Coeur d'Alene Half Marathon

So today was a milestone-I finished the Coeur d'Alene Half Marathon! After 14 weeks of training it was nice to finally be at race day. It was a chilly morning, about 45-50 degrees and pretty windy-especially along the lake shore parts of the course-but the rain held off and all in all it was a great race!

The special part was that my sister, Jenn, celebrated her 35th birthday by walk/jogging the race. She smoked the time that she was anticipating and finished in 3 1/2 hours!
Chris and Karsten cheered me on along the race course. I was so happy to see them 4 times along the route...what a way to keep a good hop in my step!

This says it ALL...the final stretch about 15 steps from the finish line. I even took my headphones out so I could hear my name called!

Nothing like a little post-race love from the family!

I have to say that I have NEVER experienced anything like this in my life. What started after Christmas was a goal to get the last 10 pounds of baby weight off and it turned into completing a half marathon! My goal was to finish in 2 hours, which was a pace that would push me the entire race, and I crossed the finish line at 2:00:32.

I admit that this was a selfish goal of mine, but it actually turned out to be a huge life changing event. It taught me so much more about myself than I ever dreamed, and I have to thank Chris and Karsten for allowing me the time to be away while training.

I am quite simply amazed at what a mental game training and exercise are. Just when you think you have nothing left, your body gives you more. Your brain can push you FAR beyond what you believe you are physically capable of.

Lesson learned, my friends, each of us are MUCH stronger than we think we are-mentally and physically.