Failure

Jim crossing the finish line!
This was a shot after running up a big a$$ hill!

A couple of weeks ago Jim and I did the Heartbreak Ridge Half Marathon at Camp Pendleton. I was debating even if I was going to end up running because two weeks prior I hurt a tendon in my foot. I didn't run for the two weeks before the race hoping my foot would be ok. My only goal was to finish the race and not be the last one across the finish line or be picked up in the loser van when the 3 hour time limit was up. The day that I hurt my foot, I ran 12 miles and was feeling great about the race.

On race day, people kept telling us that we were crazy to have this particular race be our first. Jim and I researched the course and didn't think it would be that bad. We were wrong.

We ran on loose gravel and dirt that had huge holes from vehicles in it which made it really hard for my foot. Also there was hardly any flat stretches through the course. That's right, all 13.1 miles were either up hill or down. We also didn't know that this race was part of the HARD CORPS series with the Marines.

I met up with Jim at about the 6.5 mile mark and my foot was killing me. From then on I would walk some and run some. By 8.5 miles, I was done. I was tired and my foot was screaming. I kept an eye on my watch and I still had time to make it across the finish line in the allotted time. Well, at mile 12 the loser van came by and said that I had to get in for my safety because training was starting. I asked if I could keep going that last mile and was told no.

I was devastated. It took all I had to hold my woe is me sobs until I got to the car. Jim was still proud of me and he did a great job finishing. I was just really upset with myself that I trained for a few months and I FAILED! Now I am having an internal battle trying to decide if this should be counted as complete for one of my 30 things before I turn 30 list since I never actually finished it.

On the other note, Jim's parents came down to help with the kids and we stayed for a couple of nights in Anaheim across from Disneyland. Isaac was so excited that he got to sleep in the top bunk of the bunk bed and that our hotel room had 2 bathtubs! ( We don't have a bathtub in our apartment). The kids had fun and we all went to Goofy's Kitchen for dinner. It was a great weekend minus the race.