Race Recap: Iron Mom Half Marathon

This was the best Mother's Day I can remember since becoming a mom six years ago. My little family of four packed up the camper and headed south six hours to Paducah, Kentucky, home of the Iron Mom Half Marathon. My two favorite recreational activities are running and camping... so this was the perfect gift for me.

As we made our way across the Ohio River, leaving Illinois and entering Kentucky, I was already in awe of the richness of nature in this part of the country. If you ever have the chance, be sure to include northwest Kentucky in your travel plans.

We headed straight to the packet pickup, where I received a custom race bag (with goodies inside) and a tech shirt - both in a pretty teal blue color. I was happy that for once, the women's shirt wasn't mini-sized.  My size fit! After setting up camp outside Calvert City, I tucked in early for bed. The race start was early... 6:30 a.m.

When the 5am alarm sounded, I grabbed my pre-packed bag of race clothes and snuck out of the camper. I did a quick change in the bathroom, stopped for a big coffee and headed towards the start line (a 1/2 hr drive from camp).

I cruised right into downtown Paducah and had no problem finding a parking spot (love small races!). I headed straight for the bathrooms... OMG, they had the cleanest, most sparkling white porta-potties I've ever seen in my life! Then I found the ladies from Moms Run This Town. Several chapters were represented at this race and it was nice meeting so many great mommas!

My goal for this race was to have fun... find my race happy mojo again. I purposely left the Garmin at home and went old school with a regular stopwatch to record my splits. I knew I was back in the Bible Belt when there was a pre-race prayer, similar to my Alabama race. I like it, but it just doesn't happen anywhere else. The starting gun went off and I ran by feel - which means I went out too fast. The 2-hour pacer (and his big pack) were right on my tail from the start. I couldn't seem to pull away from them. Grrrr. Shortly after mile 2, I heard him say, "Huh, I think we're a little fast."  8:45 pace, ya think?
Mile 1 - 8:45
Mile 2 - 8:48

Huge flag hanging over the course - at the beginning and at the finish

Some rolling hills introduced themselves in the next couple miles. We cruised through some neighborhoods - nice houses, lots of trees. The little hills were actually a nice reminder for me to slow down.  I wasn't suppose to be pushing; I did just run a marathon two weeks before! Happy pace, find your happy pace...
Mile 3 - 9:15
Mile 4 - 9:07
Mile 5 - 9:30

At the mile 7 marker, I saw my family (mom, dad, hubby and two kids) from down the street. I gave them a SuperMom leap and some high five's before continuing onward.
Mile 6 - 9:19
Mile 7 - 9:05

Shortly after I saw my family, we entered into a park area and ran down a really nice gravel trail. I really enjoyed this area and the change of scenery. Every 3-4 miles through the race, there was a relay transition zone. The one at mile 10 was full of energy and lots of cheering. It was fun to run through!
Mile 8 - 9:25  *GU
Mile 9 - 9:49  *walked water stop
Mile 10 - 9:19

The final miles were standard city blocks, nothing too exciting... but we made our way back to the riverfront and a finish line packed with cheerleaders. I heard the announcer eagerly calling me in - "We have a Superwoman making her way to the finish." I swear he said it three/four times or was I hearing things?  With all that fanfare, I decided to be goofy. So I gave a couple Superman "fly" poses as I came down the stretch. Hey, it got me some extra cheers! Haha!
Mile 11 - 9:26
Mile 12 - 9:38
Mile 13 - 9:25
and change for the final 0.1

Coming in for my big finish!

While I was so close to a sub-2, I'm not going to even fret about it. I stayed true to my goal and ran this one happy without straining. Race day temps were absolutely ideal. The course was done well. Volunteers were over-the-top encouraging. The start and finish lines were smooth. I really have nothing negative to say about this race. It was perfect!

Nike tank (with my own SuperMom emblem added), SparkleSkirts tech skirt,
ProCompression socks, BondiBand headband and I made the cape.

Kentucky - State #14

Half Marathon #16

Official Chip Time 2:02:10

9:19 average pace

Overall #182 out of 593

Div F30-39  #37 out of 176

Just over the river from Paducah is Metropolis, IL... home of SUPERMAN! Being so close in proximity and already dressed in a SUPER costume, we decided to make the short drive - if not simply for the photo opportunities...

Because we all feel a little INVINCIBLE after a race, right?!