Ogden Half Marathon!

So I just ran my 2nd Half marathon so far this year! 1 more to go to round out the summer with 3 half marathons! I have learned a lot about myself through these experience.
#1. I, Andrea Fackrell can do hard things. Things I never ever thought I could do! In high school and college, I did not/could not run longer than a mile. I literally passed off my P.E class in college by running a mile in 14 minutes 59 seconds to pass the class. {you had to run it in 15 minutes}
It wasn't until I had Elle, my third child that I even started up running and that was just to lose the baby weight!
My first half marathon was the utah valley half marathon 2 years ago with my Herriman friends.At the finish line, I said out loud, "I will never run a race again!" Well, then I had another baby and had to start running up again since it is the most effective way I lose weight! I found some amazing ladies in my neighborhood and started running with them even though they were much faster than me, and much more experienced! That was the best thing I could have done because it made me gain some confidence that I didn't know I had in me!
Utah Valley Half Marathon: 2 hours 35 minutes{2010}
Salt Lake City Half Marathon: 2 hours 10 minutes {2012}
Ogden Half Marathon: 2 hours 5 minutes {2012)
#2. I can be a runner! I never ever thought I would say that!
#3.I want to be physically fit for the rest of my life. When 70 and 80 year old"s pass by you in a race, it is humbling and motivating!
#4. I am thankful for good,motivating friends and a very very motivating husband!

Now for the not so positive and pleasant things about the race:
#1. Races for me are mind over matter! You can do whatever you tell yourself and sometimes in those races, my mind can be negative! Especially when your next door neighbor runs right next to you, flips you off and runs passed you! That actually happened to me today while running the ogden half marathon. I have always known that I live next to the meanest person I have ever met, but not in a million years did I think that she would sink so low to flip me off, especially during a race! Once she ran passed me, I continued to run, but man did it effect me! For a whole mile {mile 6-7} I just let it stew in me and I got so mad inside! Then, I thought, I need to be the bigger person here and not let it effect me! Do you know how hard that decision was when I was already so emotional from running? HARD!!!! Luckily, I moved past it and did better in than my personal record!!
#2. From mile 10 to 13, something inside of me happens where I ask myself, "Andrea, why are you doing this?" I have to struggle so much to find inside me the power to finish!
#3. The finish line seemed like 20 miles away because I couldn't get there fast enough!!
#4. I am soooo sore afterwards!

Once I saw Regan and the kids and finished the race, I felt soooo good! Like I could conquer the world!