Double the Training

This week begins a new phase in my training... preparation for my June Western Double.  The challenge is simple - two half marathons, two days, two different states.  It's efficient in both time and travel finances; but without doubt, also exhausting.  I've done this "Double Half" challenge twice before along my quest to #RaceAll50...

March 2013 Southern Double - Alabama + Georgia

October 2013 New England Double - Connecticut + Rhode Island

Honestly, a Double is a fun adventure. I enjoy planning the logistics and the drive between races. I really get to see a vast area of the country I'm visiting.

This year's Western Double will comprise of the Bear Lake Half in Idaho (Fri, June 13) and the Jackson Hole Half in Wyoming (Sat, June 14).  I'm really looking forward to a western race for a change in scenery. I've completed the majority of my state races in the middle of country. The Idaho course is fairly flat, followed by mixed course in Wyoming.  My biggest challenge will be the change in elevation, as I've never run at high elevation (over 6000 feet). I have no time goal on either race except to finish and arrive home in time for Father's Day on Sunday.

When I ran the Southern and New England Doubles, I trained like I would for a normal half marathon. Let's just say the second half was not nearly as enjoyable as the first one. This time around, I've decided to change up the training in hopes that day two won't feel so shitty tough.  I'm currently trained to finish a single half marathon (just did two weeks ago in Nebraska).  So mileage is not necessarily my concern. What I want to improve is "running on tired legs," so instead of just one long run, I'm running back-to-back long runs each week. Back in January, I planned out my training long runs for the entire year. (No OCD here. Nope!)

In the month leading up to my Western Double, here's how my long runs look...
Week one - 7 + 8 mile runs on consecutive days  (this week)
Week two - 8 + 10 mile runs on consecutive days
Week three - 10 + 12 mile runs on consecutive days
Week four - 10 miler (taper)
Race week - Idaho/Wyoming Western Double 13.1 + 13.1

Since I'm running as part of a relay team this weekend for the Peoria Marathon, I moved my long runs to the early part of this week. I'm delighted to say that I got week one in the bag!

Yesterday, I met up with a local group to start my miles. It was a fun run organized by my buddy Anna, who was celebrating her one year cancer-free anniversary. She is a cervical cancer survivor! Being the awesome person she is, she used this special occasion to raise money for St Jude Children's Hospital... $750 in one day!

I ran four miles as part of Anna's fun run, gave a quick hug and snapped a few pictures. Then I was off to finish my first long(er) run of the week. I ended with 7.4 miles at a 9:51 average pace.

Today I procrastinated all morning. I just didn't feel like running 8 miles after yesterday's run (plus Spinning class in the evening).  It came upon the time of day that I HAD to get out there if I wanted to beat the school bus.  As I started off, I could feel tiredness in my legs (that's what I wanted, right?). As the miles ticked off, I felt better and better though. I finished 8.1 miles at a 10:07 average pace. With that, week one's long runs in prep for the Western Double are complete. Whew! Made it!

Now I can rest up before my race this Sunday. I'm the slowest runner on our relay team, so I want to bring my best!

Have you ever run back-to-back races before? How did you train for it?

Race Recap: Lincoln National Guard Half Marathon

State #21 is done!

On Sunday, I made Nebraska state #21 on my quest to Race All 50 during the Lincoln National Guard Half Marathon. This is an event that sells out fast (less than a day!), so you gotta decide quickly if you're in.  Registration opened at midnight on New Year's Eve. So while everyone else was raising a toast and playing kissy face, I was at my computer trying to get into Lincoln. With such demand over a race, I assumed it was 'thee one' to run in Nebraska.

On Friday afternoon, my friend Anna and I began the 7 hour drive across Illinois and Iowa to reach the eastern edge of Nebraska.  Ugh - Iowa is one long and boring state to drive. It was nice to have someone to travel with - especially someone whose BFF lived in the race city. Thanks for hosting us Bry!

We had a nice leisurely Saturday morning (coffee and a magazine on a warm sunny deck) and finally got motivated to hit the race expo around lunch.  It was a busy moderate-sized expo. Easy in; easy out for the most part. I tried not to shop much, but I did snag an autographed book from Dane Rauschenberg after chatting with him.

Most important part of the race expo is THE BIB of course!

