For months I said, "I don't care how cold it is, I just don't want it to rain."

But then race day came, and it rained, and it rained, and it rained.  But still we ran - 13.1 miles we ran.

That's right, friends, I finished my first ever half marathon Saturday on Kiawah Island.  I had two goals: to run the whole thing and to finish in less than 2:15.  I ran the whole thing and I finished in 2:13 - mission accomplished!

A few observations:

1. There are a lot of really skinny people at these events.

2. We, and by "we" I mean Jamin, observed that at the starting line where the masses lined up according to pace, people got skinnier as you got closer to the front (which is the nice way of saying that those of us between the 9 and 10 minute pace were heavier :) - something you can easily tell b/c everyone is wearing spandex.

3. Everyone got a medal as they crossed the finish line.  While I typically frown on the whole "everyone gets a trophy" mentality, I am now a firm believer that running 13.1 miles is deserving of a medal.  (Plus, the people who won got much shinier and fancier medals that actually said "winner" on them; whereas mine just says "Kiawah Island Half Marathon.")

4. We need to challenge ourselves.  There is no exhilaration that comes with doing something we knew we could.  There's a complete euphoria that comes with doing something we didn't think was possible.  It's about being stretched, getting out of our boxes and re-learning again and again that God wants to do more with our lives than we dare to dream.

So, who's running with me next year?