2013 Strawberry Plains Half Marathon:::: Recap & Review

.:race details:.  

date: saturday february 9th
race day pick up? yes. you could pick up your packet the morning of the race or the night before at Academy Sports + Outdoors in Knoxville.
start time:  9 am [the 10k also started at 9am]
did race start on time? yes
adequate restrooms?  i didn't need the restrooms so i don't really know. there were bathrooms inside the school and also portopotties outside
aid stations:  i think there were about 6. the race is a T shaped course and the second and third time we passed the intersection they had Gu gels. The rest had water and gatorade [except one time when we went through they were out of gatorade].
course spectator support: there weren't many spectators along the race but the volunteers and  even the police officers were all very friendly and encouraging. 
course terrain:  all paved, a couple of large hills. all out in the country though, it was beautiful. 
shirts:  long technical shirts. i was honestly a little disappointed in the shirts. last year they were so pretty, i loved the design and color. I'm not sure what was up with the donkey being the theme of the race. There were some donkeys on the course but a lot of other animals too. Maybe next year it'll be chickens instead. Even with the donkey though, I think a colored shirt would have looked better. 

medals:  the donkey rears its ugly head again. it's not my favorite medal, but it is quite unique. 

would i race again?  yes 
any complaints? other than the shirts, not really. 
what you need to know:  parking is a little tricky, so get there early. i had to park on the side of the road, which was fine because it's not a high traffic area, but make sure you're not going to get blocked in. also, this course does not allow headphones [they will not give you your medal if you're caught wearing them!]


.: my race :.
chip time:::: 2:33:41

i drove to knoxville on friday to pick up my packet and do some shopping. i got a hotel room on the strawberry plains exit and it worked perfectly. i had a 20 miler on the schedule so i got up and ran 7 miles on the treadmill at the hotel. then i changed and packed up my stuff to head to the race. 

dawn and i were hoping to run into each other and we did right before the race. [ps-- she's running 30 half marathons before she turns 30, how awesome is that?!] this race does not allow headphones, so we started out together, chatting as we went. isn't it crazy how you can meet someone for the first time but have so much to talk about? i've never talked that much while running, but it did keep me aware of my breathing and made the time fly by. it was also great to get to know her better. 

we saw a lot of animals during the race:  dogs, horses, goats, chicken, donkeys, cows, and a little dog even ran with us for a little while. dawn got this pic of me with our little friend!

we walked some of the big hills and tried to make up the time lost by running a little quicker on the downhills. she wanted to break 230 and i'm sad that i didn't get her there, but i have a feeling she'll get it at her next one! 

dawn's husband took this one after the race, isn't that sweat stripe so flattering?

all in all, a successful saturday/long run. thanks to dawn for being a great running buddy!

i also ran this race last year, if you'd like to check out that recap you can find it here. 

RnR Las Vegas Half Marathon:::: #10 of 12 in 2012

rock n roll las vegas half marathon, las vegas, nevada

half mary # 11

race# 10 of 12 in 2012

time:  2:12:01

division:  338/1901

gender: 2531/13487

expo::::

we arrived in vegas on saturday and after going to in and out and checking into our hotel, we headed to the expo. we were staying at new york, new york and the expo was all the way down at the venetian, so we took the monorail. i bought discounted tickets for the monorail on RnR's website. the expo was pretty much the same as the RnR Savannah expo. I quickly grabbed my shirt, bag and bib and we headed out. I usually enjoy the expos but for whatever reason I wasn't really feeling it. Brad's never feeling it so we just got in and out quickly. here's a beautiful, no make-up, been traveling since 5 am picture of me [it's the only one i got at the expo so that's the only reason i'm posting it]. 

race morning evening::::

this is the first race i've ever done that didn't have a morning start and it was so odd. i had no idea what to do/how to eat/etc. the half marathon started at 430 so around 3 i headed to the room to get ready. 

i was a big pink mess! 3 different colors of pink on, oh well! my only regret as far as my outfit was that i wish i'd added something fun. i saw so many lighted headbands, necklaces, and stuff like that and also so many sparkle skirts! i've made up my mind, i'm getting one!

after i got all my stuff together i headed to the start line. i took the shuttle from the MGM Grand to the Mirage (start line). i had a little trouble getting into my corral, i somehow ended up on the side that didn't have any entrances so i had to walk back then up to get in. 

