2:20:11

More than three years ago, I started on a journey to run a half marathon. Armed with my friends from work, a new pair of running shoes from a specialty store, and some new workout clothes, I tried to run every day, at least a little bit. This was fall--and at one point, I was up to more than five miles a day. Then the holidays happened. Training went by the wayside.

The next year, around August, I started getting back into it. I suited up, began jogging, and building each week on the week before. I got into soccer, playing in Las Cruces, using it to get my stress out from being in graduate school and serving as a teaching assistant.

On October 22, 2008, I ditched my Wednesday night class (after bribing my TA to count me there by telling him I would attend that week's lab) and I suited up for my soccer game. With 10 minutes left in the game, I went on a break away down the field, stopped, changed directions, and POP, then stars...I knew something was wrong when I couldn't walk or move. All I could do was cry. It was the worst it could be: a torn ACL and Meniscus, and my soccer career was over for the time being--and so was my hopes of running a marathon anytime soon.

I underwent surgery on November 20, 2008, and began physical therapy shortly thereafter. Recovery was slow, and in April the next year, the pain wouldn't go away--it was constant. I received my first Cortizone shot that month, and kept working toward increasing my activity levels. It wasn't until August that I started really feeling like I could get back into my usual routine, joining my friend's boot camp class and playing soccer again. Running wasn't something that I was getting into.

It wasn't until after my degree was finished, my research project turned in, and I was packed and moved 200 miles north to Albuquerque that I realized what I wanted to do and what I wanted to achieve. Not only was losing weight a huge factor for me, so was working toward my original goal of running longer than a 5k.

I started with the Margarita 5k, then went on to the Zoo Run 5k, and finally, ran my first 10k with the Albuquerque Little Theater. Then, I set my sights on the Duke City Half Marathon, and I started building toward it.

The longest run I did before the race was nine miles along the Bosque on a Monday afternoon about three weeks before the race. The next week, I tapered off and was only able to do a 4-mile run and a 2-mile run. I'll admit it: I was nervous to run the race. Even up to the night before, I wasn't sure I could actually do it.

That morning, I woke up, ate a banana, and headed to the start on Civic Plaza. There were so many people! I ran around the plaza, did some warm-up agility drills to get my muscles going, then headed inside to keep warm.

I started the race strong--too strong. I ran at about a 9-minute pace for the first two miles, which would bite me in the ass later in the race. I sailed through the next eight miles, but at mile 10, I hit a wall. I literally didn't know how I was supposed to do the next 3.1 miles. The last two miles were around a 13- or 14-minute pace--awful for me. But, when I came around the corner on the last block, and I saw my friends Jane and Megan standing there, cheering me on, I picked it up and finished strong.

My time was 2:20:11....and I'm so proud to say that I've done a half marathon. What's next? I'm not sure. But guaranteed I'm not done with the challenges...fixed knee or not.