Saturday evening, Bry brought us to the Project Purple pre-race dinner. I felt a little out of place and awkward at first - since I wasn't "on" the team, but everyone made us feel welcome. (And I sure was thankful I had preciously donated.)  I met some truly amazing people that night. Their stories touched me more than they'll ever know. I left the party wishing I had joined the Lincoln Project Purple team - running to beat pancreatic cancer.

Race morning came and **TMI Alert** I was constipated. Some people have problems with going too much and have to take immodium. I have just the opposite problem, but thankfully just when I travel. So my body was not feeling light and quick like I want it to on race morning. All I could think about was... well, you know. The first place I headed when we arrived to the starting line was the the bathrooms. Unlike most races, there were no outdoor porta-potties. The only restrooms were inside the Coliseum, which was packed. As we entered, someone told us, "Go downstairs to the locker rooms." It was better down there, but still a jumbled mess. Men had no line while the womens wound down the hallway. And oh dear, hold your nose once you got inside the locker room, where everyone was pooping... Not a pleasant start to race morning. All that and I still couldn't go.

We all wore purple to support Bry's run for Project Purple.

Anna and I waiting for the start

The race began with a staggered start to accommodate the 13,000 runners. It was the kind of start where everyone picked their finish time and basically hopped in wherever they wanted.  I was waiting on the sidelines for the 2:05 pacer, but after nearly 27 minutes of watching people start before me (whom I knew I would pass later), I finally jumped in.

The race started smoothly and we had the full road to run. I tried to find a comfortable pace and just settle in. Once the first couple splits ticked off, I'd have a better idea how this race was going to unfold. I had originally selected this race for a sub-2 run. Training had not gone as planned (at all). I knew a sub-2 was not going to happen today, but I wondered how close I could get. After all, someone had told me this was a flat fast course. (P.S. It's not.)  At mile 1, we passed the Nebraska State Capitol building. Other than that, the sights along the early part of the course were basic city streets.
Mile 1 - 9:27
Mile 2 - 9:27

Inside the third mile, we hit a long gradual climb, which my Garmin stats say was the largest elevation gain on the 13.1 course. We entered some nice neighborhoods and the spectators through this area were in plenty and very supportive. The course continued to roll...
Mile 3 - 9:41
Mile 4 - 9:29
Mile 5 - 9:35

The course suddenly crunched and became congested. I could feel the slow down all around me.  I found myself wondering what was going on... Is there something up ahead? or are they just getting tired as we near the halfway point? I pushed onward trying to hold my pace and weaved around people.  And then we hit the trail... a paved bike trail that is not big enough for a race of this size.  The next several miles were finally flat, but oh so frustrating... weaving around walkers and the side-by-side friends that create a wall. One of my biggest pet peeves is people who block the course for others.
Mile 6 - 9:20
Mile 7 - 9:13
Mile 8 - 9:35

Finally, we turned off the trail. I'm pretty sure a "Thank God" slipped out of my mouth as we spread back out on the street. And then I looked up to see another climb in front of me. Aw shoot! The sun was out in full force all morning and the temps were on the rise. Combined with the unexpected hills and congestion and I was turning into one crabby runner.  I realized that I hadn't taken an energy gel yet, so halfway up the mile 9 hill, I walked to eat my Caramel GU, that squirted out all over my hand. Seriously, can I catch a break? I wanted to quit.  But as I crested the hill, I came upon the highlight of the race - ORANGES!!  Everyone knows how much I love oranges when I run!  I dodged across the road and grabbed me a big ole fist full. I tried to pace myself as I popped piece after glorious piece into my mouth.
Mile 9 - 10:04
Mile 10 - 9:34

I don't recall much of the last part of the race... except desperately looking for the finishline. At one point, I thought I might have passed the half/full split. The final miles were quite boring as we made our way back towards Memorial Stadium. I wish I had my normal finishing kick, but it was missing today. We had to make a little climb to get up to the stadium entrance and I'm pretty sure I cursed out loud.  As we entered the football field, the grass felt squishy under my feet (unlike the other fields I've run across at Illinois and Marshall).  Instead of a sprint, I slowed and concentrated on my stepping... Oh please don't let me trip and fall. My feet were like dragging bricks across the finish.
Mile 11 - 9:59
Mile 12 - 9:56
Mile 13 - 9:41

The finish pictures show National Guardsman along the finish.
Funny, I never noticed while I was running.
Wish I hadn't been so worn down at that point.

I crossed the finish and collected my medal. It was pretty crowded in the finish chute and we were being pushed off the field quickly. Despite volunteers constantly telling me to "keep moving", I paused to take a photo on the field and collect a space blanket.

