3M Half Marathon - RunHalf Marathon

This race started out great with everyone seeded fairly well. I didn't have to dodge and weave, the starting roads were very wide and the crowd orderly. It was pretty dark for the first 30 mins or so, but pleasantly warm and a little misty. I was worried I would be hot at first, but when the crowd really broke up I got enough breeze and was VERY comfortable. Sweaty, yes, but never the hot panic of most of my summertime races. Victory! It also helped to remind myself that it was FAR superior to where I could be running in Minnesota and to suck it up.

The first 6 or so miles went pretty well. The first half is relatively more challenging, so I kept that in mind and did my best. I took advantage of all downhills. I also drank at all stops, even taking 2 glasses of water twice.

Around 8 or so I was starting to feel fatigue in my legs and feet. Also, this is where the camber of the road became more unpredictable. I tried to stay at the top of the curve as much as I could. There are two short steep inclines in the later miles which I walked up. I usually do walk up steeper hills and I wasn't about to push it today. But I kept my best shuffle going when I could.

I ran the usual (lowish) amount of miles going into this, but never really did a long run. The longest was under 7 in the last several months. So, as I ran I felt really good overall with breathing, heart rate, etc., but my legs did eventually get tired around mile 8.5ish. If the last 3 miles hadn't been basically downhill this would have gone much worse. After 10 I could see long stretches ahead of me and saw the long downhills. It wasn't so steep to be taxing on the quad muscles, but more just like I had a 2nd wind. The last mile is flattish through the UT campus, but there were a lot of fans and I was pumped to be near the end. I cruised in with what remained of me and had a strong finish.

The biggest victory for me in this race was my attitude. I often berate myself for a performance, even if I didn't do what it took to improve. Here I approached the race with the mind that I was just happy to be there participating in an adventure and that made the whole thing 100% perfect.

My chip time was 2:16:44. That's 10:30 worse than my half PR, but I still think that was a fluke! This is now my 2nd best half time, narrowly beating my very first half marathon at Grandma's which I finished in 2:17:58. There's a lot to learn for me from this and in the end I think this worked out pretty good.

I originally signed up planning for this to be a PR race, but after the race season ended for me in September I was pretty burned out. I had a hard time motivating to run and lost October. I signed back up with the coach in November and she did was she could, but I never fit in a long run longer than 1:20. So, in sum, I should have done more running. But isn't that always true (for me - YES).

I found my two friends and we walked around for post race food and took the opportunity to stretch. They had GREAT food and we did a little stretching here and there while waiting in line and drinking water. Once we'd dried off and filled up, we took the bus back to the start. Then we had a really nice cool down walk back to the hotel - all positive, all day.

After a wonderful shower, we put on our suits and got into the OUTDOOR POOL!!! I just floated a bit, stretched and put my feet up. The sun was a bit bright for my pale northern skin, so I got out before getting burned. This was such a nice post-race time because I wasn't totally spent from the race, the race wasn't so hot or cold that my body was upset, and we also didn't need to rush anywhere or get in the car or on a plane. All of the plans worked out perfectly and it was a great trip.

Later that day we went to the LBJ Museum & Library. It was very interesting. If nothing, I learned a whole lot about LBJ and the Johnson family this weekend :) We soaked in more sun/warmth, had an early dinner, and then looked around World Market. They closed their stores in Minnesota, so this was actually a treat for us. I would have bought many things if it weren't for that whole plane issue.


This was the 17th year and they really have if figured out. I would prefer water more often, and for them to offer gels, but it was fine for a January race which requires less in that area I think. The post race setup was super excellent. I would recommend this to anyone looking for a nice half and especially if looking for a PR. Stay at the Candlewood Suites if possible due to location. We stayed at the Staybridge Suites, just down the road, and it was great - including free laundry!