So for thinking that anything under 2:30 would be a huge stretch for me, I'm estatic to say that I completed my first half marathon in 2:19!
So in 1 year I've lost 45 lbs (125 lbs in almost 5 years) and gone from barely being able to run a mile to running 13.1 miles non stop! I feel amazing and grateful and I can't wait to see whats to come. Thanks all for your support!
I was thinking of you when I was out for my run yesterday, knowing you were probably up and en route to the race, wondering if you were having butterflies in your tummy like I get.
Thanks! It was an amazing experience, all of it - the race, the training, the events of the day and day before, just all of it. I wasn't too nervous, I was more distracted by things I wasn't prepared for, running in a pack, no headphones allowed, no spectators at the start, forgetting my sunglasses and running south the entire race, forgetting sun screen, seeing the ambulances come by and wondering if I would be next (not really, I felt great), and did I mention NO headphones! Turns out no one paid attention to that rule and wore them anyway.
I learned a lot of what worked this time and what not to do next time. So now I just need to pick another event I think I'd like to work on my time and do a 10k in about an hour.
It wasn't so much that spectators weren't allowed, I just kinda misunderstood the drop off procedures. There was no parking at the start line because it was a residential area and if you parked at the parking lot they only shuttled racers to the start, but you could have found parking closer and there were many spectators there. The headphones thing though was right in the rules, but they didn't enforce it, which if you're not gonna enforce it the don't make it a rule, oh well.
Anyway, the race was on Coronado Island in San Diego, it was beautiful!
The island can get crowded for those events....it is beautiful there, did you run across the bridge?
My daughter works, and lives down that way, she has been running marathons but after 3 last year she is switching to the half for a while while her legs come back...and IT band...lol....she runs about your speed.
Have you registered yet for your first full?
It often closely follows a great first Half experience, once a runner has been bitten by the endurance bug