Finished! (The Other Half in Moab)

Yay! I did it!  Actually made it, participated, and finished The Other Half in Moab on October 19, 2014.  I did it in 2:14.  This put me at a 10:11 mm pace, 498 out of 1095 runners, and 36 out of 115 in my F40-44 age group.  These results are what I'm going to use as my baseline, and I'm going to do speedwork and try to do more than just finish next time.  Now, to find a late winter half that I can train for, through the winter.  Have to keep the momentum...

Half Marathon Training...in the Rain

Yesterday's training called for 8 miles.  Yesterday's forecast called for weather in the 50s, and rain, which it delivered.  Because I'm slow and it takes me 80 minutes to run 8 miles, I opted to run after work. Which meant in the chilly rain, and dark.  The windbreaker set that I purchased for $20 in Alabama last year wasn't water resistant, I quickly learned. Not that I 100% thought it would be, but I was hoping.

The first half of the run involved plodding through, and jumping over, puddles, because it was actually raining for real. Not pouring, not drizzle, but a steady, sopping rain. My feet would be cold and soaked, and then I would forget about them until the next puddle. My clothes stuck to my skin (running tights under the windbreaker bottoms, long-sleeve top under the windbreaker upper shell, baseball hat, gloves) and made movement a little interesting/pullish.

But, having said all that - I did it! I did the whole eight miles, and felt great.  The 8 stopped about a half mile from the house, so I wound up jogging the rest of the way home, because I was getting cold walking.  Hot shower and jammies was my immediate next step, which was awesome.

My remaining long run prior to the half next Sunday, is 9 this Sunday.  The weather's supposed to be great.