Did I ever run a crazy race ten days ago! It was called the Run LOCO (short for Loudon County) Half Marathon. And yes, it actually was loco.

Running has become a pretty important part of my life. It helped me to lose weight two years ago, and now it clears my mind. I can absolutely tell a difference in my memory since I began to run regularly. It has really improved.

After I ran a couple of 5Ks, I decided I wanted to try long distance running. I ran my first half marathon with my husband this past March. While I did it, I was disappointed in my performance. I did the best that I could, but my knees just couldn’t handle it. After about ten miles I had to start walking and I ended the race in immense pain. I wanted to finish in under 2:30:00, and I came in around 2:33:00. This wasn’t far from my goal, but I was still disappointed.

After about a week, I realized it was silly to feel this way. I did the best that I could, and that’s what mattered. I knew if I tried the half marathon distance again, I would need a better plan. I would definitely make sure there was no gravel on the course (which is what caused my knees to become agitated). I also needed to begin strength training to help my knees become stronger. My knee problems stem from several injuries I had as a child/teenager.

I started some easy strength training with my body weight and light weights. I also decided that I would give Jeff Galloway’s Run Walk Run method a go.

This method helps your body to recover between running intervals which can prevent injury. With these tools in mind, my husband and I signed up for the Run LOCO Half Marathon this December.

A couple of days before the race, I came down with a cold. I rested a lot, drank a ton of water, and loaded up on vitamins. I was feeling much better the day before the race, but rain was in the forecast. I decided to give it a try no matter what. I knew rain wouldn’t make the race easy, but my only goal was to finish. In the back of my mind I was hoping to PR, but I didn’t knew if that would be possible with our planned walk intervals.

It was a warm day for December, and very foggy. We parked near the Tellico Dam and walked to the race start. I opted to wear a short sleeved shirt, and I brought along two energy gels and water with electrolytes with me. About thirty minutes before race time I ate half of a banana, and I had eaten two granola bars for breakfast.

We ran for the first fifteen minutes or so to get out of the starting pack, and then we began our walk intervals. We didn’t want to start a traffic jam! We set my timer for 45 seconds of walking for every three minutes of running. I was listening to a 180 BPM Running Mix on my phone, and when I wasn’t walking, I tried to keep my steps to the beat.

About four to five miles in, it started to rain. Friends, it rained the entire rest of the race! I just knew I would have multiple blisters to contend with, but somehow, I didn’t. We ran eight to nine miles with water squishing out of our shoes with each step and rain blowing in our faces. We were drenched. We could do nothing but laugh. It was definitely a memorable experience.

I don’t think I would have made it if my husband hadn’t given me his hat to wear. It kept the rain out of my eyes and helped me feel like I could keep going.

Besides the rain, there were tons of hills. I don’t know what I was expecting. We were in Tennessee, after all. About half of the run was on a road near traffic. It was wet and loud.

When we were about half way through, I wanted to be anywhere but there, ha! But we kept going! It made me realize I am tougher than I thought.

We ended up finishing the race in 2:28:55, even with all of our walking breaks. I was so pleased! After I got changed into dry clothes I was already thinking about when I could do it again.

There is just something special about pushing yourself and achieving goals you didn’t think you ever could. To be honest, I would love to run/walk a marathon one day. I’m not there yet, but maybe I can do it if I keep trying.

I am so thankful for my sweet husband who doesn’t care for long distance running at all, and yet he ran the race with me.

Thanks for reading my race update, friends. I would love to encourage you to take steps towards your goals, whatever they may be. I know you can do it!