Run for Green Half Marathon (Davidson, NC) 9/17/2011

Today was race day! I signed up for this half marathon last weekend, knowing that it was going to be a very hilly course. I wasn’t too nervous about the hills, as the area I run in regularly has its share of ups and downs.

The day started at ~~5:45am~~ 6:15am. Whoops. That’s right… I mis-set my alarm! I can’t believe that happened since I tend to be so OCD about details. Thankfully I already had everything laid out & ready to go, I just had to feed the baby & change into my run gear (I wore a lululemon tank and tights) before I could leave. That and eat a big old scoop of peanut butter- it’s become my go to pre-run fuel. To each his own, right?

I got to the Davidson area about 5 minutes before the race started and got lucky with a prime time parking space. I quickly headed to the starting area, which I found quite easily once I heard a gunshot and someone saying, “there goes the half.” With that, my time was probably a few minutes off, but no biggie.

I hadn’t raced in a while. If you recall I was supposed to do a half this past spring, but had to travel to MI instead for my Grandpa’s funeral. Prior to that there was that whole ‘having a baby’ thing

The start was deceiving, starting downhill. I tried to be very conscious about taking it slow at the beginning, but kind of wish I hadn’t with how great I ended up feeling throughout the race. My usual tracking device is broken, so I had no clue of my pace the entire race, which of course drove me nuts! Here is the course:

The race details were great: an out & back path, a perfect race temp of 52 degrees with overcast (it didn’t rain after all!), pretty scenery of big neighborhood houses and fields, and sweet fans cheering everyone on. There were 2 corners I remember specifically, full of young guys really haming it up- I LOVE THAT! Nothing like getting a good laugh in during a race.

Did I mention the race had some hills? NO? Well it did There was about 600 feet of cumulative elevation, a good portion of which was in the last few miles. See…

While I was prepared for some hills, there were a few that were pretty intense. I felt good though. The hills are where I felt strong, finding myself passing a number of people. I still wasn’t sure if this was due to my late start or if my pace was faster than usual.

**Note to Self: I really need to work on becoming more familiar with my pace without having to rely on a tracking device. Don’t get me wrong, I had a good idea of where I was, just give or take about 30 seconds. Something to work on nonetheless.

While in the past I never used any GU, gels or anything else of the sort, now I do. I used Cliff Shots (strawberry flavor). I had one just after mile 6, then another at 8, 10 & 12. I am the type that can’t eat a lot before or during a run, but these seem to work for me, not upsetting my tummy at all.

Once I realized I was already at mile 12 I also realized it was time to buckle down and pick up the pace. I did and still felt great. I really wished I had pushed more earlier in the race, but hey, a lesson learned for next time. I would’ve loved to have seen my splits or mile times, as that last 1.1 miles had to be around 6-7 minutes easily. Even with the hills, I found myself nearing a sprint and definitely sprinting the last couple hundred yards.

I crossed the finish line at 1:49 (gun time).

According to the race results my pace was 8:23/per mile (who knows how my late start played a role in this). I was the 24th woman to finish (4th in my age range), 92nd overall.

I was happy with this time. No PR, but hey, i’ll take it. Especially when I thought the hills would have me closer to a 2 hour time!

Once done I found Ryan & Riley, changed my shirt and celebrated my finish with a nice rub down at one of the chiropractic tents ~ Ahhh!!! Felt so good. An added score- they let me buy their foam roller for $20! I’ve wanted one forever but hadn’t pulled the trigger yet on a purchase.

After the rub down I took a quick pic with Riley before we headed home.