Half #26 

State #21 - Nebraska

Official Chip Time 2:06:27

average pace 9:39 

overall  #3299 out of 7175

females  #1582 out of 4347

F35-39  #300 out of 817

So Lincoln wasn't my best feeling race, but it was my best time so far in 2014.  I can't lie; I was disappointed in my run. It just proves that you can't fake it without putting in the training, which I clearly did not.

It was crammed quarters trying to find my way out of the stadium, but I finally found Bry and Anna (who crushed her PR by over 4 minutes!) for a post-race celebration.

Thanks Bry for your hospitality, and Anna for the great road trip!

Rumor has it this was the best Lincoln medal in years. Score!

The official race shirt. I kinda liked it, but not everyone did...

Race Recap: Lincoln Presidential Half Marathon

This Saturday, I ran a half marathon as a training run.  I did the Lincoln Presidential Half two years ago to get their famous giant penny medal (here), so I really had no intention of repeating it. I'm trying to focus my race dollars on the expensive mission of #RaceAll50.  But then, they announced a 50th anniversary edition bling... a $5 bill as the finisher's medal! As soon as I saw it, I registered within hours. (The $45 entry fee is right where I think a half should be, even as little as two months out.)

The $5 bling featuring Abe Lincoln of course!
The navy blue shirt was kinda goofy with the big Lincoln head, but I actually adore it.
It's a women's Gilden performance shirt that fits me perfect and is super comfortable.

My friend Cassie and I got up early to make the 1:20 drive into Springfield. Arriving just a 1/2 hour before the start, we nabbed a great parking spot one block from the start/finish. Another reason I love these smaller marathons - no fuss, easy in, easy out.  There simply wasn't enough time pre-race. I knew so many people running this race (which made it fun), but I still didn't get a chance to talk with everyone. Sorry if I missed you! Lots of pre-race photos and meet 'n greets with readers (thanks for snagging me when you saw me!).

My Peoria running group (left), Marcia from Marcia's Healthy Slice (top right) and Carmen from She Runs Everywhere (bottom right). Carmen went on to run a killer race - new PR and grabbed 3rd place in her division with a 1:37!

The race started in front of the Old State Capitol, a one-block change from previous years.  I was pretty relaxed at the start and chatty with my pals. I wanted a good run, but had no illusions of anything spectacular. I've had achey muscles this past week and was actually slightly worried how painful 13.1 might be. I smoked this course with a sub-2 a couple years ago. I felt a bit sad to know I am no where near that speed or shape right now. Sigh.

Since this race is all about President Abraham Lincoln, the course winds through the Illinois Capitol to give you a full running tour of all the Lincoln sights.  In the first couple miles, we ran through the section of historic building, including Lincoln's home. Then we veered back downtown and past the current State Capitol building...

By time the first few miles are under my belt, I usually have a good feeling for how the race is going to go.  Today, I was not feeling it. My legs didn't feel any better once I started running, and our pace felt  taxing to me. I was super glad to be running with my pals Cassie and Heather. I kinda tucked behind them and let them pull me along.
Mile 1 - 9:43
Mile 2 - 9:38
Mile 3 - 9:31

We ran through some pretty neighborhoods with houses I can only dream of living in. The temperatures were in the mid-30's. Perfect for (me) running, but understandably chilly for cheerleaders. I remembered there being a lot more spectators last time (on a warmer day).  We ran a scenic stretch through Washington Park and the rolling hills began. The first part of this course is fairly flat, but the second half is definitely a challenge.
Mile 4 - 9:46
Mile 5 - 9:47
Mile 6 - 9:36

Washington Park

As we exited the park, there was a steep hill to climb. I tried to glide up it smooth and quick. I pulled away from my friends at this point. I knew there were challenging hills ahead and wanted to find my zone. Consistent mile splits are kinda my thing...
Mile 7 - 9:54
Mile 8 - 9:50
Mile 9 - 9:53

Shortly after the mile 9 marker, we entered into Oak Ridge Cemetery.  There's a nice downhill to pass by Lincoln's Tomb... but it's easy to miss that landmark when there's a huge UPhill looming to get back out of the cemetery. This is the hill that kind of killed me. It felt like knives stabbing into my glute muscles. Although I powered up it, not giving in to my desire to walk, I knew I was fading... fast.

coming into Lincoln Park

Anna giving the photographer some love
while I turned to head up the final hill.
Ha! Love this!

