i ran a half marathon! and i've got pictures to prove it

see? see that number? i was one of the 3,240 runners that ran on that windy St. Patties day morning in Moab.

Friday after i got back from my H.O.S.A competition and short stop at H&M {LOVE that store} Malia, Aunt Laura, Deah, and i left for Moab. after many stops of Malia and i feeling super sick in the car, we finally made it to Moab on Friday night at around 9! we took a dip in the hot tub, then i went to bed early in hopes of waking up feeling 10X better with not even the slightest stomach ache {which really is a big thing to be wishing for considering the way i felt}

woke up at 6:30 on Saturday morning feeling better then ever!! {truly thanking my Heavenly Father for that, i know that if i didn't pray my very hardest to be able to finish/run this race not feeling sick, i wouldn't have been able too} i was so happy to be feeling okay. we ate the hotel breakfast along with the other 300 people obviously running the race that morning {seriously, pretty sure the WHOLE town of Moab was invaded with crazy runners that weekend. people who regularly live there were probably advised to just not even leave their house}

we got on the bus that takes you up the canyon and arrived at the waiting point at 8:00. the race doesn't start until 10 so we got to wait around, take pictures, drink hot cocoa {yes they really had hot cocoa. they REALLY DID!} and wait for the other 3,237 runners to get up there by bus so we could start!

and here are my running buddies who have both ran this already, twice.

mmmmmmm hot cocoa on a windy morning. a VERY WINDY morning {no really, i have never ever been in that much wind}
and the race begins! every 2 miles they had a little Gatorade/water stop to grab water and go. and let me just say, i was SO grateful for those. i got veryyyyyy thirsty at times. they also had mile markers to tell you how far you were. that was nice too. mile 7: let's just say, i was grateful at that point to see that sign. knowing i was PAST half way made me so giddy

after 2 hours, 44 minutes, and 53 seconds, i passed the finish line. that last street where there were 100's of people cheering 'COMMON! YOU ARE ALMOST DONE!' and 'LOOK! THERE IS THE FINISH LINE!' yeah, those people really made a difference :) it was so fun to just have them shouting at you, then SPRINTING to the finish line.

they had snacks after too :) Tru Moo milk and cookies baby. what more could you want after running 13.1 miles?

this was definitely the hardest thing i have ever done! and my legs are telling me that STILL after a week later. but it was all worth it. ALL WORTH IT. the training, the sickness, the numb legs, the chaffing i had between my butt cheeks every time i trained + after this race for 2 days {TMI? yeah}, the fact that i could barely walk to the car after the race, EVERYTHING. 

i am so glad i finished and experienced this memory!