vancouver half marathon

Yesterday was my half marathon and I am very happy that it is over! The race went really well - the sky was clear and the sun was out and I felt better than expected. I was running a very steady pace the first 5-6 miles and feeling good. Then my knee started to hurt and it really slowed me down for the next 5 miles. I hobbled along but still was able to enjoy the beautiful scenery of Stanley Park and views of the water. The last 3 miles or so my knee was feeling good, but my spirits were low. Thankfully a girl that was running right next to me struck up a conversation and we chatted the rest of the race. It took my mind off my sore body and was exactly what I needed to help me finish strong. Tyler and Riley saw me at mile 5 and then at the finish line. I was so happy to see their shining faces each time! All in all it was a great race and we also had a really nice time in Vancouver the day before hanging out together.

So today I am trying to recover and have been icing my knee and walking gingerly down the stairs and around the house. I took a walk this morning to try to stretch my legs out, but I realized that wasn't a good idea while pushing the stroller and trying to manage Doc. Not very much fun with a bum knee!

Not sure if I'll have to retire my running shoes for a while and focus on other forms of exercise -but I do know that each time I wake up early for a race I always ask myself, "Why do I do this???" and then each time I cross the finish line with hundreds of people cheering and music blaring I am always reminded why I do it!