the race::::

what is there to say about this course that hasn't already been said? it was definitely a once in a lifetime thing, running down the las vegas boulevard at night and seeing all the bright lights! i was too busy checking everything out and stopping to take pictures to pay any attention to my pace or mileage. i carried my phone for the first 6 miles or so, just because i knew i'd want to take pictures!

the course was flat and the temperature was perfect. my only complaint weather-wise was the crazy winds! i literally almost tripped over my own foot at one point because a huge gust of wind blew my foot into my leg. there were also several times when i just had to put my head down because dust was flying into my eyes (i wear contacts and if they get too dry they fall out and i'm pretty much blind without them!). 

the course was an out and back, beginning and ending on the strip. one of my favorite parts was that we ran through the old downtown part of las vegas which has a lot of casinos and lights too. i'd never seen that part so i really enjoyed getting to see it. we even ran by the pawn stars store! 

the best part was that there was only about a mile or so in a residential area. all the rest of the course was in an area with so many distractions. the course was FLAT too. would be great for PRs if not for the large crowds. 

compared to the horror stories i read last year, RnR really worked out a lot of the kinks. the marathoners had a separate finishing chute for the last 2-3 miles that we ran alongside them. I completely agreed that this was necessary, however there was no on policing it and most of it was just divided with tape (easy to cross). also i felt like the last two water stations were not staffed as well as the first ones. there was water on the tables, but no where near as many people handing them out. 

my race::::

i went into this race wanting to have fun. this race was on my bucket list and i'd been looking forward to it all year. i wanted to soak up every drop of the experience. i stopped to take a lot of pictures and even waited in line for the official photographers to take this pic:

even doing all that, i finished with my second best time ever [brad actually says it's a PR because he doesn't count my downhill race as a PR]. either way, i'm over the moon. it was such an amazing life/running experience

what i'm wearing::::

nike miler shirt

nike running capris

mizuno wave riders (14s) with sweat pink laces

lululemon headband

road id

iPod nano with yurbuds headphones

iFitness double pouch belt

my recommendations for this race::::

get a monorail pass for after the race if your hotel isn't nearby. no one wants to walk the strip after you've run it!

RUN THIS RACE FOR FUN AND SOAK UP EVERY SECOND!

dress up or do the race with a group of friends!

Thunder Road Half Marathon:::: #9 of 12 in 2012

thunder road half marathon, charlotte, north carolina

half mary # 10

race# 9 of 12 in 2012

time:  2:52:40

expo::::

my friend becca and i drove to charlotte on friday afternoon and arrived at the expo around 6pm. i honestly thought the expo was a joke. it was at the blake hotel in downtown charlotte. we had to pay 5 bucks to park for 30 minutes. not cool. the expo was very sparse and i think it's pretty ridiculous to charge so much when we're obviously not going to be in there for long. i'm not sure if it was the race or the hotel charging the money, but shame on you whoever it was. 

side note: we had made a point to avoid elevation charts, but stumbled upon this shirt at the expo:

then we freaked out a little!

race morning::::

becca's amazing cousin leah (and her husband keith) were nice enough to let us crash at their house on friday night. becca and i got up early and headed downtown.

we didn't have any trouble parking (at the nascar hall of fame). it was pure luck, but we ran into a girl who works at the adjoining convention center. she showed us how to get next door without walking outside (it was cold!) and we were able to hang out, stretch, and use the bathrooms in the convention center. 

we waited until about 740am (5 minutes before the start of the race) to get over to the start line. it worked out fine. there were no corrals so of course there was mayhem at the beginning (there was a full marathon starting at the same time). 

the race::::

i was really excited to run this race with becca. this was her second half, but she may or may not have warned me that she couldn't remember the last time she'd ran. it was great though, having a friend made the race FLY by. the race was very hilly. continual climbs without much downhill/flats. 

most of the course was through residential areas, becca and i had fun claiming our dream homes!

the course support was great, lots of spectators and some bands along the way. 

of note::: i tried margarita shot bloks for the first time... YUCK. i should have known, considering i don't even like salt on my real margaritas, but i thought they were worth a shot. i ended up only using two of them for the whole race, when i usually eat a whole pack (6). depending on how training goes, i might use them again if i have trouble with cramping, but other than that i'll probably stick to the other flavors. 

