My first half marathon recap!

[pag41989]

Race day:

I was awake bright and early at 5:30 (I didn't sleep well all night). We drove to the race and we were one of the first ones there so we hung around and checked out the different booths they had set up. We got so distracted that we realized it was 5 minutes before start so we had to dash to the start line.

The start out was great and it was very smooth for the first 6 miles. We started going uphill but most of the course was flat once we got off the school campus and onto the trail. Of course mother nature decided to hit me about halfway through and I had to stop at a port o potty. We also stopped at a couple water stops to drink and eat a little something.

On our way back around mile 9 I got really bad stomach pains/side stitches to the point I could barely breathe so I had to slow down to a walk and try to stretch it out. Around mile 11 I got so frustrated with it that I decided to push through it and started running. By mile 12 thankfully the pain for the most part had gone away. Once we hit the last mile we sped up the pace and dashed (well at least what we thought was dashing at the time) to the finish. The last .25 was a run around the FSU track and that was the worst part of the whole race. Seeing the finish line but still having to loop around before getting to it was torture. Once we saw the finish though and the time was 2:57 (we wanted to finish before 3:00) we really picked it up and raced the last feet to the finish. We then were ready to collapse... I finished 2:58:31 (I know a snail's pace compared to you guys) I had a piece of what I thought was the best pizza on earth and a large bottle of water. It is seriously amazing how good carbs taste after running that far.

All in all the entire experience was AMAZING! From the beginning of training in October all the way up to my first half marathon yesterday! I seriously think besides getting married and having Natalie this was one of the best experiences of my life. To give yourself such a lofty goal that you don't think you will ever be able to do then cross that line.. such an awesome feeling.

I am really wobbling today and I know one thing for sure, I will be taking off work the Monday after my next half because sitting here in this chair is torture. Plus I want to stalk the internet for all my race pictures and the site is blocked.

[Brit]

Glad that you had such a great time! I hope you have some awesome race pics!

[libbygrl109]

Glad you enjoyed yourself! Congrats!

[gt7301b]

Great job!!!

[pag41989]

Thanks! p.s. I am on the left.. those pants did nothing for my muffin top but they are the best running pants and never slide.

[otowngirl]

Way to go!!

[kams]

Fantastics! Congratulations!

[Vally]

Congrats on your first half =)

[shauni27]

congratulations on your first half! you should be so proud of your accomplishment! Get lots of rest today and foam roll and take a bath, you deserve it!

[cinco]

Congratulations! I'm so glad you had such a great experience.

[sassystace]

Great job!

[bigoleworm]

Great job!
Doing a half in any timeframe is an accomplishment. The time is a small part of the entire experience.

[bostonmichelle]

Congratulations!

[adcobe]

Great job!

[MrsE]

Congratulations!! Great race pix!

[jamalynn]

Congrats!!!

[clseale]

I'm so glad that you had a great experience, and I love that you can tell you are having fun in that picture! Congrats!!

Question: I lived in Tallahassee for 8 years. Does it take you from campus, out to the St. Mark's trail? I bet that's a great course!

[coconutbug]

Yay, congrats!!

[runaways]

Congratulations! Thanks for sharing!

[pag41989]

Feb 3, 2014 13:56:59 GMT -5 clseale said:

I'm so glad that you had a great experience, and I love that you can tell you are having fun in that picture! Congrats!!

Question: I lived in Tallahassee for 8 years. Does it take you from campus, out to the St. Mark's trail? I bet that's a great course!

Thank you! It did, it took us from campus up into Jackson Bluff and then we went onto St. Marks Trail. For the most part the course was great (and flat!) There was a sketchier part of town around Jackson Bluff we had to run through but there was actually a bunch of people cheering us on from their porches which was awesome. I didn't know you used to live in Tallahassee.. small world!

[thom]

Way to go!! I think you captured the feelings perfectly in your recap. Congratulations! I love your bright pink.

[boston340]

Congratulations! I love that your after race food was pizza! Your pink tank looks really good on you too!

[clseale]

Feb 3, 2014 14:25:03 GMT -5 pag41989 said:

Feb 3, 2014 13:56:59 GMT -5 clseale said:

I'm so glad that you had a great experience, and I love that you can tell you are having fun in that picture! Congrats!!

Question: I lived in Tallahassee for 8 years. Does it take you from campus, out to the St. Mark's trail? I bet that's a great course!

Thank you! It did, it took us from campus up into Jackson Bluff and then we went onto St. Marks Trail. For the most part the course was great (and flat!) There was a sketchier part of town around Jackson Bluff we had to run through but there was actually a bunch of people cheering us on from their porches which was awesome. I didn't know you used to live in Tallahassee.. small world!

There's a half here at the end of March that's part of a weekend series of three races. It also goes through a sketchier part of town, and this was my exact experience with it. It's the best spectator support of the entire course. 

I did most of my undergrad in Tallahassee, and my DH and I met there as well, through our college jobs. We left in 2007, and we are now about 2.5 hours directly east of you. Any further & you're in the Atlantic.

[pag41989]

Feb 3, 2014 14:36:58 GMT -5 clseale said:

Feb 3, 2014 14:25:03 GMT -5 pag41989 said:

Thank you! It did, it took us from campus up into Jackson Bluff and then we went onto St. Marks Trail. For the most part the course was great (and flat!) There was a sketchier part of town around Jackson Bluff we had to run through but there was actually a bunch of people cheering us on from their porches which was awesome. I didn't know you used to live in Tallahassee.. small world!

There's a half here at the end of March that's part of a weekend series of three races. It also goes through a sketchier part of town, and this was my exact experience with it. It's the best spectator support of the entire course. 

I did most of my undergrad in Tallahassee, and my DH and I met there as well, through our college jobs. We left in 2007, and we are now about 2.5 hours directly east of you. Any further & you're in the Atlantic.

Oh awesome you must be in the Jacksonville area? Were you an FSU student? I have no anticipation of leaving here any time soon. I love my small town thats south of Tallahassee, DH and I just bought a brand new house there. I seriously loved the Tallahassee half and I plan on doing it again next year with a MUCH shorter PR goal in mind. I have to say, the FSU track was torture at the end. You have to loop around it once before you cross the finish and seeing that and feeling so close yet so far away made it probably the worst part of the race lol.

[thebulldog]

So glad you had a great race!!!!

i be typing from me phone. typos and grammer dont count.

[emuni04]

Congrats and great job!

[shellfish26]

Congratulations on your accomplishment! I love your race pic and how happy you look!

[kellifsu]

Congrats on your first half!

[amellis2]

I love seeing pictures like that and hearing about other people's accomplishments. That makes me all fuzzy inside Congrats on finishing your first half!

[foodie2012]

Congratulations!! :-) Way to go!