16 miles and 10 to go! (10.2 that is)

So I had a 16 mile run to complete and I figured that it would be a great way to end the run by running a 5K to remember the mileage. It was going to be my first time running past 14 miles and we all know how badly that went a few weeks ago. I was feeling very confident and strong since I had changed my training and I registered for the Hyundai Hope on Wheels 2nd Annual Miami Children's Hospital 5K. I would run 13 miles then finish the last 3 miles with a 5K. I thought to myself, "I got this".

My husband and a best friend (Pedro) told me they would join me in my crazy 16 mile run and keep me company. I've been trying to convince Pedro to do a full with me. He's a good runner and a dear friend since I was 4 and he was 3. What better way for both of us to do our first full than to train together for it?! I'm still working on him! It's taking time. 

Our day began with a wake up call at 3:30am. I am not a morning person so I asked my husband why he let me register us for a 5K on the day we were doing a 16 mile run. I asked him if he didn't mind me being so crazy that I would think a 3:30am wake up call before a 16 mile run was a good thing? I told him he was a fool to go along with me. He laughed and then he grabbed my bagel straight out of the toaster with his bare hands. I remember thinking he must be burning the heck out of himself. I just kept staring at him in awe when all of a sudden he throws the bagel on a plate wincing in pain and shaking his hand in mid air then running cold water on it. I asked him "What were you thinking?!?!" to which he replied "What do you think? It's 3:30 in the morning, in my mind at this time "I AM INVINCIBLE!" This threw me into the worst laughing attack and I could barely breathe and eat for the next 10 minutes as I kept laughing hysterically. I was now up and ready to go! Thanks to the hubs for being able to make me laugh so early and for getting the blood flowing! 

We got ready and out the door we went to pick up Pedro. We began our run at 4:45am. When we were about to begin, I frantically searched the car for my Garmin and of course, I had left it at home charging. I was upset to say the least. As I cursed myself, I turned on my Nike GPS app and on we went on. Pedro and my husband told me to get over it and just focus on the run but I kept cursing at myself for a good 30 minutes.  Every mile that the Nike app. told me we reached sent me on another rampage and cursing frenzy of how I could not believe that I was not going to be able to track my lap times the very first time I reached 16 miles. My husband and Pedro patiently let me do this and ignored me each time I started again. Somewhere around 40 minutes and mile 4, I found a comfortable rhythm and we were all talking, laughing and I was feeling pretty good and very happy.

Miles 5-10 went by quickly or at least it seemed like it and then it was just a matter of thinking that we were about a 5K short of a half marathon but then I had to keep going for another 5K.  How would I feel then? I got very sentimental at this point and thanked them both for being so good to me and for being the best friend and husband a girl could ever have. Needless to say, they both made fun of me. We all figured right then and there that when I would cross the 26.2 finish line, I would be a mess of tears. That's fine, I don't mind crying in public.

We finished the half distance and to my surprise, I felt really good. We changed socks, shirts and on we went to the start line which we timed perfectly because the 5K began 15 minutes after we reached our 13.1 miles. I started off and kept marveling at how good I felt considering I had just run a half marathon and was going to run a 5K now. The minutes went by quickly as I visualized 26.2 instead of 16. I averaged that once I was finished, those extra 10.2 miles would take me less than 2 hours. Would I be okay to do it? I crossed the 5K line and got my beautiful medal which now will always remind me of these 16 miles and of the wonderful cause behind the 5K. I thought to myself of how many more miles I had in me if I had to keep going. I felt like there were about another 4 miles left in my energy tank. That meant I needed 6.2 miles more to do the full. I marveled that 26.2 will be accomplished! All I need to do is keep going with my training, stay focused and move forward. It will be here sooner than I know it but I will be ready. 

Love, love, love my hubs - thank you baby!

My awesome running buddies!

My awesome running buddies!

My awesome running buddies!

Off to breakfast with Alfie (my husband) and Pedro. We splurged!

Pedro - I hope you decide to tackle the full so we can share this!  Thank you for years of friendship!

This man was at my 2.5 mile mark and he was cheering us on telling us "RUN IT IN, you can do it, I can't!"
and I did run it in. I ran it in with all my might. There are some people that are so inspirational. This man was one
of those individuals.  I found his picture on some site on Facebook and realized he had finished the race then
gone back to cheer us runners on. I was so happy that I can always have something to remember him by.
Thank you stranger - you are so incredible!