RnR Savannah Half Marathon:::: #8 of 12 in 2012

rock n roll savannah half marathon, savannah georgia

half mary # 9

race# 8 of 12 in 2012

time:  2:17:42

division:  557/1266

gender: 2933/7568

expo::::

we arrived in savannah on friday afternoon and after checking into our hotel we headed straight for the expo. i remembered reading nightmares regarding the expo from last year so i wanted to pad our travel time. the expo is at the convention center, which is on an island. your options are driving, taking a shuttle, or taking a ferry. 

i would have preferred to drive since we were already in our car, but the website really encouraged parking and taking the ferry. plus all the nightmares had to do with traffic onto the island. we paid $10 to park (every garage was in 'event' mode) and took the ferry. the ferry was free and only about a 4 minute trip. 

the lines to get your bibs, swag bags, and shirts were well staffed and the lines were super short. 

the expo itself was very large. pretty much every vendor you'd ever want to see. we got some free stuff at the Brooks' setup, and Brad got fitted for shoes while i checked everything out. 

i purchased some zippfizz at Rachelle's recommendation. then in stood in line FOREVER to get a race day parking pass ($10). i SHOULD have bought this online ahead of time, then i could have picked it up a lot more quickly. but oh well, you live, you learn. here's my loot:

i have no shame, i definitely went by the downy booth twice then made brad go! i love those unstoppables!! i also stopped by the ACA booth and made two bibs. i ended up just wearing the one for my aunt sherri. i think my granny would understand why i made that choice. 

race morning::::

race morning was a little more hectic than usual for us because we were packing up and checking out of our hotel room (unplanned, more on this in a separate post). also, due to road closings, we had to be parked in our garage by 530 a.m. traffic was minimal and we had no trouble parking, but then we had more than 2 hours to kill before the race. we sat in the car for awhile and i made my way towards the start line around 7 a.m. 

i had eaten some Ezekiel bread with PB in the car, but i was starving before the race started. luckily RnR had water, bananas and bagels out for us. i had a half a bagel and some water while i waited.  

the race started on time, but it was a wave start so i think i started around 820ish. i did have a mini panic attack right before the race started that went something like this:

• i turn my garmin on before the race to allow it time to find satellites. then if it tries to turn itself off i just hit the light button to keep it on. 
• i went to turn on my iPod and it won't play.
• i proceeded to freak out and try to decide whether or not to use my phone for music (did this during the Flying Pig and it was not a good experience, plus i didn't have the playlist loaded).
• while this was going on, apparently my garmin beeped at me but i was too busy freaking out to notice. when i finally get situated (my iPod actually DID end up working) my Garmin had turned off. and it was time for my corral to start. SIGH. 
• i'm proud of myself for not completely losing it. i just hung back and waited for it to locate satellites. 

the race::::

i can't even describe to you how much i loved this course. it was mostly flat and beautiful. they changed the course from last year (after criticism about not really seeing the pretty parts of the city) and i was really happy with it. 

the course support along the way was first class. lots of water stations, GU station, and loads of bands, signs, crowds, and cheerleaders. i also saw a lot of first aid stations. 

this race flew by and i felt really good the whole time. i am also happy to report that aside from walking through water stations (i always do this, i'm not coordinated enough to drink and run at the same time) i ran this whole race!!! FIRST TIME EVER! [it only took me 9 half marathons to get to this point!! ;) ]

i'm not really sure why i thought i needed to put my hands up in every picture. all in all, this was an amazing race! great experience, great city, i'd definitely do it again. this was also my first RnR race. while i do enjoy the smaller race scene, they've definitely got it down and it went off without a hitch. 

what i'm wearing::::

under armour hat (from Suz)

nike sunglasses

lululemon run: swiftly tech long sleeve

nike running tights

mizuno wave riders (14s) with sweat pink laces

road id

iPod shuffle with yurbuds headphones

iFitness double pouch belt

my recommendations for this race::::

• try to drive to expo unless you're staying downtown. if traffic's bad, park downtown and try ferry.
• STAY DOWNTOWN if at all possible! everything's there! 
• if you need a parking pass, reserve it online to avoid the lines at the expo!
• find a bathroom before you get to the start line. 

rear view mirror:::: september 2012

running::::
after a slow two months, i picked it up [a little]. finished with 38 miles for the month, but more important than the numbers, i finished my first half since july. i was beyond worried that i would struggle [new meal plan, new workout plan, etc] but as Jill mentioned to me, apparently cross training suits me! 

