I really enjoyed the course, which I realize makes me a sick, sick person - it was hilly and challenging, but that also kept things interesting. There was alot to look at along the course: downtown shops, Christmas lights, million dollar homes, the waterfront, so at least I was never bored on this run. (can't say the same for running at home on the canal bank gazing at the same stand of sagebrush. Ooooohhhh, Ahhhhhh.)
The hardest part of the race was the last 3 miles. You run through the Arboretum and it never seems to end. It keeps going, and going and going and going and....oh, sorry, got carried away. Anyways, then in the last mile there's alot of downhill action which at that point was killing my knees. Felt like my kneecaps were going to pop off sideways and run away.
I felt really good about this race (does this count as a race or just an "experience"?). I was able to keep up with Kendra the whole time, and pretty much ran the entire 13.1 miles, with the exception of some hills. My average mile time was 11:13 (yuck) but that takes into account the time spent walking halfway up the hills, one potty stop, and walking throught the aid stations. My nike+ recorded a pace of around 8:30/9:00 per mile when I was actually running - those potty stops really screw up your overall average. Would I do this race again? Not sure, but I had a good time doing this one.
Kendra & I getting ready to cross the finish line
What's next? Well I've been taking some time off for about the last week, which has felt fantastic! But I think I'm ready to get back into working out - just maintenance at this point, no actual training. Training will start once I'm finished coaching basketball (otherwise I stress about not fitting in workouts). I'm thinking lots of strength training, core work, pilates and some quality time bonding with my bike trainer. And some running as soon as my foot decides to heal itself. Stupid plantar fasciitis.
