started off TOO fast! i know this about myself, but i still can't get it under control, damnit! oh well. i'll blame it on the slight downhill grade on pavement as compared to the a$$ kicking, gnarly hills later on in the run. really, that's what happened, i'm not at all to blame. tom stayed with me or slightly behind me for the first few miles. he gave me a little 'encouragement' at the mile 4 water stop, and then put the hammer down on the first downhill, leaving me in the dust. just dues after triamerica, no? now i owe you a spanking AND a beer. go tom!

START OFF SLOWER. otherwise, i did just fine. i'm lucky i didn't fizzle out more considering the way i started off. that's sub 9 for the first 3 miles, bottoming out at 10:21 at mile 10. grumble.

found tom, put on warm ups, stretched, had my recovery drink, then headed in to have some campbell's alphabet soup and some pb&js with the church ladies.


starting off too fast. not getting in any REALLY long runs in prep. and the fact that it wasn't flat pavement - haa haa haa.


despite playing with fire (or because of it?) at the beginning, i think i might have set a pr for this race (not for 1/2 marys in general, but for the big woods - which is a butt kicker...and boy does my butt hurt!). race results aren't up yet (as bill said, since this isn't a chipped event, the church ladies are still figuring it all out with an abacus - like mr. cyclocross can throw stones on that one...they don't post results for WEEKS!). anyway, last year i finished in 2:09:47, so a pr by seconds. i'm happy to have finished even close to my time from last year, considering my run volume has been low this year compared to last. i love this race. it is one the highlights of the end of my season. the course is tough, but its beautiful and challenging. very down to earth event. it was fun to get to run with tom, since this was his first 1/2 marathon. he so totally spanked me, figuratively, i mean. yea.

update: results are FINALLY posted. 26 seconds off my time from last year. ppptttth. oh well. i'll take what i can get. feel fine today - 'cept my quads which are hamburger. still not sure if it was the race, or the race + the stuff i did saturday afternoon (biking and shivering in the cold at zoo boo). DOMS for sure though. did an ice bath yesterday (better late than never?), light massage, stretching. oh well. sort of nice to be sore after something this year - finish the season with an BANG (ouch!).