13.1

That?s how many miles I ran Sunday in the ING Georgia Half Marathon. It took me 1 hour, 59 minutes and 27 seconds. I?ve been a runner at various times in my life, but never a total die hard – and I?ve never run more than a 10K (6.2 miles) at a time. But I got inspired. I was on my way to the gym during the last year?s ING marathon, so I watched for a while – and felt inspired. I decided to do something physical that I had never done before.

At first, I decided that I would train to do a triathlon. Running wasn?t a problem and I had been doing spin class. But when I asked my spin instructor if doing the spin class several times a week would be enough, he told me that I needed to get a bike and get on the road and train. Swimming was also an issue because our gym closed the pool several months before that. So I decided to do a half marathon instead. That would be a compromise, but still challenge me to push my body further than I?ve pushed it before.

Fortunately, the rain stopped before he race, but it was fairly cold. I have to admit that I used to hate running in the cold (I know – cold is a relative term depending on where you live), but I got used to it while training for the half marathon. The course itself was scenic and a great way to see the city outside of a car. (They apparently had to change portions of the course at the last minute due to the tornado damage from a few weeks ago.)

I started at a comfortable pace and felt great the whole race. I managed to kick it during the last mile and still felt great at the end. That tells me that I probably could have run a bit faster. But since it was my first half marathon, I didn?t want to over do it and have to crawl across the finish line.

Toward the end of the race, I decided that I will do the Thanksgiving half marathon here in Atlanta (the Turkey Trot) and maybe another one in between if I can find a place that isn?t too hot. I?ll also have a few 5 and 10K?s coming up during the summer, too. So far, I?m content with the idea of doing half marathons. I haven?t felt inspired/crazy enough to want to run 26.2 miles just yet.

I only saw one guy with bloody nipples – actually ONE bloody nipple (I didn?t have to tape mine because I had run 12 miles before with no problem and am careful about the shirts I wear when running). Just remember, if you?re going to run long distances, be careful what you wear or TAPE THEM DOWN!