is an accomplishment I'll always be proud of.