We made a few turns and quickly found ourselves in Lincoln Park.  There's a nice big downhill, but this time I knew what was coming around the corner... another uphill. I was not amused. I slowed to a walk halfway up... which conveniently is right when my friend Anna caught me. We chatted our way through the rest of the park, which was a nice distraction from the pain in my ass. Literally.

I completely forgot about the final hill that we climb to get out of Lincoln Park. But there it was, waiting to torture me. Anna sailed up it and I was struggling on my own again.
Mile 10 - 10:01
Mile 11 - 10:07
Mile 12 - 10:30

I was about to reach into my shirt and pull out an earbud for music when Cassie caught up to me. We chatted a bit, but she had gas left and moved ahead as well. I tried to hang with her in the last mile, but just couldn't find the motivation. Ugh, I can't remember a race where I felt so worn-down in the last mile.
Mile 13 - 9:46

The finish line was different this year too. There were suddenly a lot of people but I had a hard time seeing ahead where the finish was. I must have looked confused because some guy yelled out, "Turn left at the light and you'll finish." Whew, thanks. Done.

Official Chip Time 2:09:46

average pace 9:54

Overall #905 out of 2???

Female #378 out of 1134

Div F35-39 #68 out of 209

I didn't have the best-feeling run, but it sure was a fun event. The course is very pretty, albeit not-easy. The entry fee is perfect and it's a close getaway from home.  I would highly suggest this event - especially if you don't already have their famous giant penny medal. (There were complaints of people wanting the penny versus the $5 bill this year. I thought it was cool that the race actually offered the penny option at the finish line.)  All around GREAT RACE!

Of course, we took a boatload of fun photos after the race...

Wearing a Badgers outfit (in honor of Saturday's Final Four game) was a blast. I got so many cheers along the course from Big Ten fans. At the post-party, I bumped into a fun Kentucky fan. We were both wearing the sparkle skirts too! 

How about just one more hill Mr. Lincoln?

Race Recap: Shamrock Half Marathon

My Shamrock Bling collection!

Finally wrapping up my Virginia Beach race weekend... If you missed part one, click here to read about the race expo and the 8K run last Saturday.

Sunday, March 16...
My morning alarm went off too quickly. I didn't feel well rested, and a quick glance out the window told me the wind had not eased up.  The half marathon started early at 7am (the full marathon was later at 8:30am). I grabbed my ClifBar for breakfast, only to realize it had chocolate in it (I gave that up for Lent!). Ah!  Thankfully, I had a sample-size granola bar from the race expo.

Temps were in the low 40's (which is my favorite race temp), but that wind had a chilling effect on me all weekend. So I grabbed a long sleeve tech shirt that I just bought at the expo. Hubby drove me to the start line - about 15 blocks down. I had originally picked my hotel based on the starting line for the full marathon, which was a different location than the half, also a different time.  We arrived a 1/2 hour early to meet up for the Half Fanatics and Tough Chik pictures. While hanging out in front of the Cavilier, I found a bunch of other online friends too!

Team Tough Chik!

Online friends finally meeting in person!

I was having so much fun chatting with my new friends that I almost forgot the time on the clock. By time I walked to the portapotties, it was less than 5 minutes to the start. When the gun sounded and the first corral set off down the street, I was literally inside the toilet. First time for that.  I found my way to corral 4 in the nick of time.

My goal for the Shamrock Half Marathon was to maintain a 10 min/mile pace for the first 10 miles and then see what I had left. It was essentially a long training run and a little test to see where my endurance was at. My legs weren't exactly rested and didn't feel as fresh as the prior day's 8K, but I felt good.

Hubby found me first near mile 2. Once running, I warmed up quickly and was second-guessing my choice of long-sleeve. The wind just didn't feel so bad once we were running in mass.

Hubby jumped in the car and caught me again at mile 3. He typically catches me a 6-7 times during a half marathon. But being a cheerleader in a car proved to be a difficult task at the Shamrock Half Marathon. The north side of Virginia Beach is a narrow area and most the roads were closed off for the race. There just wasn't a way around unless you were on bike.

I skipped the first water stop because it was a cluster, but then quickly reminded myself, "Don't be stupid. The majority of my hydration yesterday was beer. Take the damn water."  From that point on, I snagged a water cup at every water station and drank on the run.
Mile 1 - 9:54
Mile 2 - 9:54
Mile 3 - 9:49

After mile 3, we veered off on on the heavily wooded area along First Landing State Park. I loved this stretch, probably my favorite of the whole race. Three miles of quiet woods with a wide road to spread the runners out.

