In the beginning

In the beginning it was all about the medals. That was four years ago. Yes, I have been taking part in half marathon events for four years. I started out as a walk/runner (and no, I have never referred to myself as a walker/runner ... go figure). Over the past year and a half I switched to just walking. A bit easier on my knees.
Being a walker makes choosing a race a bit tricky as not all Half Marathons are "walker-friendly". But as a walker if you convince a race director that you can finish in under 3 hours, then usually you are welcome. Sometimes you have a separate start time (perhaps an hour earlier) and other times it's an all-racers start.
As a walk/runner when I started with "the pack" and I pretty much finished at the end of the time-limit. As a walker with an hour's headstart I finish close to the middle of "the pack". At a recent Half Marathon where I started an hour ahead, I was able to cheer on my runner friends (and take Finish Line pics) as they were coming in just behind me. It was a mental game for me. Sure they were completing the same mileage almost an hour faster, but I was there ahead of them - taking their pictures - instead of the other way around. Like I said, it was a mental game!
Now to tell you the truth, four years later it is still about the medals. I really like my collection of finishers medals. Metal, glass and wood! They are proof of races completed! There are, however, only 9 of them, even though I have completed 10 half marathons. Imagine my reaction at one race when I realized after finishing 13.1 miles that there was no finishers medal! Each of those medals (and bib numbers - yes, I have kept those) holds the memories of that particular race. Each bears the race's name (sometimes the date and the location). One even has the race route on the reverse.
And now I am seeking my first Marathon medal. Yes, I am training for a full 26.2 mile event. I have walked training sessions of 14, 16 ,18 and even 20 miles thus far. And there is another 20 mile training session to be completed.
But on May 20th the medal will be the proof that I have walked further than ever before. It's all about the medal!