So half marathon number 8 has been completed. I have my 3rd OUC Half marathon under my belt. I had not been well enough to train so I wasn’t expecting much out of this race. Boy I was wrong…

I usually have a pre-race routine the night before a race. I will lay out my gear, and everything I will need for the race. The morning of, Alpha usually does all my KT Tape applications. But since I’ve been needing more than usual, I figured it was easier to do it the night before.

I wanted to make sure my ribs were taped and secure. I knew they were going to bother me, but wanted the tape to make it less painful.

We arrived at Lake Eola with some time to meet up at the Florida Milk tent to meet the rest of the teammates. After a few laughs, we made our way to the bathrooms. The lines are always long and it cuts close to start time of the race!

I took more time than usual to stretch. I did a lot of upper body stretches to open up the muscles near my ribs. Lots of overhead stretching. As we walked to the start line, my ribs were already starting to bother me. I wasn’t expecting a miracle but I also wasn’t expecting to be miserable. I told Alpha to pace me and not let me go faster than what I should.

Upon take off, I started running to find a comfortable pace. I looked down at my Garmin and it was a 12:00 pace. I told Alpha to keep me there. One thing that makes the OUC Half unique is running on those brick roads. The neighborhoods are beautiful and going around the lakes is peaceful. But those uneven, lifted bricks makes it hard to keep a steady pace.

I was doing OK by mile 4. I was keeping my slow pace and still moving forward. I had not stopped to take a break to breathe. That made me feel good. My last race was a painful mess so being that by mile 6 I was still doing OK was a HUGE success!

I finally took my first breathe break at mile 8 which was actually fun because that is where Elvis was singing!

At this point I was getting uncomfortable and felt I needed some help. I took a pic of me and Alpha and posted it on instagram. I was asking for prayers and good vibes. I immediately thought of my friends Carissa and Patrick. I put my phone away and started running. As I took off, a big beautiful butterfly appeared in front of me. It flew in my eye sight for longer than I’ve ever seen. It felt like the butterfly was guiding me. Since my 2 friends came into my mind, I knew it was their angel up in heaven.  ❤ So it made me smile and gave me that boost of support I needed.

Many might disagree but I actually enjoyed the weather. It was a tad bit warm and humid at the start but that breeze that would come through felt amazing! Running into the wind wasn’t fun but Alpha and I always make the best of everything. We are always laughing everything off.

We were coming up on Lake Eola, and could hear the cheers of the finish line. I knew the finish line was just around one more corner. I pressed on and happily crossed the finish line and went to get my chocolate milk! While this race is usually my PR race, this day it wasn’t about time. It was about overcoming and reaching my goal to finish.

 

I am so honored and grateful that Florida Milk has had my back for the last 3 years in racing. They are an incredible company, and it’s an honor to represent the cows and farmers of Florida.

Besides listing recipes and the importance of drinking milk on their site, they talk about the cows and the people who make a difference. Florida Milk also promotes a happy, healthy lifestyle with lots of outdoor activities to do with your family. You should click here to get more info.

All in all, I am very proud of myself for getting through this half with minimal pain. I couldn’t have done it without my husband there. He really really helped me. He kept me at a steady pace and made me laugh when I would get those jabs of pain.

It’s always fun to run a local race you run into people you know and meet new friends. It was an awesome day! Thank you Florida Milk, and Track Shack.

 

-the Scoliosis runner