Mile 4 - 9:49

Mile 5 - 9:58

Mile 6 - 9:54

bad photo on-the-run, but you get the idea...

I was unglued from my watch most of the race - just trying to maintain a comfortable pace. Every once in a while, I'd look down to check a mile split and always happy with what I saw... nice and even. After mile 6, we entered Fort Story, a joint Army/Navy base. As we broke out of the wooded area and approached the Atlantic Ocean (large sand dunes blocked any views), the wind gusts slapped me in the face.  For the most part, the miles through the base were rather boring, except for when we passed between the old and new Cape Henry Lighthouses.

I was feeling really good and took my first and only energy gel to make sure that feeling would last. As we rounded the coastline and headed south again, I started to itch for the finish.
Mile 7 - 9:53
Mile 8 - 9:57
Mile 9 - 9:53

Coming out of the base, I grabbed a cup from one of several 'beer stops' along the course. Hmmm, it tasted good; a sneak of what was to come at the post-party. I was trying to hold myself on-pace until the mile 10 marker; but once that beer went down, my patience wore thin. I slowly stepped up my pace, plugged in my music for the first time... and the fun began.

As tired runners slowed down, I picked it up and began passing people non-stop. It takes control and patience to hold a slower pace early in the race... but this is the reward. It is so wonderful to feel strong and in-control at the end of 13.1 miles. I found my tempo pace and picked people off one by one. I even dropped the hubby a couple texts to let him know where I was. He had grown weary of the traffic rat-race and just took the car back to the hotel. I got a good laugh when he texted me (at mile 5), "Hurry up! I'm at the finish!"

I felt taxed in the last mile, but was determined to make it my best split of the weekend. The course zigzagged back towards the beach. We rounded the last corner onto the boardwalk and got our first oceanview of the half marathon. The strong wind put a damper on any kind of finishing kick. The flags waved us in for the finish, but that final stretch seemed to stretch on and on.
Mile 10 - 9:31
Mile 11 - 9:18
Mile 12 - 9:31

Mile 13 - 8:58

VIRGINIA - State #20

Official Chip Time 2:07:40

average pace 9:44

overall #3443 of 8936

F35-39  #300 of 921

Female  #1594 of 5510

This is nowhere near a PR for me (1:56), but I was really happy with my run at the Shamrock Half Marathon. I've been slow coming back from plantar fasciitis - building endurance and my speed again. A 9:44 pace for this distance is good for me right now... so I was all smiles with the results. I should mention if you are pushing for a PR, this is a great course. Seriously, the FLATTEST 13.1 I've ever run!

The race was fun... but the post-party was awesome!  We immediately went to the big warm tent on the beach. What a set-up inside! Hot soup, cold beer and a complete concert setup with four great bands throughout the day.

One of the best things I did the day before was buy a cheap sweatshirt. Sweaty and now cold, it felt awesome to put that sweatshirt on. We hung out for an hour before walking back to the hotel to change and try to catch my friend Patty in the midst of her full marathon. After a change of clothes, we returned to the post-party, waited for Patty to finish, and drank Yuengling beer until the band played their last song - 4:00 in the afternoon!! I loved one of the Irish bands so much that we followed them to Murphy's and celebrated our Shamrock runs well into the evening.

I had such a fabulous time at the Shamrock Marathon events. It lived up to its well-deserved reputation and I was extremely pleased that I chose this event to fulfill state #20 Virginia on my journey to Race All 50. Not only was event execution flawless, but the swag involved with these races was stellar!

Thank You Virginia!

Race Recap: Susan G Komen Promise Run 13.1

This Sunday, I ran the Susan G. Komen Promise Run (half marathon) in Peoria, IL. Before I even get into the race details... let me cover the most important part of this run. It was a charity event, first and foremost...
A run against breast cancer.
A run to honor survivors.
A run to support the current fighters.
And a run to honor the memory of those passed.

In the months leading up to race day, I did my share of fundraising to support this inaugural race. Through personal donations and a variety of events, including the Virtual 50K Ride and Spin for the Cure, I raised $1,173.09. Thank you to everyone who made that possible. I mainly use this blog to connect and help motivate others with my running ramblings. However, my heart is always proud when I can also use it to do some good for a charity. So a big thank you.

