1:51

Now that is by no means a record setting pace. Not even a PR for me. But I am very proud of that time for the 2011 Dallas Rock 'n' Roll Half Marathon. This was my very first race since Jackson was born. The training was the first time I had run over 5 miles since Jackson. Today may have been one of the first times I have enjoyed running since Jackson. All of those factors made it a pretty unbelievable experience for me. I enjoyed the camaraderie of running with 14,000 other people. I really enjoyed pushing myself to keep going when my legs started aching and my feet started hurting. I thoroughly enjoyed rounding the last corner and seeing the finish line just 528 feet away. I felt the rush of emotion when the volunteer said "congratulations!" as she placed the heavy medal around my neck. I think the ultimate goal occurred this morning...the running bug has entered my life again! But I think I am going to stick to 13.1 miles. It is the perfect length. Long enough to require a respectable amount of training. Long enough to make you work really really hard. Long enough to make you dig deep. But short enough to race. Short enough to enjoy. Short enough to recover much faster.