Mrs. Potato Head is ready for a half marathon.
I ran the Monster Dash half marathon yesterday with my husband. This was my third half and his first. As you can see, we dressed as Mr. and Mrs. Potato Head. I had some reservations about running in a costume. Would it hinder me from getting a PR? Would there be unnecessary chafing? Would I be too hot? Turns out, it was a non issue. It was in the high 30’s, so the costume actually kept me warmer. I was fully covered, so no chaffing. I’m really glad I wore it. I received plenty of smiles and several “go potato” from the crowd.
The course was gorgeous and thankfully almost all down hill. Too bad the only significant hill on the course was in mile 11. I was hurting bad enough at that point to really hate that hill.
Running a half marathon after completing a full marathon was such a different experience. First of all, I wasn’t nervous. At all. I have always gotten nervous before every big race. This time, nothing. Totally cool, focused and confident. I noticed that my internal monologue was very different. There was no doubt in my mind that I would finish, so my inner voice was much more encouraging than normal. I was able to push myself harder than I had in my previous halves. There was no reason not to. Physically it still hurt. There were times when I wanted to walk. There were times when I just wanted it to be over. But I just kept saying to myself. What are you complaining about? You’ve completed a marathon. This is nothing. You will keep running and you will finish strong. I managed to shave 7 minutes off my previous PR. I will take that.
I am still not the fastest runner. At times it is difficult for me to not compare myself to my other, faster running friends. I have to remind myself where I have come from. I had to overcome a lot of obstacles to be able to run at all. Giving it your best effort and completing the race is all that really matters. I have to keep reminding myself of that.
I am so proud of my husband. He was thoroughly wrecked at the end. But he did it. Now he knows what it feels like to achieve a distance that sounds insane. He starting to toy with the idea of running a marathon at some point, and I couldn’t be happier for him.
Monster Dash Finishers
