13.1 miles... I have never done a half marathon (13.1 miles ) before but I was confident I could finish the race.  Now that I am into health and fitness, I look for opportunities like these where I can test myself.  I had it all worked out in my head,  I would pace myself, keep positive, breathe properly and finish strong but life decided to add some unwanted ingredients to the mix, nevertheless, the lemonade tasted just as great. 

Did I mention that I never did a half marathon before? Oh no, this was my first. I have done  10ks before but never a half marathon. Everything was going great, until I got to the 10th mile.  I started to lose energy and my body started to say "no more". My legs started to feel heavy and breathing became harder. My calves began aching and then it happened.

The first time I went down,  the pain from the muscle contractions sent me to the ground. There I was, crying out in pain.  My teammates came rushing to my aid.  I was too close to give up I said to myself as I stood up to continue the race.  By the 11th mile, I was on my back again, this time the pain was much worse.  It warmed my heart when other racers who weren't apart of my team stopped to help and give either advice, protein, juice and even a prayer.  If you know me, I don't like the feeling of defeat, I am very competitive so needless to say I got up again. I was determined to finish the race.

Then, there it was. Right in front of me. The finish line I so badly wanted to see the minute I began the race. My cousin held on to my hands  and we dashed across the finish line together as a team.  My first 13.1 miles completed in 03:36:30.  Check out the awesome pictures below. 
 

Don't let the pretty pictures fool you. You really have to prepare for races like these.  Here are some tips for preparing for a race:

• Lather up with a little Vaseline or BodyGlide in any areas vulnerable to chafing

• Hydrate

• Don't over dress

• Get to the start line early so you can stretch and go to the potty if you have to.

• Wear the correct shoes

• Pace yourself

• Get enough sleep the night before.

• Set two goals. There are so many things that can go wrong on the race day so have a second goal in mind.

• Warm up before

• Eat something before the race

• Talk to yourself

• Run with music

• Finish strong

Are there any tips that I missed? Let me know by commenting below.