Sweet 16

This past Saturday I ran 16 miles. And, oh how sweet it was. Not only was it the longest run I’ve ever done, but it was a lot of fun, too.

Fun? Really?

Yes, it might sound crazy but training for this marathon has given me such a sense of accomplishment and confidence. I’ve learned that with the proper planning I can do things I would’ve never dreamed of and that’s not only thrilling – its fun.

And, so are the good folks I run with at Get Fit Atlanta. I definitely recommend finding a good group if you’re looking to start running. Tackling those long miles with the right people can make them whiz by and before you know it you’ve knocked out 16.

So here’s the quick and dirty about my 16 mile adventure. I got up at 4:45 a.m. – gasp! – to meet my group – at 5:20 a.m. By 5:30 a.m. we were on our way to logging in the Sweet 16. We ran the first 3-4 miles then did 2:1 intervals the rest of the way. I felt great. I had a peanut butter sandwich and a banana before I left the house and refueled with strawberry-banana PowerBar Energy gels along the way. It was dark and hot when we started; and it was sunny and hot when we finished. Along the way I saw a few dogs, a bunny rabbit and a dead snake – yikes! The last 2&1/2 miles of the run were up the infamous Nickajack hill. Once you’ve run Nickajack, you feel like you can run anything. I finished in 3 hours 28 minutes. Twenty minutes of that were rest breaks including one potty run in Mickey D’s.

Of course I snapped a few pics (not of the potty break – ahem) …

My pre-run pic – it was EAR-LY!

One of my coaches – Beth. Her and Barbara are the best!

Aww, Nickajack. The sign at the bottom of the big-ass hill.

Me with some of the crew celebrating 16. Get it? See the 1 and the 6?

All smiles after 16

I’m going to revel in this moment for the rest of the week because next Saturday we’re uppin’ the ante – can you say 18?

Winks & Smiles,