First 1/2 mile flat, go by a church (I need prayer), then down steep hill by cemetery. I am happy about leaving cemetry behind as well as knowing I won't have to run back up this hill..... until I hear someone say "You don't know this course ?...we run back up this hill @ mile 11"......AAAHHHHHHHH. Thru neighborhood, nice view by lake then onto bike trail. Well, this should be flat.........WRONG AGAIN. Oh My ---... what moron designed this ? It's not a bike path it's a freaking mtn. Next it's back toward downtown... then the hill comes @ around mile 7-8....by this time I'm angry at the designer of this town. I comment to a police officer that I will flatten this dam town. (Probably not a good thing to say in the terror era but it makes me feel better.) Next it's to the Finsh Line......oops, finishers to the left, others to the right and on to mile 9.....hmm, if I slide to the left and finish around 1:40, who'll know ?, there's no chip for splits. Ok, just kidding.

Getting close to the end and then at mile 11 comes the hill I've been hearing about.....there's no way in hell I'm going up that. Meet a couple of runners and we talk ourselves up the "mtn".

Just about done..wait, back up Cemetery Hill... this is a cruel joke played by race planners.....repeat previous comment about flattening this dam town. Get to mile 13 and tell myself to finish with everything left so I sprint to the Finish. Get medal and actually warm down.



sleep, sleep, sleep, and maybe run this course beforehand.

Very happy with my decision making and espcially negative splitting the second half of race, with the last mile being the fastest.

proud of myself; received medal then immediately jogged slowly for another .1 mile to loosen up right calf then stretched a little.

Grab a banana, orange slice and Gatorade. Cheered on some finishers then drive home and it's all done by 10:30.... not bad at all.


lack of sleep, stress of dealing with Mom's hospitalization....oh, and a FEW HILLS.

Some speed work would have helped a little but didn't want to chance re-injuring the ankle.


Nothing like a first half marathon. I had driven the first half of this course during Lyn's soccer tournament so I knew that part was very hilly but had no idea how hilly the whole course was.

With an adequate mileage base in, motivation, and good decision-making, completed a very hard course fairly easily, with something left.

I knew I wasn't going to break 2 hrs on this course, so I could care less time was almost 11 min/mile. This race was a means to an end, a step toward a bigger goal: (full mary, half Iron, full Iron ?). When I look at it like that I am very happy with today. Plus, in the end it really was a lot of fun. Fun is good !