The run started out great - I was watching my watch to make sure we didn't start too fast. I was targeting around 10 m/m, or just below that, so aimed for the first mile to be somewhere around 10:10/10:15. Definitely felt that adrenaline kick in and was running too fast to start, so the Garmin helped keep it under control. Knew the park very well from all of the training, so it went quite fast. I had been worried about being able to drink water on the run, since I couldn't practice that - it's always the small things that stress me out. BUT I managed to figure out how to take water and drink it while still running - only some ended up on me. Stayed at a steady pace up the hills, and particularly up Harlem Hill. Harlem Hill felt really great - best it ever has. Lost K on the run up the hill, as she was feeling good so went ahead of us. I was starting to feel a little tired at the top of the hill, so had my first Gu (Vanilla) right around mile 3.5. Definitely needed it, and felt it a mile later when I started feeling better.

I don't really remember the rest of the hills in the park - partly b/c I knew them well, and I realized at some point that we were really cruising - staying somewhere between 9:40 and 9:50. I started to get worried that we weren't going to keep the pace up for the whole race and that I'd end up bonking, but we just kept going and sticking with it, as my body didn't really seem to want to slow down.

Headed out of the park and onto 7th Ave. This was new territory - I didn't know it as well as the park. The run through Times Square was amazingly energizing. Lots of people cheering, ran into a friend and my mother-in-law who was out cheering. They were singing Mamma Mia in front of the Mamma Mia Broadway show. Lots of energy, all flat or slightly downhill. I was still feeling strong throughout this. Headed out onto the West Side Highway, where it was actually a little bit cooler. Had my second Gu (also Vanilla) around mile 8. I kept stopping at most of the water stations to have a few sips of water, which I think really helped.

Just past Mile 10, I started to really feel tired. My left quad was feeling weak, and I was starting to get grumpy, but I knew I only had a 5K left. E really helped me through all of this - she just kept chugging along the whole time, and usually only one of us felt bad at a time. At about Mile 12, I just felt terrible and I was worried that I had started too fast and wasn't going to be able to finish. But, I also figured this is what all the training had been for - to be able to complete the last mile. We had to run into the tunnel and through it, which I really hated b/c I no longer had any sense of how far I was running. My Garmin wasn't working and I didn't have an internal sense of how far we were running. The exit was up a slight hill, and then a sign - 800 meters to go!

W/o E, I don't know that I would have finished as well as I did - I was tired, and hurting, but still running at a good clip. She sped up the last 400 meters, and I managed to match her and even tried a smile as I crossed the finish line. We'll see how the photo turns out, but completed it at 2:07:30!

I wish I was a little tougher mentally to get over the end - I think I ran a great race and really pushed myself hard, but I suffered the last 2 miles, and think that having a better sense of how hard I can push myself will help.

On the other hand, this was my first half, so I didn't know entirely what I was capable of.

I managed not to pass out at the end - there were a few moments there when it looked iffy. Mostly, just walked, stayed on my feet and some stretching.


I thought this was a great and fun race - yes, it's expensive, but I didn't have to travel for it. Lots of fun, lots of energy.