We did it. We really did it. On Saturday morning, I woke up at the crack of dawn to run 13.1 miles with my best friend.
I woke up at 6:15 before my alarm clock went off. I'm not even kidding, I might have slept 4 hours total. My body never lets me sleep the night before a flight or a run. It stinks, but it is what it is. I showered, then went right to the kitchen and ate a chunk of cookie dough. Seriously. Then I decided to behave like an adult and make a proper breakfast of toast, peanut butter, and jelly.
I also grabbed an orange to eat once we got to the race and some M&Ms if I needed a boost along the run. Who needs GU?
Amanda picked me up around 7 am and we headed to Burke High School where the race began. There were a lot of people; the race's Facebook page said 3,500 people signed up! We waited around for a bit until it was time to go. I was so happy as we crossed over the start line. Amanda said, "I love you!" and I blew her a kiss and we were off! Sister wives on the go!
The first couple miles of the race flew by, mostly because we spent the entire time weaving around people to get ahead. Because of that, we ran our first few miles slower than our typical pace. I think that ended up being a good thing because we weren't too worn out. We ran all around the Battery and up King Street -- two places we often run with traffic and pedestrians. It was pretty awesome having everything blocked off!
During the second half, I started to get bored, but around mile 8 I just stopped thinking about anything other than "Oh, my God, we're doing this. We're really doing this." At each mile marker, Amanda and I both screamed out a "WOOHOOOOO" but by mile 10, 11, and 12, our screaming turned into a pathetic "woo."
I was so thankful that I had my phone, not only for music, but for inspiration from my friends. You guys are THE BEST!
At mile 11, the people running the full marathon split off, and I got really excited. With only 2 miles left, I knew we were so close to the finish line. This is when I popped 3 green M&Ms in my mouth and let me tell you, they were the BEST I've ever had. Maybe because they were green. Maybe because they were Christmas M&Ms. Or maybe because I had just run 11 miles and anything would have tasted amazing.
Right after mile 13, we passed Amanda's parents who caught us on video while running and holding hands. We had promised to cross the finish line together. We had trained for nearly 10 weeks and nothing was going to stop us! 
As runners crossed the finish line, the announcer called out their names. But when he saw the two of us coming, he yelled out "Holding hands to the finish line, yeaahhhh!! Those two are holding hands!" It was hilarious.
Immediately after, I felt so weird. Carter said I was high as a kite and I think he was right. I could barely talk, let alone form complete sentences. I chugged a can of coconut water and threw back a few more M&Ms. You know me, always pre fueling and refueling with CHOCOLATE!
According to my Nike + app, here are our results:
And here are the official results:
When we got back to Mt. Pleasant, Amanda declared that she needed Puree. Of course I was happy to refuel at one of my favorite healthy spots. I had the Tofu Banh Mi with pickled radishes and a creamy sriracha sauce.
Overall, I loved my first half marathon. Though it was physically demanding, my body was definitely prepared. That said, I'm sure I will be much more mentally prepared for the second one. Second one? Yes, I'm definitely doing another! 
