Our first half:

Yesterday, we ran our first ever half-marathon. I finished in 2:07 -- a personal best! Andrew finished in 2:18 (also a personal best). It wasn't nearly as hard as I thought it would be. The training schedule I've been on has really helped. And running with my group of girls really made all those miles not only bearable, but enjoyable and something I looked forward to each week.

See more after the jump!

If you're training for your first half (or whatever distance it may be), here are a few things that I found to be very helpful:

1. Find someone your pace to train with (it makes a world of difference) and if possible, run with that person on race day. It will make it seem like just another training run. Plus, it's always more fun to have someone to talk to.
2. Be up front and honest with whoever you are running with about your expectations and goals for race day. Once you get out there, you want to know what to expect from your running buddy. And one of you should feel free to break away or hang back, if that's what you planned, without hard feelings.
3. If your second toe is even slightly longer than your big toe, make sure you cover it with a Band-aid or Moleskin. Body Glide will not cut it. It will get a blister around mile 10. And it won't be pretty.
4. If someone offers you that heat blanket thing after you finish, take it.

Now that our first long-distance race (or longest run thus far) is behind us, I'm looking ahead to the future. And I'm beginning to realize something: at first, 13.1 miles seemed daunting. But once I eased into it, it became a completely attainable goal. 26.2 miles seems impossible now, but if I take it a little at a time and really build up to it, I know I can do that too. So, the girls and I have decided to start training for a full marathon. It will give us something to look forward to, long-term, and keep us training long into the summer. Because I always perform better if I'm training for something. And those girls are wonderful motivators. I wouldn't train with anyone else.