I think I CAN!

5:10 AM  - I receive text my running partner is bailing on me due to sick kid.  It’s below the freezing mark and going back to bed would be an acceptable option at the moment.  Since I’m already dressed up as the stay puff marshmallow man I decided to hit the road.

I turn to leave my house and encounter a possum.  Holy cow!  Have you ever noticed how really big those things are.  I’m aware that the possum was more scared of me than vice versa but only by a hair.  We are about 25 feet from one another and I decide to back away slowly.  He never moves and I book it the other way. 

After that the rest of the run was uneventful.  I’m not even sure I even saw another person or car out.   The rain and clouds that I went to bed with were gone and only the huge beautiful moon and stars were showing.

Thought for the day:    "Running gives you freedom.  When you run, you can go at your own speed.  You can go where you want to go and think your own thoughts.  Nobody has any claim on you."   --Nina Kuscik, marathoner 

I took PTO to have an extended lunch today.  There is a really nice trail about 20 min from work.  I met my old personal trainer there and we took off for another fun adventure in middle GA.  Sorry, no crazy animal stories to tell.  It was just a wonderfully nice, peaceful, rooty, rocky, hilly run.  Our pace was nothing to brag or even comment about but the break in the middle of the day was fantastic.

My car doubled as my locker room and I was quickly changed back into a worker bee and now I back in my cubical.  Yes, I do feel for those who have to venture into my cube after my post run afternoon hours. Nasty, I agree....but it has reduced my number of visitors today.  Productivity is up. :)

It was a brisk 3:45 AM when I rolled out of the garage and headed down to Albany, GA.  I wasn't planning on leaving this early but I couldn't get back to sleep and what the heck.  I arrived around 5.30 for the 7 start.  Luckily for me someone picked up my packet for me the night before and all I had to do is hang around for half hour before calling her hotel room and waking her up.

Starting line up....as I look around at the different participants I notice that I see more home town faces than I see at the local 5 and 10Ks.  I guess everyone wanted to come out for this one.

The temps are hanging in around the freezing mark and for some reason I thought wearing shorts would be a good idea.  See what happens when you don't get enough sleep?

The race starts and I've decided to go solo and try to go a little faster than my normal running buddy.  So we say our good byes and I go on.  The half marathoners take off to the left while the full marathoners go to the right for a 4 mile loop and then follow the half marathoners up the road.  Mile 3ish.  The lead marathoners pass me for the first time.  They look so good sprinting past me with such grace and minimal effort.  I so applaud them for their skill. Mile 4ish my iPod is dead.  I guess a 5+ year old iPod (that has been dropped into a bathtub) can only hold a charge for a short period of time. 

This is the second time I've run this race.  Last year I did the full marathon.  They gave out these really great jackets to the marathoners.  This year's marathoners got a nice tech shirt but I think folks were disappointed they didn't get a jacket.

The course is flat.  There might be some gradual up hills but mostly it is flat until the end.  Then it is mostly down hill.  Can I just applaud the RD for that??  Bravo!  Somehow by accident my Garmin 405 got set to tell me how fast I was going for my interval.  (My intervals are set for every half mile).  As a result I was able to maintain a comfortably faster pace (faster for me) without ever feeling like I was going to kill myself.

Almost at mile 12....the lead marathoners pass me again.  OK, it is really bad to be passed by the marathoners the first time but it is humbling to be passed twice by the same people in the same race!!!  They still look good but there is a look of killer determination on their faces.  It was amazing to see.  Mile 12.5 Tommy (owner of Peach sports photo) track coach for our local running club was out snapping photos.  I'll have to post my big cheesy picture if I find it.

Mile 13, I'm sprinting in the last 1/10th of a mile.  Why it is nice to be a slower runner than your friends.....they cheer wildly for you by name as you run by.  Ever feel like a super star?  I sure did at the finish line today!!! 

For the first time in over 3 years I finally finished a half marathon in under 2:30.  Heck I'll have to go back and check but I **think** I PRd by a few seconds at this race.  Sweet!