The course started running up the road before we cut in on the trail. I started in the middle of the pack and with a blowhorn start we were off. Got up the hill and onto the single track and I spent the first 10 minute stuck behind a line of 4 or 5 people. Finally the guy right ahead of me called out that he was going to pass and I followed right on his heals letting folks know that I was coming too. As I passed this one chick she was panting heavily, all I could think to myself was "man, glad I'm not that chick, if she's breathing this hard now and we aren't even a mile and a half in, it's going to be a long day". Got passed those folks and just cruised. The first three miles flew by. Hit the first aid station and 2.5 miles and Mike (who ended up not racing because of an injury) was there yelling for me. Grabbed a water cup, took a couple of swallows as I ran, dropped it on the ground, and was on my way. Hit the aid station at 4.5 miles and did the same thing. miles 4.5 to 6 were pretty brutal as far as mental concentration because of rough terrain, super rocky creek beds, slippery slate rocks across a creek, very narrow muddy and sludge filled single track. Hit the aid station at mile 6 and took a cup of gatorade and water. I took two sips of the gatorade and a couple sips of the water and dumped the rest of the water on my head and off I went. Miles 6 to 9 were pretty ho-hum, just cruised along and kept the guy ahead of me within 25 yards of me or so. Hit the aid station at mile 9 and Mike was there yelling for me again. I actually stopped at the mile 9 Aid station long enough to suck down a hammer gel and drink an entire cup of gatorade. That Gel stuff is abso-friggen-lutely disgusting but I was feeling a little low on fuel. My breathing and everything felt fine, but my legs were a little tired, after the gel and the gatorade though off I went and I was fine. Miles 9-12 flew by. I was really glad I had decided to wear a hat because there were multiple points on the trail where we had to duck under fallen branches from a recent storm while we ran and the hat definitely saved me from my hair getting caught on any branches. At mile 12 there was a huge tree down so I threw both my hands on the tree trunk and in one fell swoop hopped the log - considering this was mile 12 I was pretty impressed by this - ha. As I was running I heard something behind me and was thinking wtf? There wasn't anyone in range of me and hadn't been for a while, I looked back over my shoulder and there was a pack of 6 young men, in short running shorts and no shirts - oh baby - they all came flying past me and yelled good job as they passed - they apparently were just out for a training run - mmmmhmmmm, I chased them down for about a quarter of a mile and then couldn't keep up, but hey at least it made that last mile pass a little quicker. Came down toward the finish line and Mike was yelling for me and when I saw the time on the clock I was totally stoked - FINISH - First Half Marathon!!! Yes!

Meh, I can't say there is anything I would do differently, this was my first half marathon, my first time ever running this distance and I ran the whole thing, other then the brief stop at the aid station at mile 9 I even ran the aid stations. I had set a super secret goal time for this race of 2:20:00 and knew I at least needed to do it in 2:37:00 To finish under 2:20:00 was awesome. It was a great experience and it gives me some confidence that I will be able to finish the HIM I have planned for October.

Gave Mike a big hug, got a gatorade and some water and half a banana and waited for T to finish. She was exactly 20 minutes behind me. The awards ceremony happened while we were waiting for T and I managed to win a free water bottle, can never have too many of those. Walked a lot and stretched as well.


Rough Terrain...