Good Morning! Getting ready for race day. This is my surprised racing face.
I totally had the Chateau Elan lady pose down.
Clay was ready to cheer me on.
Ready, set, GO!
Love the honey badger sign!
Hydrate, hydrate. I walked/ran the first 5 miles at a little better than a 13 minute mile pace, starting at mile 5 I started running and ran the rest of the race. I took 2 walking breaks, once when my thighs and hips were getting too tight and once more when I was feeling queasy going up a hill. I managed to maintain about an 11 minute mile pace for those 8 miles. I also realized that I cannot do math while racing because I was all excited at the 5 mile mark thinking I was halfway through, then it dawned on me at mile 7 that I had slightly miscalculated that. I had no idea of how I was doing after the 5 mile marker, I didn't check my time anymore. I dropped my camel back at mile 5 and stuck my phone in my jog bra so I didn't want to keep pulling it out and checking it.
This was a killer hill at mile 10, not the best time to eat the Gu I had but there was a water station to chase it so I did what I had to. I actually went a little past the Gu station and realized they had it and doubled back a few paces but was past the water so I held it until I got to the next water station. It was the chocolate which I had not had before. It tasted like brownie batter. The taste was great, but it was really hard to swallow, especially while running up a big hill. I also was worried that I was going to have Gu chocolate all around my mouth in the finish line photos.
I decided when I started running at 5 that I would try not to let anyone pass me and stay ahead of me for the remainder of the race. I also was going to count how many people I could pass before the end and set a goal of 30. I got to 30 and decided to try for 50. At the 12 mile mark I had 5 more to go, the first 2 were easy, the next 2 kept speeding up as I got closer but I finally got ahead of them and passed one more for a total of 51. I was worried that a couple of them were going to catch me in the final stretch so I really pushed myself and maybe too hard, I didn't realize that the last 0.1 mile was going to be UPHILL. I was almost to the finish line and got the urge to throw up, there was a lady in a white shirt standing near the end and just yelling her heart out, "come on, you got it, finish strong, smile to the end." So I smiled to the end while wanted to puke on the inside and certain that I was going to pass out as soon as I crossed the finish line. I just KNEW that the race photographers were going to get a photo of me slumping to the ground. Thankfully, I made it through ripped the top off a water bottle, sat my butt on the curve and put my head between my legs before I landed on the ground. Between swigs of water I started to feel better and realized that my legs were stiffening up already so I got up and walked around slowly while finishing my water and letting it sink in that I had just finished a half marathon.
I DID IT!!
Not only did I do it, but I noticed my time as I was almost to the finish line and kinda thought I was hallucinating. My goal was to finish in under 3 hours. My time was 2:33:46. I had definitely underestimated myself. What an awesome feeling!!
Then, the moment I have been waiting for....I put my 13.1 magnet on my car. I'm all official and stuff now. 
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