Mercy Heart Mini-Marathon - 15K - Run15k

Well when the gun went off I just ran to get out of the crowd. Settled down about 400 meters off the starting line and ran w/ a group of guys. The first hill didn't feel like much since all of our adreneline was pumping like crazy. We hit it around 6:20 firs mile and I thought I was going to be screwed because I was looking to run it in 6:45/7:00 first mile. Ah well, just keep running and see how it goes. The rolling hills started kicking in and the pack really thinned out. I ran by myself from about the 2 mile mark to 4 1/2. Another guy and I ran together at the turnaround and he really helped keep my head in the game. At this time I found my groove and kept a decent pace. I never had a problem breathing, but my legs were getting heavier as the race kept going along. Those hills were def. taking their toll. Him and I stayed together until about mile 8 where you have the last huge hill to hit. I ended up tagging along w/ a group of guys who attacked the hill pretty hard, and once I got the the top it was all striding from there! I hit the 9 mile mark around 1 hour exactly and just couldn't believe I was running this fast on this course! I kept a good pace towards the end and really took in the crowd towards the finish. It was a great feeling to be back into races, and knowing I was in better shape than I anticipated!

Nothing, I would say run out slower, but I felt good and not like I was pushing too hard. I would try to hang w/ some of the other groups next time to push the middle part of the race more.

Once we hit the end of the finish line I grabbed my medal and water, had them take off the timing chip and waited for Fritz and Bmac. They both ran pretty well, but I know they wanted to do better. I met up w/ my dad and the guys and we went to a local bar to grab lunch. Nice and relaxing. Then headed home to sleep for a couple hours :)


I need to get some shoes that fit properly b/c I'm getting blisters on any run past 6 miles. That would be it, but I don't know if that would help.


This is a great race that the community really comes together to help out with. It's for a great cause and the volunteers there are so great and helpful! The course is a difficult one, but once you finish it you have a sense of accomplishment. I would recommend anyone who wants a challenging 15K to do this one!