Spring Half Marathon...Done!

Over the winter, my lovely wife Michelle decided she wanted to run a half marathon this spring. While I was mostly slacking in December and January, she was running on the treadmill and occasionally outside in the cold. It turned out that she was looking at running a few distance races in the coming months - a decision she made on her own with no pressure or even suggestion from me. 

 

She started by running (but not eating) the 4 mile Krispy Kreme Challenge back in February. It's a run I have done twice in the past and it's certainly not a run for slackers considering its got a bunch of hills along the out and back downtown Raleigh course. She ran that in the pouring rain without issue and than joined me to run the Old Town Draught House 5 miler in March. We both than ran the Cooper River Bridge Run 10k in April and targeted the InsideOut Sports Classic Half Marathon in May. I certainly give Michelle full credit for this plan as I have been a fall marathon runner for the past 6 years and struggled to motivate to run anything further than a 10k before September. I've also never run much in Umstead State Park where the IOS Classic takes place. 

It all changed this late winter and spring as I ran regularly alone and with the Mrs during our training for the 13.1 mile distance. I am in better shape this spring than I have ever been this time of year as a runner.

This past weekend was race weekend in Cary where the IOS Classic starts and finishes. The race is an out and back 13.1 taking runners into Umstead Park and back along the Black Creek Greenway and Lake Crabtree. It ended up being a great morning weather-wise though a bit hotter than most runners would prefer. The 9 miles or so of the run through the park was just beautiful and one of the most peaceful races I have ever run. The lack of spectators was made up for by the awesome volunteers at the water stops throughout the park. I found running on dirt and crushed gravel was also a lot more forgiving to my leg muscles and knees than all my previous races on pavement. 

In the end, I finished with my second best half marathon time to date with a time of 1:48:11 while Michelle finished within her goal as well having run the entire distance mostly smiling to the finish. I am very proud of her for this big accomplishment and have to thank her as well for motivating me to run a spring half marathon for the first time. 

   

Shout out to my friend Betsy who I met the weekend of the 2009 Marine Corps Marathon. She is a fellow beerrunner in Connecticut and supporter of the Multiple Myeloma Research Foundation. I recently received a shipment of canned beers from New England Brewing Company where she volunteers and enjoyed a few of them at the finish line Sunday.  

I'm now looking at half marathons to run this fall since I didn't get into the NYC Marathon via lottery again this year. That will most likely not happen until 2013. Carpe viam (Seize the road)!