i finished the cherokee harvest half marathon, which was number 7 of 12 in 2012. it really hit me this month (the one year anniversary of my first half marathon) how far i've come. this time last year i'd just finished my first half and who knew i'd have finished 8 total now! it really is proof that you can do what you want. i used to think running a half was crazy talk. now i've signed up for my first full [and that IS crazy talk! lol]

weight training::::
september wrapped up my 11th week of my new training plan. i am losing the weight slowly but surely. it's crazy how strong i feel though! i really wish i had one of those things to measure body fat percentage... I think it'd be very interesting to see how much that has changed. another interesting thing, i actually weighed what i do right now around april of this year [then managed to gain back the 18 pounds i'd lost plus some] but my clothes fit SO differently from how they did then. i put on a pair of capris yesterday and they literally almost fell off. it was awesome! so even though the scale might be moving a little slower than i'd like, i know i'm gaining lean muscle in the process and that's VERY important to me!

reading::::

crossed:  i am really enjoying this series but unfortunately the last book doesn't come out until november. it's a cross between the hunger games and the maze runner series. set in the future where the government has decided that we are overstimulated and it keeps us from reaching our full potential. so they get rid of so much  art, writings, etc and leave them with the 100 paintings, 100 songs, so on and so forth. they also match them with their mates and kill the citizens on their 70th birthdays. but there is an uprising and a love story involved. 

this is why you're fat: i downloaded this book while i was in tybee in june. i was out of books and i was also mad at myself for how i'd let all the weight i'd lost come right back. i quit reading it when i decided to try the fitness poynters plan. i went back and finished it when i realized that the third book in the crossed series wasn't out yet! it all made a lot of sense, but i didn't agree with everything in it. her meal plan is pretty good though. if you want it though, i'd recommend getting it in printed form vs. the digital copy. it's a book you'd need readily available and want to be able to flip through it. 

left behind & tribulation force: i am really enjoying this series. i'd started reading it a few years back [my mom had read them and recommended them] but honestly they scared me and i wasn't ready to read them. now i can't put them down but when i do it's mostly to spend more time reading the Bible. i know they're just one person's interpretation of the end of times, but i've really enjoyed them and they've helped me to become more focused on my walk with God. 

life::::

• my best friend got married last month! we traveled to ky for the beautiful ceremony which was in a vineyard. it was so wonderful to celebrate with friends that have become family over the years.
• we were able to drive up to cincinnati after the wedding and watch the reds play with brad's parents. they're in the playoffs so brad's pretty pumped. 
• i held a bridal shower at my house for another one of my friends that's getting married. it was the first thing like that i've ever hosted and i was pretty pleased with how it turned out. 
• i got to drive home and see my family and also my sweet aunt who is battling breast cancer. i always love time with the fam and it was especially great to see sherri. she's an amazing person who's fighting a battle right now. it would mean the world to me if you all would keep her in your prayers.
• brad took me to the pumpkin patch (my favorite fall activity)!

Cherokee Harvest Half Marathon 2012:::: Race Recap & Review

cherokee harvest half marathon & 5k

half mary # 8

race# 7 of 12 in 2012

time:  2:16:21 

overall:  140/185

age group: 9/13

expo:

to my knowledge, there was no expo for this race. race day packet pick up was available (always a plus in my opinion). 

race morning:

i got up early to make the drive to cherokee. this guy was super excited about my race!

more like he was super excited to get fed :)

 cherokee is about an hour outside of asheville and i'd never been there before so i wanted to make sure i'd have plenty of time to get there. i had trouble finding the start line/packet pick up area. i would have definitely appreciated some signs! parking was great, packet pick up took 5 minutes and the volunteers were super friendly and helpful. there weren't a lot of port-o-potties, but the lines weren't long, so i'd say there were plenty. 

personally this race morning was a little different. typically my race morning breakfast is a clif bar and some G2. with my new eating plan i was up in the air as to what to eat. i typically eat egg whites, a slice of ezekiel bread, and a half a banana. for race morning the only thing i changed was that i added about a teaspoon of natural PB on my bread. it seemed to work pretty well for me. i didn't have any stomach upset and i wasn't hungry immediately. 

goals:

my goals for this race were pretty broad. i really wanted to finish in under 2:30. but i wasn't going to be crushed if it didn't happen. i'd shared it with you all... august and september have been VERY LOW mileage months. 

