13.1 Miles of Dedication

On Sunday morning, February 7, 2010, I will run my very first half marathon – Surf City.

I consider myself a novice runner since I only started running last August. If you had asked me a year ago if I could run more than 2 or 3 miles I would have said no. Heck I could barely run that without needed a break. I have always been athletic…I played soccer for 13 years, then in college I would go to the gym solely to stay in shape. I was by no means a ‘runner.’
If you had asked me a year ago if I thought I would be running a half marathon in 2010 I would have looked at you and burst out laughing. That’s a big fat NO!
Well, here I am, about to embark on my very first half marathon, 13.1 miles. My journey to 13.1 has been tough, hard, exhilarating, inspiring, addicting, and most importantly, it’s been fun! I would not have been able to tackle this without the unconditional love, support, and inspiration from so many people in my life.
And so I am dedicating each mile of my first half marathon to those who have encouraged me, inspired me, and pushed me to keep going even when I wanted so badly to stop.
I love you all so much!

So here it is:
Mile 1. My cousin Rachel for inspiring me to sign up for this race.
Mile 2. Coach M for going over my training plan and tailoring it for me, and for giving me sage running advice.
Mile 3. My boyfriend for constant encouragement and support in everything I do. You are my rock babe! (3 is his fav number)  I love you!!
Mile 4. Myself for sticking with it even when it's hard. For reaching my running goals which I never thought I could do one year ago. (4 is my fav number so this mile is all mine!)
Mile 5. My brother for running my first 5K with me and for being a great pacer until I told him to just go for it! (He’s much faster, and taller, than me and I was probably just slowing him down hehe). He's a great workout partner, more like my personal trainer, and he pushes me to my best! Thanks baby bro!
Mile 6. My cousins for also running my first 5K with me and believing in me that I CAN run a distance longer than 3 miles! Haha.
Mile 7. Lisa, one of my best friends, for running my second 5K with me. It was her first and we ran in costumes!  She’s amazing. You are a terrific friend.
Mile 8. Kelly for being Kelly :) Kelso, you better run San Fran with me in July!!!
Mile 9. Sunny for her "Run Maggie Run" motivation!
Mile 10. Music – I love listening to music whether it’s in my car on my way to work or when I’m out for a run. I have a hard time running without music (San Diego 10K was awful without it!). Good beats get me pumped up and keep me motivated, and I have an awesome playlist for Surf City that I can't wait to run too!! I <3 music.
Mile 11. My Grammie – she’s my namesake and role model, plain and simple.  I love you <3
Mile 12. Koko who is my oldest and dearest friend. She is an incredible runner and is a constant inspiration for me in running and in life. Love you Kokz!! Thanks for all the amazing tips!!! You’re the best!!  I can't wait to cheer you on at the LA Marathon in March!!!
Mile 13. My boyfriend’s parents for clipping running articles out of newspapers and magazines for me.
Mile .1. My parents – This is the most important part of the half because if you don't run the last .1 mile you don't complete the half. My parents are my support system who inspire me to do incredible things. They are there for me every step of the way no matter what. I love you mom and dad!!
Please remember that this race only has 13.1 miles, and so I only mentioning 14 people. For those of you I did not mention, please know that you are equally important to me and I will be thinking of you the entire run!
T-minus 2 days! Tonight my boyfriend is taking me for an early surprise Valentine’s Day Date!! I’m so excited!!! Then tomorrow I’m going to the race expo with Rachel to pick up our race packets and get lots of goodies! Then Sunday is race day!! Woo hoo!!!!!

xoxo