13.1

someone asked me why I was training for a half marathon, I told them, "I love to run."

and I do.

When I was 7 years old my grandpa had to have his leg amputated. I will never forget seeing {what was left of} his leg after. I remember thinking, "how will he run?" I asked my grandma, and she said, "you just run extra for grandpa."

 Running has always been a release for me. I love the time to think. I love to see how far my legs can take me. And I love how it makes me feel.

I think of my Grandpa every time I run, I think of my mother-in-law and sister-in-law with muscular dystrophy, I think of the woman that walks by our house with her seeing-eye-dog. I think of how grateful I am for a healthy body that can do so many things.

With 3 miles left in the race I started to feel my body getting tired, my goal was to run it in less than 2:10 and to run the entire time. At this point I really wanted to walk, but I also really wanted to prove to myself I could do what I set out to do. My legs were sore, but I thought of every run I had done to prepare for that exact moment, I thought of my two babies and husband waiting at the end. and I thought of my Grandpa- so I kept running. Around the last corner, was a women in a wheel chair holding a sign that simply said "you can do it!" I almost broke down right there, I found whatever energy I had left and pushed to the end.
I finished in 2:05, and then ate the best banana I have ever tasted!