Half Marathon to Boot

I've been struggling about how to write this post. I've known that I wanted to write a post about my half marathon experience, but I wasn't quite sure how to go about it. So, I decided to be honest and a bit raw. Here we go...

So, I ran a Half Marathon. YES! Jordan snapped this classy pic right after I crossed the finish line. I just got finished saying, "I am NEVER doing that again."

WHY I said that:
My knees started hurting at about mile 6...and I got a head ache. I contemplated crying mile 12, and I never hit that "runner's high" everyone always talks about.  

WHY I'm still glad I did it:
When I first started running this Spring, a half marathon seemed completely impossible. Crossing that finish line was a major victory that my anxiety could have kept me from accomplishing. I know I am experiencing a lot of anxiety when I start saying I can't do something. Running was one of the first things my anxious mind would like to cross off. (I can't run tomorrow!!) Even though I experience anxiety daily, I trained for and ran a half marathon!!

It was also fun to train and run with Jordan. He finished a while before me, but I still knew he was there. While I was running, I would think of how he had run by that same place just a little while before me. It was fun for us to work towards a common goal. (My awesome aunt and uncle also ran with us!)

WHY I haven't run since:

Guess who got a stress fracture from her half marathon? I have to wear a boot for 4 weeks. You guessed it. Running helped me. It helped me with my anxiety. It also gave me confidence. Obviously, this half marathon caused me to give myself a bit of an injury. That isn't good. I don't know if running is my personal fitness path, but I really enjoy being active. I hope to find some other things (maybe running will be included, just not the main source) to help me stay active. I am a firm believer that being active and exercising can help with anxiety and depression! (Any suggestions on how to live a healthy, active lifestyle? I would love to hear it!)