Dusting off the Cobwebs

So many people think, that to race, is to give ones Best. Now, this is definitely a true statement, but racing is not always about being the best. Sometimes you race for practice. Sometimes you race for a passion or a reason. Sometimes you race because its fun. Fun. Remember that one? I got into the sport because I found it fun. Not because I was winning, or running PR's every weekend.

This past weekend, I took this idea and literally "ran" with it and participated in the Woodlands Half-Marathon. I knew I wasnt going to be throwing down any PR's and I certainly wasnt going to be winning the race. But I still wanted to do it! I wanted to see where my current fitness level was at. I wanted to be at the start line with all my ORR friends. I wanted to feel the pre-race jitters-- It had been a whole 5 months!

Being a competitive athlete, sometimes we are a little hard on ourselves. I had to constantly remind myself what my body had been through these past couple of months. Remind myself I had only been running for 6 weeks and it was okay if it hurt a little. Mentally I had a great attitude going into this race. I stayed positive throughout the course and I also paced myself really well. I knew what I had done last year at this race and I also knew that just wasnt physically possibly YET at this time this year. It was hard to hold myself back at the beginning but I am damn glad I did. 100% Humidity and 70 degrees make for a tough time to not fade during any amount of long distance training. Overall, I am really proud of what I did this past weekend. It takes a strong person to be fast, but it takes an even stronger person to be mentally in the game no matter what the circumstances. Who says I didnt put my best foot forward?

                                              Actually looking happy to be running at mile 11.

What do you race for?