the race:

if i could describe this race in one word... it'd be BEAUTIFUL. talk about beautiful scenery. rivers, streams, leaves, trees... beautiful! the volunteers were amazing. so helpful and friendly! as you can tell from the pictures, it was dreary and rainy during the race. those volunteers were out in the rain with us with smiles on their faces. you've gotta appreciate that! 

there were water stops every 2 miles, they gave out hammer gels around mile 8, they had water and gatorade and pretzels at some stops. great course support!

the race measured a little short on my garmin, coming in around 12.65 miles. the course was mostly flat aside from one BIG hill around mile 6 (i think). and you better believe i walked up that baby!

my race:

this race went amazingly well for me considering my low mileage. apparently all that cross training has been very effective at keeping me in shape! the first five miles went really well, and i was able to follow my usual fuel plan and took 1 shot blok every mile starting at mile 7. i didn't take any gatorade during the race [i usually do after mile 5 or so] and i feel like it affected me. i'm going to experiment with salt tabs because i felt a little crampy after the race. i also got that dehydrated feeling towards the end so i started taking 2 waters at the stops. 

swag:

we received awesome handmade medals at the finish line. 

we also got a long sleeved technical shirt that i'm loving, but it's a little big on me. brad is trying to steal it like none other. i told him absolutely not! because i was in the first 300 racers to register, I also got some extra swag:  a Nike N7 shirt, a drawstring bag, and a fleece toboggan. All extremely nice, especially for such a small race!

i am really looking forward to doing this race again next year. it was a great time, a beautiful course, and it was very well supplied. 

getting back to running

for the past 10 weeks my health/fitness priorities have been completely dominated by the plan that Steve [at FitnessPoynters.com] made for me. the breakdown looks something like this:

weight training x 5 days
abs x 4 days
HIIT cardio x 3 days
regular cardio x 3 days

my original plan was to run on the 'regular' cardio days, but when i dove into the plan, that quickly changed. during the first week my mind/body was  mess. the meal plan was such a radical change for me [not that the meal plan is radical, just more that it was the polar opposite of what i'd been doing] that i was worn out for the first little bit. and heaven knows i'm not running the day after leg day... or the next two days!

i've slowly added more running back in, but my longest run in months have been several 5 milers. i wasn't too concerned because my next race was in november and i figured i had plenty of time to get ready. but then i ended up getting off on a saturday that i thought i'd be working... and you know i just had to sign up for a local race... a half.

did i mention it's in two weeks?

my plan is to slowly continue to build on my base, and i WILL walk/run the half. pretty soon i'll begin marathon training and the last thing i want is to be injured because i rushed into a distance i wasn't ready for.

i am very happy to be running more again, and i'm really excited for some fall races!

tell me about your fall races!!

Downhill at Dawn Half Marathon Recap::: Ridgecrest, North Carolina::: #5 of 12 in 2012

downhill at dawn half marathon::: ridgecrest, north carolina

half mary # 6

race# 5of 12 in 2012

time:  2:06:10 (PR)

division:  20/31

overall: 207/361

packet pick up:

You could pick up your packet either Friday afternoon or Saturday morning before the race. I had never been to Ridgecrest and didn't know what to expect, so I drove over on Friday afternoon to pick up my packet. It was not crowded at all and it was very easy to find thanks to all the wonderful signs and volunteers. I was greeted at the pick up and got right in and out. Everyone was super friendly! The race shirts are very nice long sleeve tech shirts:

I thought it was really odd to get  a long sleeve shirt for a June race in the South, but it ended up being CHILLY and I got to wear my shirt all day Saturday after the race!

race morning:

My 4am wake up call came way too early! I did not want to get out of my warm bed! I got dressed and had my usual Clif bar with G2. I took care of Riley and headed out. Brad was off this weekend but I get the best wife of the year award for insisting that he stay in bed. It was so early and I wasn't sure how many opportunities he'd have to see me on the course. I was finished and back to the house before he was out of bed!

Ridgecrest is about 30 minutes away so I left the house around 445am. I got to Ridgecrest and parked without trouble. It was really cold outside and I felt like a dummy for not bringing my arm sleeves. Didn't even cross my mind (HELLOOOOO it's June), must check weather in the future! 

One odd thing about the race was that there wasn't a real start line. Not even spray painted onto the road. They showed us where to line up and then told us to go! 

