Monday, March 2, 2015

Kilimanjaro Half Marathon: I did it!

I started running last March to get ready for my first 5k.  Who knew that this is where it’d take me?  Certainly not me.  By the time Rebecca and I hit 6 miles this fall, I started thinking “Why not Kili?”  It wasn’t nearly as bad as I was thinking. I did not know how I’d do with the first half being all uphill, and how my knees would then handle the second half coming down.  I wasn’t nervous until I was chatting with another runner at the hotel that morning.  He asked me what my best half time was, and I responded that this was my first.  He says “You picked the wrong one to start”.  But he didn’t know that I was being guided every step of the way.  I also have some of the best cheerers around.

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My running buddy for the last 10k or so

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I did it!  And I’m still upright.

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The kids also did their first 5k (3 miles) with Matt.  They ran the whole way and seemed very happy with themselves (just over 30 min).

Go Team Coyle!  Have Fun…Go Hard!

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Very proud of them.  Not only for getting up super early (5:45) to take me to my start, but also because there was a Tanzanian wedding going on right outside our hotel room door until after 11:00 pm.  They still managed smiles at 6:30 on the way to the race. 

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And can I say…damn those Kenyan marathoners are fast! 

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