Celebrate Life Half Marathon - RunHalf Marathon

I really wanted to break 2 hours for this race, so I got a training plan, stuck to it, and trained well. Wanted my pace to be around 9/mile, and the first 5 miles were right on the button, and I hit the 5 mile mark at about 45:10. Slowed a little for the second 5 and hit the 10 mile mark at about 1:31:30, so I had to run about 28 for the last 5K to reach my goal. I knew I could do it as long as I didn't let up. A mile or so from the end, 2 people passed me, so I paced off of them which worked out well. The finish was a pretty steep downhill, so I used my weight to my advantage and was running pretty fast down the hill and passed my 2 pacers. 100 yards or so from the finish I was able to see the clock and that I really was going to break 2 hours. I got a big grin on my face and tried to sprint to the finish. Finished a step or 2 ahead of my 2 new buddies. Talked to them after the race, and the 3 of us were all smiles because they were trying to break 2 hours as well.

A couple of times during the race, I got a little fatigued mentally, especially on the hills. I thought about my mentor group, and how they were pulling for me, and how great it would be to tell them that I met my goal. That was a great boost. Thanks, everyone!

Not much. I think I could have pushed myself a little more in the second 5 miles.

Walking and water. The post race food looked good, but I didn't stay because my oldest kid was heading back to college and I wanted to get home.


I'm slow, and could stand to lose a few pounds.


A great local event that has really grown in 6 years, and it's for an excellent cause.