The first 1.5 miles was downhill and then 1.5-3 was back uphill. I was FLYING at the beginning and having a lot of trouble finding a good pace. I didn't really settle until after the first water station (Mile 2). Running downhill sounded like a great idea (and it was really fun!!) but it does jar you and jam your joints. Everything also bounces... think bladder and boobs (Under Armour your bra did NOT cut it today!!). I've never had digestive issues during a race until today and that was NOT a good time. Even after the race I was struggling. Haven't quite figured out what I did wrong there. I almost stopped at the porta potties two separate times. I told myself if they were empty I'd stop. Once it was occupado and another by the time I got to it I didn't feel so bad so I kept going. 

From mile 3 on, the course was mostly downhill. Beautiful views of the sunrise, mountains, creeks and streams. I was in heaven minus my stomach issues. The course was well supported with water stops every 2 miles and GU gels and chomps at Mile 8. 

The course measured a little short on my Garmin (a welcome change after the Flying Pig) coming in at 12.86 miles. Between that and all the downhill, I think this PR is going to be tough to beat!! But I do love a challenge!

Here are a couple pics from the course:

And here's my playlist:

Knoxville Covenant Health Half Marathon:::: Race Review

Race #3 of 12 in 2012 (and second half in two days)


So on Saturday March 31st I Ran The Bluegrass in Lexington, KY and the very next day I ran the Knoxville Covenant Health Half Marathon. I didn't mean to do this but it turned out to be an awesome weekend for me (now if you ask B-rad who had to drive all over creation, get up early, and wait around while I ran, he might have other opinions).

My major gripe with this race was that there was no race day packet pick up. I know they want to get you to the expo and make you spend more time in the city but come on. I-75 South was a parking lot due to some construction so the trip was HORRIBLE. Long story short we took two different detours, I got a ticket for improper passing (and a lecture from an a-hole sheriff), Brad had a melt down because he thought we weren't going to get to see the UK game.... and all the while we're wondering if we're even going to make it to town in time to pick up my packet. IT SUCKED.

Luckily it all worked out but if I hadn't been able to pick up my packet, I'd have been out money for the race and a hotel room in Knoxville for the night. Makes me mad just thinking about it, but anyways.

We got up early and headed to the start line.

What I wore:
Nike Miler shirt
Nike Pro Combat capris
iFitness double pouch belt
Garmin
Active Band headband
Mizuno Wave Riders
Road ID wrist elite ID
iPod shuffle
Yurbud earphones

This race also had a full marathon, it's the first race I've done like that. It was kind of gloomy at the start, but the weather felt really nice. We ran around downtown Knoxville and the UT campus first, then went to more residential areas. The race finished on the 50 yard line of Neyland stadium. I'm not a Vols fan at all, but it was really cool running onto the field.

I started the race thinking, 'Take it easy. Don't hurt yourself. You got a PR yesterday, just take it easy.' I was mainly concerned with finishing. I took off running though, and around mile 3 I felt surprisingly great. Part of the course was along a green way and it was beautiful.  The course was unfortunately HILLY. Yes, I have a gift.

I walked the hills and ran the rest. As we were finishing they announced our names and also put us on the big screen in the stadium, very cool.

After the race, looking all squinty eyed. I've got to get some sunglasses to run in. This was the first race that I've done that gave out space blankets. Don't think I'm horrible, but after the race I noticed that the first aid tent was EMPTY. I knew that some ice would be great for my knees so I ran inside and the volunteers were amazing and hooked me up. I was in and out in about 5 minutes. ***No I wasn't injured and I obviously wouldn't have done this if they were busy**

Third half of 2012 complete. Here are the stats:

What am I happy about?
If I hadn't PR'ed the day before, this time would have been a new PR for me!
Look at my 10K split, my 10K PR is 1:09:21. I shaved off 3 MINUTES (in the middle of a half, my second half of the weekend!).
I ran two hilly courses in two days and finished strong.

Afterwards we went to a restaurant that B-rad picked:

The food was good but it took FOREVER. But we got to sit outside and watch the marathoners finish. Man I was in awe of those amazing people.

icing my knees while waiting for food.

he's just happy it's over and ready for some food!

As always, my iFitness belt worked great:

I came away from this weekend on a running high. Am I fast? Definitely not. But am I strong? Heck yes.

Isn't it an awesome feeling to challenge yourself then rise to the occasion? I highly recommend it.