Race History So Far

I realized that I have not been putting my times on here and there are some prior races as well.  I'd like to keep track on here so I'll start that with the next one. 

Here is a list of half marathon races/times/average pace that I have done so far:

1. 2001 Lake Mary Half Marathon 2:28:05/11:18
2. 2004 Tucson Half Marathon 2:15:34/10:20
3. 2004 Phoenix Rock & Roll Half 2:11:11/10:00
4. 2005 Phoenix RNR Half 2:16:27/10:24
5. 2006 Tucson (Penguin) Half Marathon 2:21:03/10:46
6. 2006 Phoenix RNR Half 2:23:32/10:57
7. 2007 Phoenix RNR Half 2:20:51/10:45
8. 2008 San Diego Half 2:39:32/12:10
9. 2009 Nike Women's Half Marathon 2:35:58/11:54
10. 2010 St. Louis Half 2:26:44/11:12
11. 2010 Portland Half 2:32:39/11:39
12. 2010 Women's Half Marathon (Scottsdale) 2:29:02/11:22
13. 2010 Runner's Den/Fiesta Bowl Half Marathon 2:28:08/11:18
14. 2011 Carlsbad Half Marathon 2:31:22/11:33
15. 2011 IMS Arizona Half Marathon 2:35:38/11:52

So now there is full disclosure.   Yep, definitely getting slower after my peak in 2004.  I'm hoping that if I train more that I will see an improvement in my times.  Right now, I'm working to stay under 2:35:00.  I'll adjust that goal if I start to see my times do better.  I do not plan to do another half marathon until November so I have some time after resting during the summer to get in some good training (hopefully)!

IMS Arizona Half Marathon Race Recap - Don't Get Cocky

Arizona weather is sometimes unpredictable.  Lucky me, after a week of beautiful weather, it rained on race day.  The first few miles were not bad, but the last two had stinging/hard rain.  Yeah, not a fan.

The "Don't Get Cocky" reference in my title is because I had Mexican food the night before the race.  We tried to go to Old Spaghetti Factory, but it was too busy and we were with some friends that had three kids past their bedtime.  I thought it would be fine.  I mean, c'mon this was my 15th, what was the harm in NOT doing pasta the night before a race?  Oh boy, did I learn my lesson.  About mile 7, I had awful stomach cramps, the kind where if I ran, it felt like someone was punching me in the gut with each step.  So I started to walk more.  I do not like port-o-potties, but when I saw the one at mile 9, I swear it was like there was a light around it and angels were singing.  Yeah, an exaggeration, but that was the relief I felt in seeing it.  

I was able to finish and it was not my best time, but I was just going for the finish and it was not too far off my other slower times.  I'm going to start posting my times on here - 2:35:38.  I plan to do a list of all my half marathons so far in another post.  Sometimes, you have to have a bad race to appreciate the good ones. :)  It's also good for me to remember that a bad race is nothing compared to battling the illnesses and challenges in life.

So #15 for Gary Guntli is done and I'm looking forward to giving him the medal in March!  A little bonus is that I posted a photo that I took at the expo with the leprechaun from the Kiss Me I'm Irish Race that will take place in March and they donate $1 to fight prostate cancer for posting it on Facebook.  I plan to donate more too.

A big thank you to Karl for driving out to the west side, cheering me on and having an army blanket in his car.  I'm very lucky he supports my running habit.  :)  I also appreciate Pelle for driving us to the race and waiting an hour after he finished to cheer me on as well. I do not plan on doing another half marathon until November, but have some other smaller races (10K, 8K, 5K) which will be fun!

IMS Half Marathon - #15 - in honor of Gary Guntli

So #15 is tomorrow!  I'm so not prepared for this one.  I got sick (sinus infection and bronchitis) so it meant pretty much taking off the last few weeks.  I'm hoping just to finish.  I am dedicating it in honor of K's Uncle Gary who battled prostate cancer and is doing well.  He's an awesome, positive guy that does so much for his family.

Carlsbad Race Report

So this is pretty late, but Carlsbad was awesome!  It was a little hilly, but not too bad and I have no shame in walking up the hills.  :)   It was one of the most beautiful courses I have done and I could not believe that I was lucky enough to run most of it with a view of the ocean.  I even saw some dolphins!  San Diego was one of Di's favorite places so it was a perfect race to dedicate in her memory.  Now I just need to drop off the medal to her husband!