This is the second time I have run the SLO Half Marathon,

and it was still as good as I remember.

This was my very first race in 18 months,

thanks to my injury.

So, needless to say, I was nervous…

So nervous in fact that I got about 3 hours of sleep the night before.

Typical.

[rolling my eyes]

Fortunately for me, I live in SLO,

so I was able to roll over there at 6:30 for a 6:45 start time.

The weather (as per usual) was perfect for running.

Since I have run this race in the past, I knew what to expect.

The first few miles through our beautiful downtown area is always awesome,

(especially at 7 am).

The crowd was out in full force and all were cheering their heads off.

Around mile 4 is when we hit the hideous hills on Johnson.

Ugh.

That first hill is ALWAYS a killer.

(This is why I need to continue running hills)

Miles 5-6 were okay, still a little hillier than I would like…

but that’s just me.

I was hating life around mile 8,

which may or may not have had something to do with the

MONSTROSITY of a hill I had to climb.

But, I knew that once I reached the top,

it was all down hill…

(see what I did there?)

I am clever. I know.

Around mile 12, I knew I had like 1/2 a mile to go, and could push through…

And then I ran (literally) into one of my many Arch Nemesis’,

the Madonna Hill.

I freaking hate that hill.

But, knowing that my best friend,

a couple Bloody Mary’s and an ice bath

were waiting for me at the finish,

I pushed through to the end.

Overall, it was another great day for a race! I highly recommend it!

I am absolutely in love with the expo at this race and I will definitely come back again and again for all the SWAG! I ran the 2nd Half in 2013 which was a great race! I trained for hills, so it was not nearly as challenging as I thought it would be. There are LOTS and LOTS of people, so if you like big races... this is a great one for you. The weather in SF in July is overcast, so it is perfect for racing. I love this race so much, I am coming back in 2015 to do the 1st Half (over the Golden Gate Bridge). I know... I am excited too. Stay tuned for my race review!