DNF

DNF—something no runner wants on his/her record. Did Not Finish. It’s one thing to start a workout and decide not to finish because of injury, etc., but when you don’t finish a race you’ve been training for, that’s embarrassing. Not only do you receive unwanted sympathy (“there will be other races,” and “at least you made it this far! [thumbs up]”), but those three excruciating letters go online for the whole world to see, assuming EVERYONE wants to know how you did.

I’m not sure my experience today was as humbling as it was supposed to be, but I sure lost some pride. The 2013 Dallas Rock ‘n’ Roll Half Marathon gets to claim my first (and hopefully last) DNF. Sadly enough, quitting half way through the race was not my biggest challenge. Besides trying to trudge through the pain (recurring injury), I mostly struggled with worthless pride. My ego struggled with the fact that I could easily walk across the finish line; I simply didn’t care to if I couldn’t PR (set a personal record).  

Furthermore, I had to wait at a med station on the side of the course for a saddle wagon to retrieve my sorry self, icing my injury, watching other runners continue on, listening to empty words of encouragement from people who assumed I was a beginner (which hurt my pride the most), and then walked across the course, without so much as a limp, to a man dressed in a long black pea-coat with a walkie-talkie who drove me and one other runner to the finish line. 

Pride

On a lighter note, the course was enjoyable. Various bands were stationed along the course, and my friends and I started the race at a decent pace. Starting in Corral One meant no need to dodge walkers or dogs or joggers and being exhausted by mile three as a result. 

I am moving on to the next goal: improving speed. I know I said this was the next goal after the marathon, but the half changed my plans. If you know of any good 5ks this summer, feel free to comment below. 

Time to make some different muscles hurt!

Tough Questions

The White Gazelle asked me what my favorite running memory is--but how do I answer that?
That's like asking someone what his/her favorite song is; there are too many to choose from, too many genres, generations, voices, topics, etc. I've been running for a decade and have acquired hundreds of pleasant memories.

Seventh grade introduced me to running.
Eighth grade is when I fell in love with it.
Ninth grade brought me my first injury, which I overcame and advanced to the varsity level.
Tenth grade introduced me to The White Gazelle.
I met my first burn-out in eleventh.
I peaked and accomplished my proudest moment in twelfth.
Freshman year of college, running saved my life (figuratively speaking).
I began developing my friendship with teammate Kat Grillo my sophomore year.
Junior year, my relationship with the sport was tested, and running and I decided to just be friends.
This year I have spent eighteen weeks training for a marathon with a great friend, one of my favorite accomplishments, and have found someone else with whom I can share my passion.

These are only the most prominent major events that came with a lifestyle that seems to have chosen me, not the other way around. But never fear, more running experiences will be shared in the near future; for instance, I love to tell the Snot-Rocket Story. But I'll let you wonder about that one a little bit.


Shayna asked me about my favorite part of the Disney Marathon I ran with Kat in January. That's a tough question, too. If you're asking about the entire marathon experience, I can honestly say that I've never enjoyed training for any race more than I enjoyed training for my first 26.2. As for the race itself, I suppose my favorite part was running through Magic Kingdom. We reached the park around sunrise, passed the castle, and were suddenly surrounded by Disney characters, scenes from movies, spectators cheering for us as if they knew us, and, of course, serenaded with Disney songs.

I really enjoy the comments and questions. Keep them coming, especially since I've struggled to maintain the motivation to put my thoughts down on paper, or a screen...

Rock 'n' Roll half marathon this Sunday in Dallas! Wish us well.