I ran the Rock ‘N Roll Half Marathon today!!! I ran the whole time, beat my personal best, peed my pants (let’s be honest, ladies), and was really hurting afterwards…but, by the grace of God, I did it!!! It was a bit of a long road for me, as I had injured my hip back in the fall while finishing up training for a 12K and trying to train for a 15K. I completed the 12K but ended up having to drop out of the 15K and do a month and a half of physical therapy to get back to where I could run again relatively pain free. I worked with Ryan McConnell at Benchmark Physical Therapy in Cool Springs, and he was AMAZING…so knowledgeable and very concerned with and intent on getting me back on track. I absolutely could not have done it without the help of Ryan and his wonderful team.
If you’ve never been able to witness or run a half marathon/marathon…it is one of the most beautiful experiences. You can feel all of the different reasons people run, and it really just encourages your heart and gives you such an appreciation and gratefulness for humanity.
There were so many funny signs that kept me laughing along the way:
“Relax, you run better than the government.”
“Remember…you paid to do this.”
“This seems like a lot of work for a banana.”
“If you collapse, I’ll pause your Garmin.”
“Smile if you peed a little.”
While running through some of Nashville’s neighborhoods, I saw little kids passing out orange segments, couples celebrating anniversaries and offering free shots to runners (and runners taking them!!!), and a little boy wailing on the drums to “Beat It”.
Around mile 8, Mahalia Jackson’s “Didn’t It Rain” started playing through my headphones, and I raised my hands and praised the Lord, smiling. When I hit mile 10, I passed a father holding out his wheelchair-bound son’s hand for high fives from the runners…I cut across the street to high five him and then just started bawling and almost hyperventilating, my heart welling up with sadness and gratefulness for this precious child’s life experience.
What a life we live. I’m grateful to be able to run through it…