Pink ribbon cookies
from my Grandma's recipe

On Friday, I put in a good hour at the local Komen office, stuffing race goodie bags. I also decided to make some cookies to hand out after the race. These cookies had special meaning - as they were cut from my Grandma Lillian's recipe. I named my first daughter after G'ma Lillian and she was my source of inspiration for this run, as she died when I was 3 yrs old from breast cancer.

On Saturday, I worked the Sole Sisters table (aka the Bling Booth) at packet pickup. The race bibs were a beautiful pink, so we offered rhinestones and all kinds of glittery stuff to decorate them even more. The ladies loved it and it was a busy busy table at times. I also made some "I Run For..." bibs that runners could pin to their back to honor someone during their run.

Adding BLING to their race bibs!

I started off race morning around 6am, dropping off a plethera of signs at Bradley Park, where fellow Sole Sisters would be hosting a Cheer Station.  From there, I made my way downtown for the early 7am start (just how I like it).  I met up with the running Sole Sisters outside near the start (although most people were huddled inside the warmth of the Civic Center). I'm a Wisconsin gal and built for this weather. I absolutely love the upper 30's-low 40's, which is exactly where it stayed the whole race.

And we're off!! Starting in downtown Peoria, we ran over the bridge into East Peoria for the first of three out and back's.

The highlight of the East Peoria stretch was definitely crossing the Bob Michel Bridge. It's always a pretty spot to run in this town, but today had a pretty sunrise. Unfortunately, the volunteers didn't show for the water stop along this first stretch, so the table sat unmanned in the middle of the street. Self serve I guess, but I think it pretty much went unused this early in the miles.

Carried my camera in the first part just to stop and get this shot on top of the bridge;
then I tossed the camera to the hubs and ran hands-free for a nice change.

I knew this course had some major hills in the first half, so I kept my pace comfortable. My mantra for the first half was STRONG BUT CONSERVATIVE. The first 2.5 miles included a climb up and down the bridge (twice)... and then we made our way through downtown Peoria.

downtown Peoria

It took another two miles to get to the top of Main Street hill. On each of the major hills (Main St being one of them), I set my sites on a point halfway up the hill, ran to it, took a walk break, and then continued my run to finish the hill. That was the plan and I pretty much stuck to it this whole race.

Mile 1 - 9:02

Mile 2 - 9:09

Mile 3 - 9:39

Mile 4 - 10:12

We then cruised a flat mile through Bradley University. By now, I noticed more cops than I've ever seen on a race course before. Several cops even had police dogs with them. For the number of runners in this race, the big police presence actually seemed a bit odd... but I guess we were safe.

By mile 5, the leader was already pushing up the big Farmington Road hill as I coasted down. Yup, he was nearly 3 miles ahead of me already! He finished in an unbelievable 1:11 for the half.

When we hit Lower Bradley Park, there were my girlfriends... the Sole Sisters who were not running. Oh my goodness, they were cheering so loud for all the runners that I heard them at the top of Farmington Rd hill! What a fun spot to run through, by far the most ENERGY on the course!

photos from my friend Colleen

Yup, I was indeed having fun on this run!

Next up was the big Park Road hill. This baby is just plain evil. I stuck to my 'hill plan' and got up it... whew! At the top, I nearly collided with another runner coming at me. For some reason, runners had to "swap sides" of the road for the relay exchange up ahead at Shea Stadium. Very odd and dangerous - especially if the race had been bigger. This needs correcting before next year.

I like running through the relay exchange zones. There are lots of spectators and runners waiting for their run partner. Plus there's a sense of pride when you bust through the exchange... "Not me, I'm running the whole damn thing!"

I knew this area well as I run often through the adjacent Parkside Cemetery. I was kinda bummed that the course didn't veer past Susan G. Komen's burial site. It would have been a nice touch to offer flowers or something to drop near the memorial.

By mile 7, I was all smiles, now cruising down the Park Road hill. Sole Sisters at the bottom and then one more big hill to climb. I got this!

Mile 5 - 9:20

Mile 6 - 9:43

Mile 7 - 9:25

Mile 8 - 10:04

By mile 9, I was back on Main Street when my friend Cassie veered off the sidewalk and appeared by my side. She was just 'out for a run' and chatted with me a bit. It was a great surprise and perfect timing during a quiet stretch of road. All I had on my mind was the big downhill coming up...

