Thursday, May 29, 2014

Alexandria Running Festival Half Marathon

I have a lot of updates for you guys! But first, I wanted to share the results of my 7th half marathon. This past Sunday I ran a half marathon as part of the Alexandria Running Festival. It was a beautiful day and a great course. I was nervous going into the race because I didn't feel like I was prepared. The longest distance I had gone was 10 miles and I hadn't been getting in regular long runs.

By this time last year I had already logged 363 miles. Before Sunday I hadn't even hit 200 for the year. I've been working out regularly though, doing a program called Focus T25. I'm currently in week 6 and it has been phenomenal. I've lost 6 pounds and have a lot more energy. But I still felt like I hadn't logged enough miles to be ready for a 13 mile race.

My previous best half was 2:25 and I really wanted a sub-2:20. But I tried not to think about goals and just focused on going out, enjoying the race, and finishing in one piece. When I got to mile 10 and looked at the time, I was shocked! I had kept a nice, steady pace and felt strong. The next mile was a bit rough and I really started to feel it. The soreness and fatigue were setting in. The possibility of hitting my goal drove me forward and kept me going.

As I neared the finish line, knowing I had at least gotten a PR, and saw my 4 year old son standing in the road holding his hand out for a high-five, I about lost it. I was very overwhelmed and full of emotion! And I was physically beat.

Despite running less, I'm getting faster and stronger! How? By pushing play every day on my DVD player! It sounds crazy and I wouldn't believe it if I wasn't experiencing it myself. But by doing a fast, fun, and intense 25 minute workout every day, I've gotten faster, stronger, and I'm in the best shape of my life!

And now you're looking at a sub-2:20 half marathon finisher! Oh yeah! Official time= 2:18:33



I'm so thankful I was introduced to Beachbody and T25. It has seriously changed my life in ways I never would have imagined and now I'm excited to give back and help others on their own health and fitness journeys. If you're interested in learning more about Beachbody programs and our monthly challenge groups, please let me know. I'd love to help you reach your goals!

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