I did it.

I ran my first half-marathon on Saturday.  I started running about a year ago and have really enjoyed the benefits of getting in shape, losing weight and accomplishing goals that I didn't think were possible.  I've never been an athletic sort of guy and so I didn't think running would appeal to me.  But I've found that I enjoy the solitude that running provides and the camaraderie that I experience when I run with my friends.

So it was with that in mind that I chose to run the Country Music Marathon in Nashville, TN this past weekend.  It was a chance to visit family, and to run with my friend Dave from Texas (who I ran my first ever race with) and my brother in law, Chris.  As it turned out we didn't run together that much.  They both sped ahead of me early in the race.  But that was fine with me, I was just hoping to make it to mile 10-11 with enough strength and energy to push on to the end, so I was taking it pretty slow.

The CMM 1/2 marathon route, wound through my old stomping grounds and running the race was a bit like going down memory lane.  Before mile 1, I could see the building where my wife worked back when we were first married.  Around mile 2-3 we trudged along one side of music row and I saw alot of places I used to frequent, especially the studio where I recorded my last album with Sixpence.  Up around mile 4 or so, we passed the house/ apartment where Matt and I first lived when we moved up to Nashville from Texas. 

Down around mile 5-6 I passed the apartment complex that my wife's cousin and her husband lived for awhile, and then later on, I passed by the duplex apartment that Carole and I were considered moving into after we lived on Leland Lane for a bit.  Oh, and let's see there were a bunch of other places we passed too...like the street Ben Pearson lived on (where I went for many photo shoots and Sixpence's first ever video), Bongo Java, The International House (where I first met Dave Perkins with my friend Andreas). 

Around mile 8, I "ran" into an old friend and he snapped the photo of me you see up at the top there.

Going back down music row, I saw a banner congratulating Ken Coomer on a nomination for some Latin project he worked on...and then it was back around music circle and down into the Gulch which has become quite the place.  I was expecting it to look like it did back in the late 90's...a little rough and scary and frankly - depressing.  But that was definitely not the case.  It was in the Gulch that I took hold of my first ever GOO packet, and for awhile I was thinking of slurping it down but instead I held onto it like it was my security blanket and as I crossed the 10 mile mark I thought, I'm going to make it. 

We headed up a short hill and then over to the Farmer's Market where the medical folks on the course were handing out swabs of Vaseline (I passed on that...) and then it was around a corner (bye to the full marathoners) and through the Bicentennial Mall and on to the finish.  Around this point, I started getting a bit delirious and started giggling and laughing a little.  Weird, but I felt good so I kept on, keeping on (as they say). 

Coming up the hill around the capital, I felt strong and surged ahead and kept going strong to the finish.  Somewhere on the bridge heading down to LP Stadium someone yelled only a 1/2 mile to go, so I picked up my pace and then down by the stadium started into my full on sprint to the finish, only to realize soon on (when I saw the 13 mile mark) that I started going "all out" too soon, so I throttled back a bit, and as I turned the corner and could see the finish line, I did my best to finish strong. 

I finished.  Woo Hoo!  I was spent...my knees started to clamp up and I wasn't sure if I'd be able to walk.  Water was handed to me, and then my medal and then I followed the rest of the crowd through a winding crowded mass of humanity and free stuff to get to the exit. 

First, some nice folks removed our timing chips, then we were offered donuts, bananas, apples, free sandals, photo ops, and then were free to exit.  Finally I was out and free to go get some ice, saran-wrapped around my knees.  After that I spent about an hour or two trying to find my family (who had been waiting to see me finish since 8:00am)  As it turned out, they completely missed me and we had a difficult time finding each other post race. 

All in all, running the CMM was a great experience, and I look forward to making this an annual occasion.  Hopefully next year, my son can participate in the children's race and maybe my wife can experience her first half-Marathon as a participant.  And who knows, I might even attempt to run the full marathon.