Karina's Half Marathon Recap

The day approached quicker than I would have thought and before I knew it I was at the starting line  along with my RBO trainer, Marilee. This is it, was all I could think along with the loud roaring crowd. I was so excited I thought I was going to puke but there was no time for that. Soon we went off and it felt like any other training day on a sunny day. 

 

The first water station we encountered was in front of a small church, people were giving out as fast as they could the water. The floor was covered in tiny water cups, everywhere till the next block, cheering from the crowd could still be heard from the first mile we past so far. I kept running and drank the water in a few gulps, tempted to go back for more but I couldn't slow down.

 

More and more people were passing us until we hit the middle point, from there our constant pace brought us up where the main group pasted us from before. It got to the point where every water station made me run faster and almost cry with joy as I kept thanking the people endlessly. Especially at the water stop where they had brownies. They were a piece of heaven. The ring of fire made me feel like I part of a video game ((THEY HAD THE 'LEGEND OF ZELDA' THEME SONG IN THE BACKGROUND OMG I WAS INTERNALLY SCREAMING WITH JOY AS I PASSED BY)) and I just wanted to keep passing more obstacles like that, it was very motivational. After passing that, about 3 miles was left, I couldn't feel my legs but somehow we kept running. 

 

When we got to the last lap around Lake Merritt, it was there when I felt like stopping. Can't I just swim across the Lake? The finish line was literally across from the lake and as I kept running the cheering got louder. I just wanted to drop dead but I had to keep smiling for the camera  I'm pretty sure I looked like I was crying in one of the photos. 

 

 Half way around the lake where the last water station was located  a resident from one of the apartments on the side of the lake was shouting out encouragements from her third floor apartment. "YOU CAN DO IT. I BELIEVE IN YOU GUYS, YOU ARE ALL INCREDIBLE. SO CLOSE, ALMOST DONE." It was like an angel from heaven, distant yet so clear and it was from that moment I thought to myself  Hey...I actually like this.

 

BUT WHY IS THE FINISH LINE SO CLOSE YET SO FAR????

 

No matter what happens the last mile seems impossible but it's not. It makes one  cry internally and whine about every little thing from the shining sun above to the tiny pebble that's been a bother in the shoe from the last mile. There was one thing for sure; I had to concentrate to store energy for the last few feet from the finish line. I wanted to finish in a dashing speed and I did but I ended up slowing down a few inches from the finish line. I thought was going to die at the last few steps from the finish...it was a good thing Marilee was there by my side to keep me walking afterwards. I'm pretty sure I'd just faint at the last minute, the last picture taken that day may not show it but I was dying.   Though I am happy.