RACE REPORT: OBX Half Marathon

Submitted By: Elizabeth Fuson

Ready to Race!

Exactly one year ago I began running. It has been a journey that has taken me to places that I could never have foreseen. I began the Couch To 5K Training program last November in an effort to reach my weight loss goal. I had been doing Weight Watchers for a few months and had lost a great deal of weight, but I knew that I needed to step-up my workouts to get through the weight loss plateau. I had never liked running...in fact, I loathed running! Looking back, this must have meant I was very serious about getting fit.

I stuck with the C25K Program and pretty soon I was challenging myself to run faster and farther. I had officially been bitten by the "Running Bug." Along the way, I began to meet other runners, including many RMEC members. Every time that I had a question about running, an RMEC member was around to answer it, encourage me, give me advice, and even invite me to runs. You guys will never know how much your encouragement has meant to me, and I appreciate every person who took the time to answer my "dumb questions."

Staying Warm.

A few weeks ago, I ran my very first Half Marathon in Greensboro. Although it was a hilly course, I finished with a 2:08 finishing time and felt good about the race. After all, I had just hoped to finish! It was really just a practice run for the OBX race coming up.

This past weekend I ran the OBX Half Marathon with the obvious goal of beating my previous time of 2:08. The day prior I drove the course. For some reason, I still have a hard time believing that I can run that far. After all, I still don't consider myself a "runner."

Running the 13.1

The race itself was so exciting! It was such a fun experience to be among so many runners and in such a charged atmosphere. I ran with a friend of mine and was so worried that I would hold him back. We had a great race and we ran faster than we thought we would. At mile 12, I knew I had to "give it all that I had" and told him that I would see him at the Finish Line. Silly me, I thought he would leave me and now here I am leaving him behind! At this point, I knew I was going to finish right around the 2:00 mark and could not believe that was even possible! The excitement of that challenge drove me to a dead sprint the last half mile. I finished strong with a time of 2:01:18. I was very pleased with my time and I knew that I had given my best that day.



Proud finisher





I am still riding the high of the race, but I am not only celebrating that race day result. This week I celebrate my 1 year Anniversary of running. I cannot even tell you how running has changed my life for the better. Not only have I lost the weight that I wanted to lose and have become a healthier person, but I have also been transformed within.

Running has helped me regain the confidence that I had lost somewhere down the road, and now I am ready for anything that life may throw my way!