and the medal. Yip, the rumours are true – I, the woman who couldn't run around the block a year ago without coughing up a lung, completed her first half marathon on Saturday. With the help of my ever fabulous, as-smart as-she-is-beautiful sister, I completed the 21.1km race through the Knysna forest in 2hrs15mins... and not only have I lived to tell the tale but I'm chomping at the bit to register for next year's race and super keen to try cross the finish line in under two hours.
The bug has bitten. I am a runner and my feet will never look quite so pretty in a pair of flip-flops again. Bruised toe nails and nasty blisters are a small price to pay for the indescribable feeling of accomplishment that washed over me like a wave and made me grin 'til my cheeks ached when I finished that distance. While my sister may have thought of throwing me off one of the verges at about the 10km mark – she handles tired limbs by singing, clapping and being way too chirpy... I, on the other hand, prefer to just focus on putting one foot in front of the other and shutting the 'remind me why I'm doing this again?' voice up – I really did enjoy the experience from start to finish.
I didn't mind waking up at the crack of dawn, I loved putting on my brand new official (New Balance moisture control, slim fit) t-shirt, I thought the taxi shuttle service was the perfect way to get to the start line and I felt so thrilled to be a part of the 9,000-strong crowd all assembled in the forest for a common purpose – some were there to 'just finish', some were there to achieve a personal best and some, the chosen few, were there to win.
The bit between the 5km and 15km marks is a bit blurry – far too many hills for my liking – but the last stretch, the bit where I realised my legs were still working and I'd run further than I'd ever done before, that bit was unforgettable. I finally understand the phrase 'mind over matter' and that when you think you really can't go another 100 metres you can... if you just put one foot in front of the other and take it one metre at a time.
When I started running I thought the rewards would all be physical –I would lose a bit of weight, tone up a bit and maybe give my ever-slowing metabolism a kick up the cellulite-coated butt – but, I never imagined that the psychological rewards would outweigh (excuse the pun) the physical.
Hubby said it best: "Now that you've done that, you've proven that you can accomplish anything you put your mind to." And, you know what? I think I can...
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