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Carmel Half Marathon Recap
Wednesday, June 22nd, 2011
Hi, friends!
It’s taken me forever to get this posted, but here we go finally…
I can’t believe how much I enjoyed the Carmel Half Marathon! The race started at 7:00 a.m. so Tom and I got up really early and walked over to the start. This was my first super-close-to-home race. I’ve run a couple races in downtown Indy, and Tom did one that was about five miles from home. The Carmel half marathon start/finish line is within a half mile of our front door! That was awesome! We walked over (Tom walked his bike) and joined all the folks warming up and preparing to cheer.
The marathon and half marathon both started at 7:00, and we all ran together for the first 2.5 miles or so. That was really great actually. It was a good sized race, but it wasn’t too crowded for us all to be together for that stretch. Runkeeper was right on with the first mile marker, and I was super happy about that. I keep it set to tell me as I finish each half mile because I find that really motivating. When Runkeeper said two miles though, the second mile marker was nowhere in sight. For the rest of the race, she was off by almost half a mile. The distance she was off stayed the same through the whole thing though. I don’t quite get what happened there. Maybe the course was mismeasured for that mile, but that seems unlikely. Maybe I just had a GPS glitch. Who knows?
They advertised this course as fast and flat, but I live in Carmel so I knew better. It’s hilly. They aren’t big hills, but there are lots of them. We meandered around in some great residential neighborhoods. I was surprised at how many people were out cheering us on. If you haven’t raced much, you might not think it matters, but for me, it makes racing so much more fun.
I don’t remember where I saw Tom the first time. I think it was after we split with the marathon group though. He’s the world’s best fan club. I couldn’t be more thankful for him! (Also he took pictures for you guys!!) The course was great, and there were several spots where he could ride along side me. That was pretty awesome. He’s so good at knowing exactly what I need to hear when. I was so worried about running that distance “alone.” Yes, I know there were a few thousand people out there too, but all the long races I’ve done before were with Tom running too. I was very nervous about how I’d do without him. I just can’t believe how much I enjoyed it.
Wait, that doesn’t sound right. I love running with Tom. I would have completely loved running this race with him, but that just wasn’t a possibility. We had his daughter’s graduation party that afternoon, and his 10-year-old son was with us that weekend.
So…since I couldn’t run with him, I tried to embrace that I was running alone. He was so wonderful cheering me on, and that helped immensely. My typical run involves listening to podcasts though so that’s what I did while he wasn’t riding next to me. I planned to switch to music if I was feeling like I needed a pick-me-up, but I never needed it. I felt pretty relaxed the whole way. My foot hurt off and on. (My feet are such a mess.) Even that wasn’t bad enough that I ever felt like I couldn’t keep going. I only walked through the water stops and when I was trying to open a gu. For the last couple miles, Tom’s son had gotten up and came out on his bike to join Tom in cheering me on. That was super cool. They’re the greatest cheering section!
I love this picture he took of me through the fountain on Main St! Okay, partly I love it because it was about mile 12.5 or so, and it’s from far enough away that you can’t tell I’m pooped…LOL
I finished in 2:26!! I know part of it was just that I didn’t make a bathroom stop this time, but I was shocked that I finished 11 minutes faster than we did the mini. I felt AWESOME when I finished!
How could I not feel awesome with this fan club??
Not to mention someone I love who is so goofy he managed to get just the right angle post-race to make it look like the statue was palming my head…lol
I’m so proud of this race. I can’t wait to do the next one. I’m completely addicted to the half marathon distance. It’s far enough to be challenging, but it’s not so far that I don’t enjoy it. A lot of people have been asking when I’ll do my first marathon, but right now, I still don’t think I will. I know myself well enough to never say I’d never do one though. I know there could be a time when I want more of a challenge than the half marathon provides. I know I’m that crazy. 
For now though, I’m totally happy doing half marathons. The next one is the Indy Women’s Half Marathon on September 3, and I just can’t wait!
