Happy Finishers!

So, we finished our first 1/2 marathon of the year! YAY! And, it was actually 13.6 miles long instead of 13.5- that extra half mile was killer! I'll admit, I had to walk part of it (and stretch... stood by the side of the road hanging from my waist, trying to touch my toes to relieve my hamstrings, all the while cars were honking since there were no other runners in sight0 I'm sure I looked silly).

I finished in 2:20, (he was just 10minutes behind- way to go, Hubby!) which is pretty awesome all things considered:
1. Lack of training this spring meant I was underprepared.
2. It warmed up more than predicted, and the sun came out! Which was good, but toasty.
3. On top of that, they only had 5 water stations, and #4 ran out of cups! So that meant I went from about mile 6 to mile 11 with no water. BAD! I stopped sweating, which is REALLY BAD. When I finally got water, I had them fill 2 cups, one I chugged, then walked while drinking the other.
4. I've never walked this much in a race. Probably a good 10 minutes were spent walking. I never do that. But I needed it, for all these reasons.
5. That last .5 mile. It seems like if I can run 13.1, another .5 should be nothing, but when I had to stop and stretch, my body KNEW that I had run the distance required. It said we're done. Oddly enough, that was where 13.1 should have finished.

So, I'm thrilled with how we did we were both about 7 minutes slower than last fall- only 7 minutes with less than 1/3 the training! I'm tormented by the fact that if I had just not walked as much, I could have PR'd. I also (re)learned that I need to stop underestimating myself. I mean, come on, Kasey, YOU COULD HAVE PR'd. Stop doubting yourself and just run!

For their first time doing a half, the organizers did a great job. The shirts were nice tech shirts, and we got a free water bottle in our swag bags (that just happens to fit the water bottle rack I put on my bike- YAY!).

The whole water debacle could have been avoided, but honestly, they probably checked the same weather apps I did, which made it seem like it would be cooler/cloudier. And the .5 mile difference, while frustrating, is understandable- different GPS systems have different variances. which is why the course should be checked with multiple systems both by satellite and by ground (car or foot or bicycle- someone on the surface). Basically, I'm taking notes so that if I ever get my dream job of being a race organizer, I can obsess over all these details. :D

I didn't wear a watch, which I think was one of the reasons I ran so well. I listened to my body and held a comfortable pace. I walked when I felt like I had to, and ran at a pact I knew I could hold, no numbers attached, which meant I was running faster than I had all year!

And the phantom pains were just that. Such a weird thing.

My next 1/2 is in June. Not sure if the Hubs is going to join me or not, but I hope he does. I think we could both PR. It's a flat course, out and back. I can't wait.