things I learned from running a half-marathon

  • There are lots of like-minded individuals out there. There were over 5000 today.
  • It’s really freakin’ cold at 6 in the morning in February in downtown Birmingham.
  • Training would be useful for next time.
  • No matter how much clothing you wear when you run, you’ll warm up best by just running.
  • If it weren’t a matter of my legs getting sore/stiff, I really believe I could have run the full marathon at a ten-minute mile pace today. I wasn’t even breathing hard at the end. That knowledge is really heartening.
  • I like chocolate and berry-flavored Gu. Vanilla bean, not so much.
  • Running 13.1 miles generates some of the worst B.O. known to man.
  • It’s a lot easier to walk down stairs backwards when your legs hurt as badly as mine do right now.
  • It’s awesome to be able to eat a whole medium pizza for dinner and still quite possibly be calorie-negative for the day.
  • I’ve got my medal and my finisher’s hat, but I think that my biggest thrill was being able to put a “13.1” magnet on my truck, and know I earned it – running the whole way.
  • My wife is awesome for coming out and cheering for me in the aforementioned freezing temperatures. For that matter, everyone else who stood outside and cheered is awesome too.
  • I’ve come a long way in nine months – from couch to 13.1 miles.