I know this post is a tad overdue since my half was like almost three weeks ago, but better late than never right??
So the Emerald City Half Marathon in Dublin, Ohio. For starters...I really liked this race. A lot smaller than Cap City...only about 3,500 racers which was a good number....not too crowded. The thing I really liked though about this race was the course. Not too many hills, so it was relatively flat...just a few minor inclines, nothing I wasn't used to. But the best part was that about 6 miles of the course was on the residential bike/walking path so it was scenic and nicely paved...and better yet, it went through some nice shaded wooded areas which was a welcoming site with the sun coming up and the heat and humidity rising...a true treat indeed.
Overall I felt pretty good going into this race. I don't think I was quite as prepared as Cap City as I didn't do quite as much cross training as I would have liked, but running wise I was prepared. During the first part of the race I felt pretty strong...felt good....until mile 9 when I started to feel a twinge in my right knee that started to bother me...I slowed down a little but pushed on. The next 4 miles were tough, though when I got to mile 12 I just tried my best to ignore the twinge in my knee and the fatigue I was feeling from the heat and humidity. The pain in my knee wasn't unbearable, it was just annoying more than anything. On a pain level of 1-10 I would have given it a 4-5. When I finally saw the finish line I was almost in tears though...I was just ready for it to be over...by now it was after 9 am and the sun was out and it was getting pretty hot and muggy. Shortly after I crossed the finish line I saw my hubby who was waiting for me and I just hugged him and cried...I was so tired and wasn't feeling too good. He lead me over to where the water, cold towels and sprinkler system were and pretty much shoved me under the sprinkler...boy did that ever feel good!! So thankful for the iced towels too!! After having a yummy blueberry bagel and some awesome Snowville Creamery chocolate milk (boy is that stuff ever good!!) I began to feel a lot better. Sad part was that I totally forgot to go over to Buffalo Wild Wings for some of their awesome wings...still bummed about that.
So considering I was dealing with my knee and the heat and all, I really wasn't expecting much with my race time, but surprisingly I beat my Cap City time be about 6 minutes coming in at 2:08:53!! Was really tickled about that and very, very surprised.
So these last few weeks I've just been taking it easy...not running every single day and not running too far and not caring how fast I'm going...running just to run which is such a nice change of pace. I'm ready to get back to the joy of running again :)
So I just want to take the time to thank my hubby and kids for supporting me and my weird running habit...thanks for being my cheerleaders!! To my awesome sister who is always so willing to give me a place to stay when I come her direction...love ya sissy!! To my friends and family that prayed for me, gave me encouragement, texted me while I was running my race and for all that you do to support me...which also includes reading my countless running posts on Facebook....thank you so much!! It means so much to me!!
So onto other things and one of the main reasons why this post is so late in being written...my hubby and I just renewed our wedding vows yesterday. On Tuesday we celebrate our 25th anniversary and my hubby decided to surprise me with having us do a vow renewal ceremony with our closest family and friends. It was so beautiful and everything I had hoped it would be...I truly am very, very blessed. :)
So as far as my running goes, I'm pretty much done with any major races for the year. I do have a local 5K this coming Saturday called the Bacon and Legs 5K...which they are serving bacon at the finish line so this should be fun :). I am kicking around doing the Hot Chocolate 5K/15K again this year, but I'm thinking of doing the 15K this time because they do have a pretty sweet medal for those who do the 15K...not sure about that one yet, but I'm sure you'll hear about it if I do.
Well I think that's about all for now. Until next time, have an awesome Autumn season!!
