I did it! I reached my goal of completing 3 half marathons in 2015. It wasn't pretty...but I did it. The half marathons I completed are:
1) Country Music Half Marathon
2) Savannah (Ga) Half Marathon
3) Las Vegas Half Marathon
My favorite of the 3 races was Savannah. It was such a last minute spur of the moment (expensive) decision. I was home in GA helping my mom and decided, that I was so close to Savannah, why not run it! Even though I ended up in the medical tent needing an IV for dehydration because it was so stinking hot, Savannah was my favorite because that's the race that I PR'd on, and I am super competitive with myself.Post-Race Savannah (& post medical tent/post IV) picture!
Vegas was my least favorite race! I loved the scenery of the Vegas strip and loved running Vegas with one of my best friends, and it was so much fun to watch her succeed at running her first half marathon, the odds just weren't in my favor in Vegas (pun intended). I am so competitive with myself my personality doesn't usually let me just be happy with completing a race, I have to have done my best to be happy. I wasn't really happy with myself when I first finished the Vegas 1/2. Looking back though, I actually am happy with myself for just completing the race. This race was a disaster for me! This race was on a Sunday night. Sunday morning I woke up throwing up every where (TMI I know). I was fine by Sunday afternoon after a good breakfast and lots of water, but I was still not 100% by race time. Any normal person probably would've backed out...but I am not a normal person (we've already established this). I am also cheap and didn't buy race insurance (lesson learned) so I had no choice but to run the race... Most of running is mental...I was mentally and physically tired! When I run a race, I try my best to stay off my feet/legs as much as possible the day before and the day of the race. That wasn't possible in Vegas. There was so much to see and so little time. So I started out the race already tired from a day of sightseeing in Vegas, and run down from being sick that morning. This is the first race, I am thrilled to have just finished and not given up or quit!
I am so blessed to have the support of so many people! There is no way I would've made it through 3 half marathons without the support of my running buddies who are some of the most special people to me. I am also super blessed to work with great people! It is so nice to work with people who understand my need to take personal days to travel to and/or prepare for a half marathon! My really awesome boss created a meme of me, using a picture from the race for the cure 5k back in October:
I also received so many encouraging text messages and comments on Facebook. This collage is just a sampling of some of the awesome messages I received. When I started my running journey, I did it for myself and no one else (I know it rhymes). It has been a neat experience to hear from others that say I have encouraged and inspired them! I have learned so much from each half marathon that I have done! While "winning" in a half marathon is finishing, I have learned some races go great, and others not so much. So the quote that sums up my Vegas race is sometimes you win and sometimes you learn! Also! How cool is the Vegas finishers medal! Its a slot machine that says 13.1!! So awesome! I can't wait to get my "heavy" medal from the rock n roll company that says I completed 3 half marathons!!
I am so incredibly blessed to have this awesome community of running buddies! They are so awesome! Especially when they send me Ryan Gosling meme's to congratulate me on finishing 3 half marathons! :) 
Also a great big shout out to my Vegas running partner and BFF for putting up with my whining about the crappy Vegas weather (40+ MPH winds & rain) during the race. You're the best!I'm ending this post with my Vegas finisher picture. (Yes it is a screen shot from the photographers website bc i'm too cheap to buy my post race pictures :) )
Thanks for reading! More to come when I figure out what i'm doing next!..and when I hit my goal weight! Which is only like 25-30 pounds away! Woah!! So close!!
