So how did I spend my New Year’s Eve and Day? By running half marathons, of course. Yes, I am officially crazy. It is a pretty sweet medal holder that you get, and we all know, running is all about the beer and bling! This race was all about final prep for Goofy. I didn’t want to run too hard because I don’t want to stress the legs this close to Goofy, but I wanted to see how I held up.
They called the course 2 loops, however it was 2 out-and-backs on the same course. The course was in a park in Allen with a paved path 8-10 feet wide. They had a 5K, half marathon, and full marathon (4 loops on the same course). It was a small race, but it was still difficult to pass runners at times with limited space to work with and people going all different speeds both directions on the path.
Day 1 – Probably the worst weather conditions I have ever run in. It was cold, rainy, and windy. Uggg! I ran in long pants and a water proof/wind resistant jacket. The jacket saved me. Megan and I ran together the whole way and both wanted to take it easy. I was hoping to be sub 2 hours both days. As much as I wanted to hold back, that is hard to do in the wind. No matter how slow you go, your legs still have to work hard and mine did get a bit taxed. We finished the first loop, and hit the split at 1:00:28. We kept the next several miles steady, but picked it up at the end to finish under 2. Finishing time: 1:59:17. Most of the run was spent talking, reading the motivational signs, and cheering on other runners. Our last 2 miles were 8:39 and 8:40 with a 7:46 kick at the end. Overall, I thought it was a strong run, and I spent the rest of the day trying to get warm. My whole body was cold and my neck got super stiff. I did manage to get in a nap before the New Year’s Eve festivities.
New Year’s Eve – party at NatNat and Rob’s house. It was a good time, but I was tired and not feeling festive. I didn’t want to drink knowing that I had to get up and run in the morning. I had a total of 2 beers and half a glass of champagne. It was great to see people I haven’t seen since summer and they are always a blast to hang out with. I ended up staying longer than anticipated and was up later because I was taking care of drunks. Sometimes it does suck giving up the drinking and partying for my running, but I never regret it. I LOVE my running. Yes, I was lame at the party just kind of sitting around, but I was super stoked with my run the next day and that made a great start to 2013.
Day 2 – I didn’t know how this one would go. I got practically no sleep the night before, it was my first back-to-back halfs, and the weather was still not great. It wasn’t raining, but it was still cold and windy. Megan was hurting right off the bat. The muscles in my legs felt good (I had done enough training), but my body was tired. It took me a little bit to find a rhythm and I was glad I packed an extra gel for a little bit of a boost! Since it was the same course, the same motivational signs, the same lead runners we were cheering on it was much tough to be excited. Physically I was fine, mentally was a bit more challenging, but I did it. They don’t have the split times posted, but I know our first loop was faster according to my watch and we finished with a 1:58:45. Solid 30 seconds faster. Again I was cold and stiff, and managed to get in a nap and be pretty lazy the rest of the day.
It was a great end to 2012 and a great start to 2013.
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