WOOOOOOOHOOOOOOO!!!!!
yesssssssssssssss!!!!!

my first half marathon, completed!!!!
mare and i had so much fun and we ran it in 2 hours, 15 minutes!!!!!!!
here's the breakdown:
first 2miles--just fun, everyone chatting and really thick with people, just a blur--did we just run 2 miles without even noticing?
between mile 2 and 3-okay, i'm working a little, we're running with the ocean, my knee is killing, mare and i are still talking pretty consistently.
miles 3-10: delirious time for tracey, focused, in my head, runner's high (at one point i became so out of it that a guy was holding out some clear gel stuff on tongue depressor sticks and i grabbed one, thinking it was energy gel and i almost ate it!!! thank God the guy said, "vaseline" (for blisters) and it registered before i put it in my mouth. mare and ladies running next to us were laughing and making fun of me...)
matt was waiting for us at mile 5 and mile 8 with the videocamera!!!!
mile 10-12: ouch, major knee pain, mary helped talk me through it and even let me lean on her shoulder on a rough downhill, but my body was a machine, limbs moving without trying, trance-like rhythm, a little light-headed (seeing a few spots at times) so really needing that water and energy gel (which we finally did obtain around mile 10--no vaseline!!!). once we got to mile 10, we were feeling it, but the mental, "3 miles left, we can do it" definitely got us through. lots of verbal encouragement to each other for these last 3.
mile 13.1: uh, the longest mile ever, because no one was there cheering us on so it was quiet, just footsteps and breathing. pretty soon we saw matt and the videocamera with less than 1/10th of a mile to go. mare and i crossed the finish line holding hands in the air. and we thanked the Lord instantly.
then we got medals and water and food and we stretched and made the trek home.
getting out of the car and into the house = walking like very old women, creaky, barely moving legs.
then the hot tub--ahhhh
then a nap- zzzzzz

and i'm still high!!!!!!
thanks mare, for training with and being there with on one of the best days of my life.
and thank you jesus!!!!

~tracey