Tybee Island Half Marathon - RunHalf Marathon

This was a dream race. I ran this faster than I ever thought possible. I started out fast, but it felt good. And it kept feeling good. I took at gel at mile 4 and started cramping, so I decided no more gels. I did take water at mile 10. But not much water, I didn't really feel like I needed it and didn't want to break stride to get it.

I would have avoided that bump in the road and wouldn't have fallen. That was embarrassing. I bruised my hip and skinned my hands and my right shin, but that was it. I fell forward, rolled with it, got up and kept going. The guy behind me told me not to worry, the same thing happened to him the previous year. I laughed and said that falling over on your bike at a stop sign was more embarrassing....

Walked and tried not to puke. The entire last half mile I thought I was gonna puke- I was going that hard. But I didn't. I just kept walking and got water and powerade. Then my calves started cramping. But I didn't care, I just stretched them out with this big grin on my face. After all, I didn't just meet my goal, I SHATTERED my goal. And my husband was there to see it and he got a picture of me running down the last bit to the finish. I felt triumphant.


ha ha. Well, I guess experience, weight, etc. etc. At this point, I don't think I possibly could have gone faster.


I never would have imagined that I had it in me to do this race in this time. I mean, I know it's flat, and I train in a hilly area, but even on a treadmill, I'm pushing it to maintain this pace for 3 miles, let alone 13.1. My original goal was to finish in 2:45. Then, in training I did it in 2:40, so my new goal was to finish in 2:30. I still can't believe my time. It's almost unfathomable to me.

On about mile #3, a lady came by listening to headphones and singing (badly) at the top of her lungs. The guy next to me and I chuckled about the "free entertainment." He and I started to chat and he was really enthralled with my Garmin and the fact that I could report our pace. So, every so often I'd tell him our pace, and we'd talk about the fact that we both felt strong and good. He told me that his usual routine was to start out too strong and crash at mile 10, I told him that a year ago I was running 15 minute miles. So we continued on and both couldn't believe how good we felt and how easy we were able to maintain the pace. I told him I was game if he was to stick it out and try to hold the pace for the race. He agreed. We kept each other going, he'd speed up, and then I would and as the miles passed, we were both excited that we were having such a good race. Then I fell, and that was embarrassing, but he was right there and helped me up and we continued on. He did leave me in the last mile- he had more gas in the tank than I did, and that was ok- it did not bother me.I felt triumphant enough as it was. I didn't need to cross the finish at the same time.

After I crossed the finish and cooled down, he introduced me to his wife, we hugged and he told me that I was the reason he had the best race of his life. I laughed and told him that I was going to tell him the same thing. If I hadn't had a buddy running there with me, I might have been tempted to slow down and take it easy. He pushed me and I pushed him, and together, we had a perfect race. His wife is supposed to email me our picture. I'll post it in an album if I get it.

I still have a grin on my face. After all, this former fat chick who waddled a 6:30:30 marathon last June just RAN a 2:15:13 half marathon. Yep. Zone training works. Tri training works. Life is good.