Race Report - Mora Half Marathon

Or, more aptly titled, "Non-Race Report."

Don't worry, I showed up. But I definitely didn't race. I'm not sure what it was -- maybe that craptastic month of training (or not training) that was July, Sophie being up all night Friday night, or the heat and humidity -- but I just wasn't feeling it yesterday. When the race started, I began running the first mile thinking I would shoot for a 9:15 pace. After the first mile marker, I decided that I just didn't feel like running and didn't really care what my time ended up being.

We kept plugging away. My running partner Jim was really struggling and just shy of the four mile marker told me to beat it. He stopped to walk and I just kept going, telling myself I would walk at all the mile markers. By the time I got to the halfway point, I was pretty concerned about Jim. He never wimps out and is usually pushing me to toughen up. Since I had already decided I didn't care what time I finished in, I turned around to find him. You should have seen the looks I was getting from the people I passed going backwards. Maybe they thought the heat was getting to me . . .

I found Jim and he was still having a tough time. We ran/walked together for a couple of miles and he insisted again that I go ahead. I fought him - I wanted to support him, but he said feeling like he was holding me back was making him feel worse. I kept moving.

By the time I got to mile 11, I was over it. I thought about walking the rest of the way. I didn't feel miserable, because I hadn't been running hard at all, but I just did not want to be running and did not want to be out in the sun anymore. I resisted my temptation to walk, and barely resisted my temptation to jump into the lake and swim the rest of the way, and finished. 2:27:something. Seriously. Worst. Time. Ever. Thank you, Mora Half Marathon, for the new personal worst!

Highlights: the volunteers were AWESOME. Especially the guy at the 5 mile water stop who drenched me with cold water. What is your phone number? Because I would like to marry you. Oh wait, already married . . . Also, my mom and Sophie were at the finish. After Sophie's sleepness night, I told my mom not to worry about coming to the race because I thought Sophie would be too crabby and difficult. But I was so relieved they were there (and to be done running), I almost cried when I saw them.

Taking it easy definitely had one benefit - no heat stroke (which I suffered from last year during this race), no sore muscles, and no post-race exhaustion. And later? Chipotle for dinner. Yum.