Redemption Run

Sunday was the Wounded Warrior half marathon and I was bound and determined to have a solid run.  Not a PR or anything, just a run that I was not disappointed in.  As stated the past two years were less than stellar.  So Saturday I did a 10K with Lauren and we ran together just chatting.  It was a crowded course and we were in no hurry.  Averaged around a 9:30 pace.  Saturday night I went to bed in hopes to get 7 hours of sleep.  I was close.

Wounded Warrior was slated to start at 6:45 AM to beat the summer heat.  When the alarm went off at 5:30 I woke up pretty easily.  I was tired because it was so early, but felt pretty good.  When I was getting ready I heard it, the sound of giant raindrops hitting my skylight.  So, I decide on a wardrobe change and grab an extra outfit to ride home.  By the time I get to the race site and get my packet it was  a downpour.  We are all hiding in the parking garage was the rain, lightning and thunder.  Mother Nature is doing her best to cancel this race.

The race ends up getting delayed over an hour.  The course is on a trail that runs by a river (that always floods), the dam was overflowing, so we had a slight detour up and over the dam.  It rained on us for the first several miles (7 or 8 for me), but we still got to run the race.  Temperature wise, it was the coolest Wounded Warrior to date.

I started off strong and was on track to be sub 1:50, but I kind of feel apart around mile 8.  At that point, I didn’t really care.  I was soaked to the bone, my shoes we holding about 2 lbs of water weight (slightly exaggerated, but you get the idea), and yet I was on track to finish with a respectable time.  So I just coasted in, ended up talking to a few fellow runners and finished in 1:55:46.  They changed the medal this year, which is nice because the last two years were very similar. 

Success – finally a Wounded Warrior I am not ashamed of my time!

Mile 8 - Steeplechase portion! - The river is only supposed to be on the right of the sidewalk, not the left!

Bling!

Side note: Yesterday at the gym, I did 15 regular pushups.  I thought my pushup goal was going to be harder than my plank goal, but I believe I thought wrong!