Anyway, I wanted to dedicate some time away from my busy schedule to talk about the half marathon I participated in yesterday. I did the Mad Anthony Half Marathon in Waynesboro, PA again this year. Earlier this week, I did have some second thoughts to my registration. I have been so overwhelmed trying to tie up last minute wedding plans that I thought skipping out would have benefited me. I am glad I thought against it.
I woke up at 5:30am yesterday to prep myself for the race. They were calling for all-day showers and I had to be prepared! I slathered myself down in Body Glide to prevent any chaffing I could have inflicted and picked out the best moisture wicking clothing I could find. I also settled on a visor to keep any rain off my face and decided to leave the sun glasses at home.
I was really excited to wear my new kicks. Aren't they gorgeous!?
My HipsSister belt rounded off my race outfit. I lined one of the pockets with a plastic bag so I could still bring my iPod without worrying if it would get damaged in any rain.
After breakfast, we headed into Waynesboro, PA so I could pick up my race packet, which included TONS of product samples, one of which was Men's vitamins (kinda was disappointed they didn't have women's since half the participants were ladies). After getting my number in place, Peter waited with me until they called the runners to the starting line.
He was supposed to participate this year, but due to tendon issues over the summer, he was not able to get his mileage up. Luckily, they let him defer his registration to 2015!
Just before 8, we were called up to the starting line to do a prayer and hear the safety guidelines. Though it was not raining, they advised that rain could make the road very slick since it had not rained in days. That and the road was still open to cars so that could also make for a potentially dangerous run. Point was, keep watch!
I joined Chris and Carly at the start line. Last year, I did not know anyone and it usually is rare that I have friends running in races with me. So it was cool to join my running buds at the starting line.
When the starting horn blew, I sped off, quicker than normal. Usually, I try to be very aware of my pace, not let the race excitement push me out of my zone, but on this day, I was flying. I stayed near Carly for about the first mile, while Chris sped off in front. But I felt compelled to speed ahead of her even with a strong feeling that I would be regretting this speed later.
I caught sight of Peter at mile 2. Loved this shot he got. This is just as I told him "I love you!"
I stayed pretty speedy up until mile 3 to 4. The smooth pavement we once ran on turned rough. Gravel covered many areas and it was extremely uneven.
I lost a lot of speed due to fear of tripping. Though I found myself getting tired after trying to be careful, I caught a second wind after we hit the pavement again. About a mile later, however, a hill at mile 6 forced me to slow down. I knew that this hill was coming since I but I was still surprised to see how large of an elevation it was. A few of the runners around me walked, but I pressed on. I hate walking during any run because I feel that it messes with my flow. After that, the next few miles were pretty much downhill.
Nearing mile 7, I caught sight of Carly in the corner of my eye. I was now worried that I was too quick in the beginning and now I was slowing down. But I said I quick hello as she passed and stayed on her tail. Carly had a great pace for me to stick to. She teetered on 8 minutes according to my watch, so I followed her for a few miles. I passed her around mile 10 as I got my 3rd wind in the race, but I had a feeling in my gut she was going to catch me again in a mile.
The dreaded mile 11. I feared this mile.You begin at a 626ft elevation. For the next mile, you climb about 75ft. Yes, many of you Colorado runners probably scoff at such an increase, but it is evil for us here! Just like some at mile 6, runners were walking the climb. With the thought of Carly right behind me, I kept going, trying to keep the same effort.
Everything thereafter felt easy. With just a mile to go, you just sped for the finish line.
This picture looked quick similar to last year's sprint to the finish.
I finished in 1:48:40.
Sure, I was a little disappointed that I hadn't reached my goal of 1:45:00. It was something I was hoping to get before year's end. But this will be my last half marathon for the year. Broke runner! Still, my time wasn't bad at all. First, I avoided the downpour that happened, but what's more important was the stats!
Division: 1st Place Female, 25-29 (5 total runners)
Gender: 5th Place Female (87 total women)
Overall: 39th out of 189
I got to stand on a podium and everything.
Carly got second because she kicked just as much ass as I did. I mean, she did pace me for 3 miles anyway!!! Chris killed us both by finishing in 1:31:50 and getting 2nd in the Master's group!
Overall, it was a great race, just as it was last year. I think I actually enjoyed it more this time around. I knew more of the runners and those who had also volunteered in the race. I loved being able to talk to everyone rather than be a wallflower.
Next year should top this though because I will be running it with my HUSBAND! Speaking of which, this was my last race running as Lindsey Britner. In just a matter of weeks, my last name will be changing! So that also made this race a huge deal! It's the end of an era and the beginning of a new story!
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Anyway, since a lot of the wedding planning is behind me, I should be able to start updating a little more between now and the wedding day! I should be back to the regularly scheduled programming come October! Thank you all for your patience and those that have stuck by me during this amazing transition in my life! I have so much to share with you! Stay tuned!
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Do you have a common race pose?
If you don't reach a yearly running goal, how do you feel? What do you do?
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