First Half-Marathon whoo hoo!

I did it!!  

Start line with Sunny!  Love this girl!

Thanks to Sunny for encouraging me that we could do this and training with me! And Cassie being super consistent and always up for a long run, even though she was out of town and couldn't do the race.  We ran Tuesdays and Thursdays about 4 miles each time and then starting November on Saturdays we would add on about .5 mile each week.  Five and half miles beginning of November, then 6 miles the next week, 6.5, 7 etc until we were up to 13 miles in February.  By the end I was so tired of training.  Those 2 hour runs felt endless. It was nice to have Kelli join us for a run on one Saturday and it was nice that all 3 of us would usually do the long ones together so we could keep the conversation going. Our pace was usually in the low 10 min/miles or high 9min/miles.

Race Day February 25

I got up about 3:30 am and rode with the Hyatt's over to the finish line at Riverview shopping center near Bass Pro Shop then took a bus to the start line at Greenfield and McDowell.  We were there pretty early this time and had tried to stay close to the heaters.  We met a man visiting from Illinois for the Cubs spring training, he was shocked we had 4 kids each!

 6:29 start

 I liked the national anthem and the fireworks at the start line.  My slowest mile was the first one at 12:21 min/mile pace.  Partly because you can't run with so many people at the start line and partly because our feet were numb and frozen.  I wonder if starting closer to the front would help, or if I would just get trampled.  My next 8 miles were in the 9 min/mile range.  I stayed with Jacob, Sunny, and Bert and Kelli until about mile 7, then Jacob stayed back to slow down.  Then I stayed with Sunny until about mile 10.  It was harder for me once we separated to not focus on how painful it was but she was trying to get under 2 hours and I didn't want to hold her back.  My last few miles were in the low 10s, I'd used up all my energy a little too soon.

Fastest miles was 8:57 running down Brown between Lindsey and Gilbert road.  I'd love if I could get under 9 minutes more often!  First time I've even been lower than 9 minutes, so I'm proud of those few seconds!

Marti took my older 3 kids the night before then she got them donuts and waiting on Alma School right before Bass Pro drive, I think they got there way too early because the kids were freezing and tired of waiting but they ran with me for a little bit.  It was cute!  Matt brought Miles to dunkin' donuts on Gilbert and Brown to cheer me on and I recognized a few other people along the route as well.

Friends at the start line!  Sun is just starting to come up, it was pretty dark. Front Me and Sunny, Jacob her husband next time her.  Next row Bert and Kelli and her 3 brothers behind her.

Race Results:

Erin  Whitmer 

bib number:

5118 

overall place:

1675  out of 3966 

division:

F 30-34 

division place:

140  out of 349 

gender place:

765  out of 2361 

6.9 miles:

1:06:56  (pace: 9:42 , rank: 1577 )

last 10k:

59:56  (pace: 9:40 , rank: 1849 )

clock time:

2:09:41 

net time:

2:06:51 

pace:

9:41  (based on net time)

I wanted to get less than a 10 minute mile pace.  I'm scared to think how much training it would take to get less than 2 hours.  

Me, Sunny, our friend Stephanie who has done it a few times now.  We realized she wasn't that far behind me so maybe I can train with her next.

When you set a personal record you get to ring the bell!  So even though it was my first half it was still a personal record I guess!

Some things I might do differently.  I bought a band in for my waist to hold a granola bar and my phone but I think it was too tight and around mile 12 my back started to hurt which it had never done before.  It was hard to know how much to wear.  I was cold at the start and the first mile but after that I wasn't hot until about mile 12 near Westwood High school either.  I figured out I have to wear a ear band or my ear need to pop after 7 or more miles.

I was proud to run 75 miles in Febraury and 60 miles in January.  I did yoga pretty often too to help strength train and stretch everything out.  I should probably work on more strength and faster sprints on my shorter days.  I just signed up for the half again.  My friend Sunny found out she was pregnant right after this race and moved across town so I won't have her to run with this time.  I hope I survive it again!