The spoils

Here we are! And here I am with my finisher medal. I finished in 2:03:53, just 52 seconds behind my first half! 17th out of 43 in my age group.

   I did it: I finished the Kansas City corporate challenge half marathon, which was only my second half marathon. I didn't really train for with any distances over a 10K. Plus, I had the flu last week, so I didn't think I was going to be able to participate at all. To be honest, the first 9 miles felt really good. The last 4… Well, they pretty much sucked. But I did it. So I rewarded myself twice:

   First, with a pair of fish sandwiches from McDonald's. It is extremely rare that I break down and get fast food, but I have to admit that these things are a guilty pleasure, and I figured that I worked them off in advance.

   And second, with new outdoor seating and a fire pit for the backyard. I'm hoping to have a lot more cookouts this summer, and these will make them a lot more fun.

   The Shibas tried the chairs out first, and said they were comfortable. If you need me, I'll be passed out in one of these chairs with my poor, aching legs later this evening…