13.1 lessons learned

During 13.1 miles, a lot of thoughts go through your head, including:

- "Why in the world am I doing this!?"

- "Thank goodness for this wind! That means there's an abundance of air!"

- "Ohh, my ankle hurts!"

- "I wonder how my butt looks from the behind in these shorts."

...

And other very important thoughts like these.

So, in honor of the 13.1 miles I ran, I'd like to give you 13.1 things I learned/thought about during the 13.1 miles.

1.1) The proper use of semi-colons. English teacher Sara instructed us during Mile 2 that semi-colons should be used to connect two independent clauses. I think.

2.1) Never, never, never forget your Pepto-Bismol at home. Porta-potty lines are long during a long race.

3.1) It's true: The first 9-10 miles are fun. The last 3 are not.

4.1) I think I actually have learned to enjoy this running farther than 400 meters over hurdles thing. It's slightly relaxing, nice to be outside, especially enjoyable if you're in shape, even more fun if you're running with friends and a good stress relief (but only if the run goes well).

5.1) The Jabberwocky, as told by Sara.

6.1) Ice cream does taste good after a long race - especially if you eat it twice!

7.1) Even if your shorts never ride up during previous runs, they may ride up during a race.

8.1) I never realized how many parts of my legs/knees/ankles/feet could hurt after a run.

9.1) Kody was right...as always...I was as prepared for the race as I needed to be, even though a bum ankle kept me from running my longest run and kept me from running for a week right before the race.

10.1) I am really a sprinter at heart, as my favorite part of the run was the all-out sprint to the finish line.

11.1) I am so looking forward to having an evening with Kody that doesn't begin with a sweaty Katie at 8:30 p.m. after a 5 mile run.

12.1) The freebies at the runners' expo weren't all that they were cracked up to be.

13.1) But still, I think I might want to do this crazy thing again!