OC Half Marathon

I finally crossed that finish line. Yesterday I did something that I never thought I could do. I ran a half marathon. Me, Amy Rex, I ran 13.1 miles. Sometimes when I think about it I don't really believe that it happened. I kept a good pace throughout the whole race and I didn't have to walk at all. I jogged that whole thing. I was really emotional the first couple miles and the last couple miles. I think it was the realization that I was finally completing this goal. It made me so happy. I gave up on a lot of things when I was younger. I played soccer and quit, played piano and quit, took horse back riding lessons and quit, took dance classes and quit. So it hit me hard. You are doing this and you are finishing strong.
The first couple miles felt really good, I feel like I was running at a good pace and I was passing a lot of people. After 5 miles I slowed down a little bit, but never gave up. There were cheerleaders all along the way. Tyler and his parents even stopped at a few different spots and cheered me on. It was awesome! There were also some really great quotes that people wore on their shirts that totally motivated me! When we ran through the neighborhoods there were cute home owners sipping their morning coffee watching us run. It felt like the whole community was cheering us on. It made it a really meaningful experience. The last mile I felt a surge of energy and I passed a bunch of people. There were a lot of people walking, which surprised me because the finish line was so close! I wanted to shout "Let's go people! We're almost there!" but instead I just focused on making it to that finish line. I was starting to cry as soon as I saw other people walking around with their medals... I knew I was close. I turned the corner and saw the crowds of people cheering and amidst the sea of people I saw my little sister wave at me. Then I lost it. She was training for the LA Marathon when her knee gave out, but not until after she ran two half marathons. I got her into running, then I gave it up for a while, but she kept going until her body wouldn't let her run anymore. I wish she had been there on that course with me, but I am so grateful she was there to cheer me on. After I saw her in the crowd, along with my family, I sprinted across the finish line. It was the best feeling in the world. When I felt like I had nothing left I saw that 13 mile marker and realized I had made it. I had to go to a place deep inside myself (a place I never knew existed) to push myself harder than I ever had before and I pushed until I crossed that line. It is like this phenomenon occurs where your mind and soul just take over your body.
After walking through all of the other runners I reached my family. I embraced them all as tears streamed down my face. They were tears of happiness, relief, satisfaction and of gratitude for the support system that was there with me in body and spirit. Ten years ago or even ten months ago I would have never thought that I could do something worthwhile, but now I do. Now I know that a goal, no matter how far out of reach, can be attained if time, effort and faith are all applied.
After the race all of us went back to the apartment and ate a great breakfast. Cindy brought me roses and they made a beautiful centerpiece for our table. As I sat there taking in the events of the day and looking around my humble apartment I realized just how great life is. I wanted to take a mental snap shot and remember the love and happiness that I felt. I thought, "all of these wonderful people love me... I am so blessed". And to all of the friends and family who constantly encouraged me - you know who you are - Thank You. From the bottom of my heart... Thank you for being so wonderfully kind to me. You have inspired me more than you know.

Also, my blogging friends, I want to let you know that this is not it for the details about race day. I will be making a video of all the pics and video so that you can see how the day went!

A little sneak peak until the video is finished - a pic of me and my little broskie after the race...