My first 1/2 marathon

I'm pretty sure there will be more half marathons. Maybe even a whole one... who knows?
I planned on going 3 this morning but my stomach is upset from eating crappy food for 2 days. So I got a mile in and had to take the shortcut home, and quick. I'll try again tomorrow.
Sandy wanted us all to write our account of the race, so here is mine:

"The miracle isn't that I finished. The miracle is that I had the courage to start." - John "The Penguin" Bingham

Riding the shuttle to the start line was exhilarating. There was so much energy on that school bus! It reminded me of when I was a kid, on the way to school. All the freedom, optimism, and gleeful anticipation of life, all in one place.
When Sandy and I got to the start line, we were a little disconcerted that there was no water. There was a port-a-potty village, so we did our business and made our way to where we would be lining up. We discovered there were only 3 corrals, and we were in the same one, so we sat down on the curb to wait. The time went by really fast... we watched all of our fellow racers talking, jumping up and down, stretching, bouncing, passing the time. We saw one guy with a fro-hawk, which was really cool. I ditched my sweatshirt before the race even started.
People started to line up and we joined them. We stayed on the right - I was worried about being in front of much faster runners and I didn't want to be in the way. We sang some lines from Eminem, activated our wonder twin powers, hugged, spread the love, and encouraged each other. The horn sounded and before long we were moving forward. We crossed the start line and Sandy took off in front of me. It took a while for me to settle in because there were so many people! Tons of people were passing me and I felt bad about being in the way. But I was also passing some people so I figured I was ok.
I got caught up in the excitement and ran the first mile way too fast. Right when I passed the Mile 1 sign, a lady ran by and said, "We got an 11-minute mile going." I didn't even know I could go that fast! I knew I had better slow way down or I would be more than miserable at the end. I turned on my timer and started my 1:1 walk-run ratio.
The first part of the course was through neighborhoods. People were out on their front lawns but they weren't cheering for the most part - just watching everyone go by.
Halfway through mile 2 I saw the ocean. It was so beautiful. Mile 4 I passed the Balboa Island Bridge, which was the first time limit. I knew for a fact I was well under my goal time, and I felt great about that! I could see probably a mile behind me and there were many people on the road, so I stopped worrying about having a police car following me because I was dead last.
Running through the Wildlife Preserve was amazing. I saw ducks and other kinds of birds all over. It was really refreshing to see all the wildlife and greenery.
When I got to the giant hill in mile 11, I said to the person next to me, "This is pure evil!" Then I thought to myself, "But it's not going to break me." I could see that every single person in my field of vision was walking up that hill - nobody was trying to run it. It was long and tiring and I'm pretty sure it's why my shins are still sore! There was a Kool n' Fit station not long after that, which helped revitalize and refresh me for the few remaining miles. There was a sign at the water station that said, "You've come this far, you might as well finish!"
After that we started running through neighborhoods again. People were cheering and rooting us on. They kept saying things like, "You're almost there! Only 2 miles left! You're looking great!" That was really helpful. I wish I could thank all of them.
The finish line was the most amazing thing I have ever seen. People were lined up the last tenth of a mile, probably three deep, and cheering. All I could think was, "These people are cheering for me! Then I saw my sisters in their matching pink hats, screaming their heads off for me. I thought, "I actually did this! I completed a half marathon! Me!!!" I don't think I have ever smiled quite so big. When I ran past my sisters, I pumped my fists in the air. I looked at the clock and saw that I was well ahead of the time limit, and knew that I had come very close to 15 minute miles for the entire race. I crossed the finish line, got my medal, and promptly started crying. I had a little trouble for a few minutes, trying to catch my breath and cry at the same time, but I was ok after a few minutes. I got water and food, and went out in to the grounds. I walked for a short time because I knew it was the best thing to do, but after that I just planted myself on the grass and stretched. I was still in awe of the fact that I had finished. My sisters took very good care of me, and then I went to the finish line to cheer for Sandy, would would be coming in soon. Cheering the runners on was exhilarating! I had a blast.
Running the half marathon was a life-changing event for me. Never again will I allow self-doubt to inhabit my brain and say, "You can't do that," for I know now that I can do whatever I decide to do.