In October after nearly a year of planning I participated in my very first half-marathon! I know right I am crazy but oh it was so awesome! It all started when my friend Alicia and I wanted to get together again around my birthday (last year we went to San Diego together) but do something cool. So she convinced me I could run a half and so we decided to just do it. We also decided on doing the Pink Series Half Marathon in Park City, Utah. We also decided to each invite a friend (or 2 in Alicia's case) and make it a fun weekend and stay at a hotel in Park City. Well let me tell you our move to the Foothills of Denver paid off in my training. I live amongst so many hills that ALL of my running was hill training which made me quite fit for the Park City mountain run.
Back to the story, I invited my new friend (now awesome friend) Heather to come and run it with me because she is a veteran runner and racer. I helped her train for the NYC Marathon back in 2011 so I knew we were very compatible running partners. Alicia ended up invited 2 friends and we all met up on the day before the race in Park City. Heather was gracious enough to drive us (and her kiddos) to Utah so we could do the trip more cheaply and so she could leave her kids with her family. The ride out was fabulous and more than perfect.
The night we met up we all checked out our high-end hotel room and then walked around in the rain to find a fun place to eat. We found a place and I can't remember what it was called but it was yummy! We then went back to the hotel and decided to go out to the store to get some pre-race breakfast items and anything else anyone wanted. Once we got back to the hotel we stuffed ourselves into the jacuzzi tub on the deck in the rain! It was so much fun and we took turns kinda sitting on top of one another to actually sitting in the water and laughed our heads off for some time. Then we all decided to turn in since we had to get up early for our LONG run tomorrow. Well you know how girls are and we ended up talking for hours to our bed mate and didn't get to sleep until after midnight.
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| The gals (Heathers taking the pic) waiting on the bus Park City, Utah |
The morning of the race was drizzly but not freezing and we all packed onto these buses that would take us to the start of the race. We waited an HOUR on the bus, yuck but once we started moving it was fine. We get to the start and they have like 10 port-a-pottys for hundreds of women..LAME! We all stood in line till the last minute and barely finished tinkling before the race started.
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| Photo Op time while waiting for the potty Heather and Sarah Park City, Utah |
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| More Photo Op time at the potty Lishy and Sarah Park City, Utah |
Needless to say the race started in the rain got pretty and then started pouring the last 3 miles or so. I felt amazing and just enjoyed the race. I was so prepared for the hills that I didn't even notice any really. I just ran my heart out and only nearly threw up once which was because I ate a flavor of running gel that was NASTY! I finished in 2 hours 15 minutes and was so happy! I really couldn't believe I had done it. All of us girls finished within 30 or so minutes of each other and we all hugged and laughed and then sadly Alicia's 2 friends had to go there own ways quickly. So Heather, Alicia, and I headed back and showered and got ready and went to Cafe Rio to get lunch and shop at the Outlets in Park City. We had a blast and I am so grateful for a hubby that made the trip possible by taking work off and taking care of the kids while I was gone having fun!!
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| FINISHED!!!! Rachel, Alicia, Sarah, and Heather (missing Lauren) Park City, Utah |
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