Running my first half

I ran my first half marathon this weekend.  I ran with my Dad who is a seasoned marathonner, but who has never run a half.  He is very patient and helps me along, as he is much faster and has been doing this for over ten years.  I truly value our running time together.  This race was in Providence, RI and was very hilly.  The weather was overcast and about 75 and humid.  We were very lucky the sun stayed away until almost the end.  This race was, hands down, the hardest physical challenge I have ever completed in my life.  Including having three children without pain medication.  It was HARD.  It was hilly.  It was so much more than I ever expected it to be.  The last 2.5 miles were torturous.  I have always had a ton of respect and awe for marathonners, but after this weekend it has magnified by 100.  This was really challenging to me mentally and physically.  The training plan I followed was not enough mileage for me, to get me ready for this.  I am slow, and the plan was mostly time based, not mileage based, except for the long run, so I think I will try a mileage based program next time. I am very proud of my accomplishment, and know that I put in a ton of hard work to get there.  I will definitely try another one (although immediately after crossing the finish i swore to my mother that I would never do another one), after I have many more 10+ mile runs under my belt.  It was lovely to see my girls, Will, and my Mom at the finish line, and I have never been happier to have an ice cold drink in all my life.  I got a really nice medal for my efforts, and proceeded to wear it for the rest of the day!  We also made a mini vacation out of our weekend and visited the zoo and Newport.  It was a lot of fun, but exhausting.  All in all it was an amazingly transforming experience, one I plan to have again several months down the road.