ANOTHER HALF DOWN

Can you say, "HOLY SORE LEGS, BATMAN!!!!" I ran the Detroit Half Marathon for the third year in a row yesterday. It is such a fun race and draws me back year after year.
It started with a cool, fall morning, a few sprinkles and some pretty intense wind. I decided to stay downtown Detroit with some friends because of the 7AM start which was a very good choice. The past 2 years I had to wake up at 4AM to make it to the race on time and that is brutal.

I have a few pictures that I want to share so you can see some of the sights along the race. It is so much fun to run across the bridge to Canada and back through the tunnel to the US.

Also I recently learned how to breathe...after almost 7 years of long distance running, in the past month, I finally learned how to breathe and it is making a HUGE difference. In fact I cut off 26 minutes from my time last year...26 minutes!!! That is 2 minutes per mile difference which is significant. I will let you know what I mean when I say "I learned how to breathe" in a future post but for now, I am just celebrating the accomplishment. Crossing the finish line is one of the greatest feelings in the world and I am sure is what keeps runners coming back for more and more. I didn't have my running buddy with me for this race, but he caught up with me when I finished and those are the best hugs ever!

Every year I get to this point, after finishing my big goal for the year of running a half, I promise myself that I will keep running on a regular basis to include one long run per week...then 2 months go by without even lacing up my running shoes. This year it is going to be different. I am promising myself, and letting all of you hold me accountable to, running at least twice a week and walking once. I'm really going to do it this time...especially now that I am making some headway with my times, I don't want to take any steps back.

Ever considered running a Half Marathon? ...or even a 5K? It starts with putting one foot in front of the other and having the confidence to reach for big goals. Need recommendations about how to start? Come talk to me!