That time I ran back to back half marathons part 2

 

This past Sunday I ran part 2 of my ' Stephanie Squared Half Marathon Squared Weekend'. This race was in Clayton, Mo, about 30 minutes from home. TheRelay and Run for 21 started a few years ago to raise money and awareness for Downs Syndrome ( trisomy 21). It was another small race. Packet pickup was available before the race and my friend Jennifer www.LiveLearnloveRun.WordPress.com was able to pick up my packet for me.

I ran the race with Stephanie and Jennifer. Since Stephanie and I had run the day before we had no personal expectations for this race...just finish. I wanted to run it for fun and hopefully run it with Jennifer to get her a PR.

It was very cold and windy again! Typical St. Louis weather...just a couple days ago it was warm and beautiful...now that it was race weekend, it was cold and miserable. We got to downtown Clayton in time to use the porta potties ( perk of small races is no lines:). Since it was so small there were no corrals and we were lucky enough to wait inside a small coffee shop across from the start with some other runners. At 7:30 the race started right on time and we literally left the coffee house and took off on the course.

This was a VERY hilly course!! It was also a point to point race. I have never run one before. We ran from Downtown Clayton to West Port Plaza.They then bused us back to Clayton after the race.  Other than the hills, I really liked the course. It was mostly residential and we ran through some beautiful neighborhoods. There were alot of volunteers and more water stops than i think i have have seen at a race.

All 3 of us were able to run it together. I loved that...especially since Jennifer DID get her PR!!! At the last 1/2 mile Stephanie and I took off so we could get to the finish line before Jennifer to get her picture crossing the finish line with her new PR. So proud of her!! That was a killer hilly and windy course, but she blew her time out of the water and I am so glad I was able to capture that moment for her! Although I suspect she will not have that PR for long....she will smash that time next time:)

Over all I really liked the race. It was well run and for such a great cause. I really liked the point to point race. I want to do more of those. This will absolutely  be a race I run again...but probably not the day after another race....I will save my legs for those hills:)

What I Wore Wednesday

shirt American eagle/ sweatshirt JCrew Factory / jeans Old Navy / Shoes Target

close up of sweatshirt

That time I ran back to back half marathons ...part 1

Race #19 bling minus the shirt

Stephanie squared after my PR of 1:58

This past weekend I ran my 19th and 20th half marathons. YES! Back to back races....#19 on Saturday and #20 on Sunday. I am not one to miss a race, especially so close to home, so when I found 2 races on the same weekend I thought "Why not?!" I talked ( it wasn't hard) my friend Stephanie into running them with me. So became the weekend of "Stephanie squared, half marathon squared".

The Alton Half Marathon Saturday was about 30 minutes away in Alton, Il. I had run this one before. It wasn't a favorite, but it was small, close, flat  and cheap. Packet pickup was that morning. We were able to get our packets and go sit back in the car until the race started. It was so  cold and windy.

The race started right on time and we were off crossing the bridge over the Mississippi River. Once we crossed the bridge it was a very boring rural course. I ended up counting roadkill to keep my mind busy and off of cursing the damn wind. It was an out and back course so when we turned around the head winds were brutal! 

I was on pace to PR and run a sub 2 ( My PR was sitting right at 2:00). I was averaging a 8:05 pace the first half.....then we turned into the wind....I slowed down considerably fighting that wind that was pushing me and that PR back. I was kissing it goodbye and honestly I was OK with it. I just wanted to be done. 

Stephanie had been running slightly ahead of me the whole time (This girl is SUPER fast). About mile 12 she slowed down and told me if I booked it I could still do it. I thought she was lying to get me to speed up so she could go home and warm up.:) i had stopped looking at my watch miles ago because  it was just depressing me. 

We turned the corner at mile 13 and could see the finish line. I had .1 miles to go. I caught sight of the finish line clock. Surely my wind blown and  frozen eyeballs were playing tricks on me...that clock DID NOT say 1:57( and seconds) did it??? OMG! I was going to break through the 2 hour mark! I was going to PR! I was going to cry...but my tear ducts were frozen! I could walk from here and still get that sub 2. I didn't do that though. I sprinted strong to that finish line 1:58. I did it! It only took 19 tries, but i finally got that sub 2 time! 

For not being my favorite course to run, it is now my most memorable! I am so thankful I ran it with Stephanie, who pushed me when I needed to be pushed and celebrated my victory over the wind and cold with me! 

We had such a great time we figured we would do it again the next day...tomorrow I will recap the Run for 21 half marathon.

Welcome to the blogging world

I have been running for 3 years now. This weekend I ran my 19th and 20th half marathons...yes..back to back races!! I am quite the insane person I have been told.
Over the last year or so I have been asked if I had a blog, or told I should start one. I had not really thought seriously about it. Who wants to read about a boring, suburban, mom who just runs...and shops??
Something this weekend made me want to do it. Even if its just a diary of my runs for me to reread years from now when I'm too old to run and I want to relive my glory years.
So here it is..my first post....let's see where this goes:)