Runners are Weird

Just finished the Country Music Half Marathon this weekend, and the experience confirmed it.  I knew it going into this thing, but I have also had some of those brief moments in my running career during which times I experienced the elusive "runner's high," and I might have enjoyed it. Like, when I ran my first mile when I was 8.  And about 3 weeks ago when I ran my first 10-miler.  And... that's about it.  

Among the 32,000 runners that I elbowed  encountered on Saturday, there were a surprising number of people who were genuinely excited for and who eagerly anticipated the pain that was to come.  I started the morning off in the longest Port-a-Potty line in the history of Earth, in front of some psycho  dedicated woman who had recently run a 100-miler and thought it was a fun "mental challenge".  Then, there was the dude in my corral who juggled for the first 4 miles.  There were people in tutus and two guys in white polyester suits.  

Honestly, I didn't notice a whole lot since I was preoccupied with staying upright and alive, but some of the signs were pretty funny.  One guy's sign read, "What are you complaining about? Getting up early to make this stupid sign wasn't easy either."  Some kid held a sign that said, "Run faster you must," with a picture of Yoda on it.

My peeps were convinced I was on a runner's high here. I do look a little funny...

I knew Mike, the kids, and my parents would be at the 10K mark, so I was concentrating on looking strong and making my dad eat his words ("I hope they don't have to call an ambulance for you!") from the night before.

After mile 8, though, things got a little hairy.  In the end, the darn P.F.Chang's dragon beat me, and so did 6,530 other people.  My goals of not throwing up and not getting passed by anyone dragging an oxygen tank were achieved.  I'm not sure how proud my family was, though.  Sarah was way more impressed by the guy dressed like Elvis, and Will was mad that he couldn't get in on any of the free chocolate milk and bananas.  Mike has really been resting up since watching me run.  I’m really worried about him.  I think he might have pulled something...