The downhill on Main Street wasn't nearly as much fun as I had hoped. By now, my quads were getting tired of all this elevation change. A steep downhill didn't help. But I knew the worst was behind me and that made me happy to continue.

At mile 9.5, we turned left to begin our final out/back towards Springdale Cemetery. I've run this route too many times to count, as it's the popular course of the Steamboat Classic. I saw my hubby and kids as we left downtown, and it gave me steam to push the last four miles.

The final out/back of the course was flat, but yet it seems deceivingly long. Miles 9-12 are always the toughest miles for me in a half. With the hills in my rearview mirror, I decided to drive forward. My goal was to make the last four miles faster than the first four. I plugged my earbud in and searched my ipod shuffle for some hard tempo songs.
Mile 9 - 9:36
Mile 10 - 9:19
Mile 11 - 9:28

I hit the turnaround and was hating the little incline up and around the Sonnemaker statue... but elated to be headed in the right direction of the finish line. As I passed friends on the out/back, I resorted to hand gestures for communication. I needed every last breathe to hold my pace in the low-9's. One by one, I picked off runners in front of me. (The end is always so more fun when you run the first half conservatively.)

With less than a mile to go, I found a worthy adversary... All I remember is a pretty ponytail and a white shirt. I struggled to pass her. I could hear her footsteps right on my tail. My only goal was to stay one step infront. I can't even describe how hard that was at this point of exhaustion. As we made the turn onto the final stretch, my legs just quit and she zoomed by. Ugh, I was so disappointed with myself. I tried to grab ahold and trail behind with her, but she was now out of reach.
Mile 12 - 9:20
Mile 13 - 9:28

I had no time goal on this race - but I'm always striving for a good run. As many races as I've run, I'm still playing around with strategy - how to pace myself through the miles. I like to finish strong with just enough gas in the tank. Today, I was pretty close to that. I didn't look at my watch all morning. So as I approached the finish line, I was literally shocked to see 2:04... With those big hills, how on earth did that happen?

One of the benefits of a small race... my hubby positioned himself right inside the finish line. 
I ran right into BIG HUGS from my LITTLE GIRLS. An Absolutely Perfect Finish!!

Official Time 2:04:38

average pace 9:31 min/mile

I am proud of this run. Not only did I help the fight against breast cancer, but I also proved a lot to myself. With the climbs involved, I wasn't expecting much of a performance... but a 2:04 is pretty GOOD for me right now. It's what I ran a month ago on the flat Fox Cities course. It gives me cause to evaluate my goal for the Marshall University Half in three weeks. I'm going to give myself a couple weeks of "real training" to try and pull off a sub-2 to end the year. There... I said it. Now I gotta do it.

FINAL NOTES ON THE RACE...

• This was the inaugural year for the Komen Promise Run & Relay in Peoria, and I have no doubt it will get bigger and better every year. I've worked with the folks at the Komen office and they are good people, dedicated to making this a long-standing event for Peoria.
• I liked the course... more than I thought I would. Initially I was disappointed when they released the course (3 out and backs?), but it turned out to be a lot of FUN. I saw so many friends throughout the run. I loved all the cheering and jabbing back and forth as we passed each other. It made this the quickest (mentally) half marathon I've ever run. And when you're running, sometimes it's all about the mental games in your head.
  
• I personally loved the New Balance sleeveless tops. I wish more races did tank tops since that's all I wear. Plus I love the fit of New Balance. Although, I did hear a lot of suggestions that long sleeve seemed more appropriate for the time of year... and they ran out of sizes.
• There were no finisher's medals. There's been a finisher's medal (of some sort) at every half marathon I've run (22 before today). So it was odd to finish and not be handed anything but a bottle of water.  To put it mildly, there were some upset runners. For the price tag of this race, I think finisher's medals are a must-add in 2014 if they want the participation.
• There was an adequate breakfast spread in the Civic Center afterward... muffins, doughnuts, bagels, fruit, juice and coffee. The exhibit hall was decorated nice with pink lights and pink flags. A complimentary photo booth was a fun touch on the post-race celebration.
• Unfortunately, the awards ceremony didn't go quite as planned. First, it took forever for the awards to start (especially when you're sweaty and cold). Then once they started handing out medals, the results were wrong and winners mixed up. Technology... it happens but still frustrating. Official results and correct age group winners can be found here.

I have high hopes for this race in the future and hope my schedule allows a 2014 repeat. It's an important cause and we can't quit the fight.