Lizzy: Back in January, Laura and I decided to sign up for the Park to Park Half Marathon in Waynesboro, Virginia. I had some experience with running in the past but hadn't really done major long-distance runs since a knee injury my senior year of high school. Laura will probably say that I dragged her into this one. I also dragged my friend Emily into running it with us.

Laura: I would define this as a spur-of-the-moment decision, signing up for this half marathon which I realized is not something you should decide and sign up for as a "spur of the moment" kind of thing. The most I had ever run in my life was about four miles and do not and have not enjoyed going for runs. I'm sure at this point you're confused as to why I signed up. I don't really know either, but there I was at the start line.

Start Line:

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Lizzy: I would say we were all very full of hope and excited before the race started. I had all of my official gear on, was stretched out and ready to go. Surrounding us, there were people of all ages, I kid you not. A 10-year-old boy was to the right of us stretching out getting his game face on.

Laura: There's me smiling, having absolutely no clue what was to come. So hopeful, little did I know that was going to change very soon.

Mile One:

Lizzy: I swear it wasn't a mile. It went by so quickly it felt like we were only running for five minutes. I thought that if the rest of the race went that quickly it would be golden.

Laura: I was trucking, my full of hopefulness carried on right through because I felt so excited and ready. Accidentally set my pace for faster than intended but I thought everything would be great.

Lizzy: Everything was great. Don't let her fool you like that.

Mile Three:

Lizzy: We reached the 5k mark and the first water station! I learned very quickly that running while trying to drink out of a cup is basically a form of art. Most of the water ended up on my shirt or in the trashcan.

Laura: I really tried not to tell myself there was 10 miles left, but I still felt pretty great while running. I didn't even feel like I needed water or gatorade.

Mile Six:

Lizzy: So before the race started a man had told me and Em about this dreaded hill that happens on mile six. So the whole time we are waiting and anticipating this huge hill but I really don't think it ever happened.

Laura:This is where I realized we were almost half way done. It was exciting all around but the hills started to become killer. There wasn't a specific huge hill it was just as if there was no such thing as running on a flat ground.

Mile Nine:

Lizzy: I looked at my watch and we had been running for about an hour and 25 minutes. I thought to myself how someone was already done with the race and I still had another hour to go. I knew that I only had one mile to go before I got to double digits and just continued to push through. My nose also wouldn't stop running so that was lovely.

Laura: This is where things started to go down hill, literally and figuratively. Lizzy and Emily had gotten a couple minutes before me, leaving me with nothing. No music or food just me and my shoes. During training, something I didn't do too well, nine miles had been the farthest I had ever ran in my life, so every step I took was now "the farthest I had ever ran in my life." Pretty exciting and pretty painful.

Lizzy: I always told her that if she could run nine or 10 miles that she could run 13. I am sure my voice was in the back of her head as she was hating me. ;)��

Mile Ten:

Lizzy: Literally everything in my body hurt. But, I thought to myself there is three more miles and that is thirty minutes. You can really do anything for thirty minutes. At the water station they gave us these gel packs which was equivalent to drinking Karo corn syrup.

Laura: The phrase "so close yet so far away" had never been so true. I wasn't so excited as Lizzy was because I thought I had given everything I could the past ten miles. My knees hurt, my back hurt, my arms and hands were falling asleep. I can't help but admit how many excuses I thought of to stop and quit.

Lizzy: But she never walked or quit and that's what matters.

Mile 11:

Lizzy: This is when the adrenaline kicks in and you know that you are so close and just have a little bit more to go. I honestly think I blacked out and just let my legs do the work.

Laura: I didn't feel any closer than at mile 10. I kept hearing "only two more miles!" but my legs didn't move any faster. I think I really hated Lizzy in this moment, I hated every person who told me that "You'll definitely want to do another one! You'll love the feeling!"

Lizzy: Don't let her fool you. She wants to do another one.

Mile 12:

Lizzy: There was light at the end of the tunnel. The end was so close we could taste it. We were in the park that the finish line was at. So close yet so far away.

Laura: I had gotten my mental state back to normal and I was finishing this race whether I liked it or not (I did not like it).

Mile 13:

Lizzy: I was so done at this point. I definitely thought that the last tenth of a mile was another mile in itself and then Em decided we should race to the finish line, even though I was pretty sure that my legs were going as fast as they could possibly move.

Laura: I have no idea who this girl was that crossed the finish line or where she got her energy. I saw mile 13 and I said, "The finish line is one sprint away and you need to get there right now." I swear I was running a five minute mile pace passing the 13-mile sign.

Lizzy: This girl literally ran like a rabid dog was chasing her, but it's probably cause her eight-week-old puppy was at the finish line.

Finish Line:

Lizzy: WE FINISHED. *sings Miley Cyrus "Ain't about how fast I get there, Ain't about what's waiting in the other side, It's the climb!"*

Laura: Painfully I admit that sprinting to the finish line and crossing it was a feeling like no other. I'll tell anyone that asks that running a half marathon is the worst thing you could do to yourself (besides a full marathon I assume), but I've never been more proud of myself. I had proved that I am capable of so much more than I think I am. and I did it. I ran my first half marathon.