Run from the Sun Half Marathon Recap (1:30.18)

So I may or may not have broadcasted that I was running a “half marathon” last Saturday.  *You know what they say, if you don’t blog about it-it doesn’t exist in real life. My parents and two of my brothers were able to attend graduation, so my older brother, dad and I ran a race nearby.  (Doug ran the 10k and dad and I-the half…Matt couldn’t run because he is still recovering from his stress fracture).    

The course was notably long (it’s hard to make a loop course the “exact” right distance.  It ended up being a 13.33 mile race, but I wasn’t too concerned.  I was doing this as a family affair.   My training won’t expect any PR’s until the Fall but I’m okay with that.

It was fun and I really enjoyed the race either way.  Anyways-the morning started off with me forgetting my running shoes…all of them…in the hotel room.  We arrived at the race at 7:00am (it started at 8) and drove back to the hotel and got there for real (and ready?)  at 7:45.

Then at 7:55 am,  I found out that there would only be 2 water stations!  (for a hot half!).  So I decided to carry (yes bootleg style) carry a water bottle with me.  I don’t regret that.

The race itself was hot, hilly and long.

There were no terribly steep hills, but enough rolling hills that it wasn’t going to make it a PR environment even on a good day.  The thing was though, the rest of the course was in 1-2 mile stretches (so you could see a mile up)…so you had to watch for about 7 minutes coming closer and closer to this hill.

The straight aways (heat boxes as I called them) were just hot.  I got a lot of people saying on dailymile (and it kind of pissed me off-honestly) that told me I had no idea of the heat when I posted that it was 65 at the race starting point.

Well-it was 65 at the racing start and 83 at the finish.  There was 100% no shade because it was in corn fields.  It was hot, and honestly a bit dangerous of race conditions in my personal opinion.  So the sun was beating straight down on you.  There were 2 water stops for the entire 13.33 miles. 

So yes it was hot.

And yes there was someone that passed out because of the heat (at the end).  That is why I ran with a water bottle. 

Anyways-I finished the 13.33 miles in 1:30:18.  That is a 6:46 pace or a 1:28.40 for a 13.1 mile race (roughly) 

Question for you:

Have you ever run a first year race?  Was it organized?

Have you ever (would you) run with a water bottle?