All Is Grace

It hurt.

My sister hurt more. Because she is an animal. She ran AND biked. AND ran. AND biked. AND ran AGAIN. I have no idea how she did it…frankly, I don’t know why (because I simply can’t relate). But she did every single bit of it, and she looked so great coming across that finish line. I am so incredibly proud of her…

…that I might do it next year.

I know, right? I whined and whined and whined! Frankly, I’m still whining! Today, two days later, my shins hurt. My hamstrings are screaming. I’ve spent time on my foam roller, in hot showers, doing yoga yesterday and an X2 workout today…I still hurt. But at the end of the day, crossing that finish line and looking around at those normal people who had already finished…who just decided to train harder–to push harder–I can do that. I can take something I hate because it’s just. so. hard. and turn it into something that makes me stronger. Better. Tougher.

And I ran. The hills were awful–I didn’t train for them. The miles weren’t so bad. Had they been flat, I wouldn’t have had to walk any of it (not that I should have expected flat…I just didn’t expect them to be so UNflat). The first run was crazy. The second run was awesome. The third run…hehe…I was over it. I was  pleased with my times–8:41 mile pace for the first run, 9:14 for the second, 9:15 for the third. Now. These are not exceptional run times. I get that. But…I HATE to run (and I trained between 9 and 10 minute miles for the month that I trained). So. I’ll take it. Yes, the top guy ran and biked the whole freaking thing in 1:24: something…and Dad and I did it together in 1:59:something. Don’t care. We did it.

And next year, we’ll do it better.

(Please excuse me while I go take a nap–slathered in icy hot and after taking some aleve–in preparation.)(I’m kidding, I’m kidding…)