Last Sunday, I ran the Lincoln Half Marathon (signed up for the full but changed to run the half: if you do have to change you can do it early online or just tell them at the expo) with my youngest sister. I have run this race many times as a local resident, both the full and the half. Sometimes I have changed my mind halfway through the race which one I am running and it's nice to have that flexibility. The expo was very impressive this year, with Dave McGillivray, director of the Boston Marathon giving a very inspiring keynote speech. It was a privilege both to hear him, meet him, and run with him (Dave ran the half). I was able to pick up my sister's packet at the expo the day before since she lives out of town (just had to show a proxy form and ID) and my sister was grateful for that. Also picked up mine early the day before. The expo is always very crowded so I like to get there early as possible in the morning and stay for a while to allow for shopping and connecting with other runners.

On Sunday, we arrived early for the race, about an hour early. We like to park in the elevated parking garage just west of Embassy Suites on 10th Street. Or you can park for free on the street but your car will be warm if it's a sunny day. We had no trouble getting a good parking spot and had about a 1/2 mile-mile walk to the start near Memorial Stadium. The Colisseum was open for restrooms, drinking fountains, and stretching/late packet-pickup. We were able to walk around and stretch a little bit. My sister and I were both in the green wave (waves by pace groups now). Shortly before the race, we walked outside to the start, wished each other well, and found our spots in the green wave of people. I think our wave was maybe the 4th one in the progression of 7-8 waves of a few hundred runners each. Keeping us a few minutes apart limits the congestion that I have noticed in prior years, especially early in the race.

Close to 7am, we began our journey. An unusual aspect of the race course this year was running south on 17th Street instead of 16th Street early in the race. Some runners were still confused and worried that we were supposed to be running on 16th instead of 17th. My goal for the race was to run close to 1:40. My hydration strategy was to carry my OrangeMud hydra quiver double-barrel vest so I didn't have to stop to receive water. I wore a 1:35 pace band knowing that I was not going to run the splits that fast for the entire race. Pacers were available and plentiful for the full and the half and some of the pacers were locals that I recognize from group runs. For the first 5k or so, the course runs south and then east on South Street towards Sheridan Boulevard. If you're trying to run this course fast, you will need to weave around people a little to find space for at least the first 5k. By then, it spreads out a little bit. Sheridan Boulevard is a beautiful point in the course with ample shade of trees and lots of spectators lining both sides of the street. Along Sheridan Boulevard, there is a water stop or two if you need one. Good place for pictures. After that, the hills begin eastward to 48th Street.

My heart rate began to spike a little at about 4 miles so I had to slow down from the splits I was running the first 5k. I walked a little more and more frequently to try to get the heart rate back down. There is a stretch of Sheridan Boulevard that is not protected from the sun. The most challenging part of this race was having it be a cloudless sunny day. This led to dehydration in some runners and we were all shedding hats and visors. I wore a visor but ended up carrying it half of the race. As I was struggling to get my heart rate under control, I recognized a 3:15 pacer from local group runs and he spoke to me and encouraged me to stay with his pace group. He also advised us to take it easy on the hills going up to mile 5. That is a very smart strategy. At about mile 5, there is a significant downhill all the way to the 10k point pictured below. At around 5 miles, I recognized Dave McGillivray running by wearing his Boston Marathon adidas shirt. I decided to try to keep him in sight as best I could to try to keep the pace faster. Most of us flew down that hill between 5 miles and 10k. There's a good water stop at 5 miles. Usually water is on one side and Gatorade on the other. I began drinking more water to stay hydrated. It's pretty easy to gain momentum with that downhill going all the way to 10k if you accelerate. At the 10k point, the course winds westward on the Boosalis Trail heading back towards downtown. There is a 10k chip mat so make sure you find it. This is a good area to see people you might know and to pick up the pace if you so desire. By this point, I realized that Dave McGillivray and I were passing each other back and forth. He was varying his pace and I was taking walk breaks. This stretch of the race seemed very warm. There isn't much shade until you reach hills near 10 miles or so. I realized my 10k split wasn't quite as fast as I was hoping but I decided to run the best race I could, my pace. I did pack a Mamma Chia energy pack and a few Clif Shot Shot Bloks. I did eat a whole sleeve of the ShotBloks and the Mamma Chia kept the hunger away.

The half course is mostly flat with the exception of the hills ascending to 5 miles and the more noticeable one before the 10 mile mark on 20th Street. At least the hills on 20th were in the shade. There is a great water stop/aid station at 10 sponsored by Bryan West Hospital and their staffers/volunteers. Good music along the course, both live and recorded. There was an Elvis impersonator, he's usually by the Federal Building on the normal course but was along 17th on Sunday. Funny signs and costumes (dinosaurs). Lots of kids wanting high fives and holding inspirational signs for friends/family. Good crowd support throughout the first half of the course. I drank a lot of water at around 10 miles and realized I was beginning to get a little dehydrated. By 11 miles, I realized I couldn't keep pace with Dave McGillivray anymore and let him surge to the finish. Runners behind me were discussing dehydration and I almost stopped here to check on one of them but the runner behind me offered to run with the straggler and help him finish. Good teamwork.

There was another water stop/aid station near 12 miles. Once you reach this point, you can see Memorial Stadium and know you're getting close. I tried to pick up the pace near the end, realizing I wasn't going to reach my 1:40 goal but a good effort for a warm cloudless sunny day. As we neared Memorial Stadium for the finish, something funny happened. A giant video board was playing Peter Gabriel's song Sledgehammer (appropriate for a marathon or half) and so I tried to capture that on Snapchat. When I waved at the screen though, I realized the screen was also interactive and showing runners while still playing Sledgehammer (multi-tasking). So it was funny to see myself waving at me;)

The final finishers chute is a little different. Single file to keep it orderly. The finish is at the 50 yard-line of Memorial Stadium, a sweet spot for Cornhusker fans. Flags were everywhere. Love seeing the military support at the finish and along the course. Many National Guard/military folks run/walk this in full rucksack gear. After I finished, I received my medal and key chain and waited for my sister still running behind me. My official time was 1:44, my second-fastest time on this course. My sister finished in 1:53, a great effort for her first half here. While I was waiting for my sister, someone from MyLaps interviewed me, telling me about the video/photos they captured of me entering the stadium and asking about the race. It's cool that you can scroll through about 16 free pics of you running from inside the stadium to the finish. They captured my sister finishing her race too. We finally found each other after my sis finished and began a very slow meander through the drinks and snacks lines. This area was extremely congested and maybe they can spread it out a little more somehow. Maybe we were all going through at the same time, I don't know.

One key thing you want to make sure not to miss is the Rita's Italian ice outside the stadium on your way out. Very delicious, especially after a warm, hot race when you're feeling dehydrated and hungry. Plenty of food and drink options: bagels, bananas, donut holes, water, gatorade, pop, and Italian ice. Don't skip the Italian ice. Overall it was a wonderful race experience for both of us and I highly recommend this race to anyone. Lots of families run it together: siblings, parents/kids. Make sure you do a little hill training before the race to be able to handle the hills but they aren't too challenging compared to the back half of the full marathon course (the Holmes Lake portion).

The widening of the Boosalis Trail has eased congestion somewhat that we used to experience but the first 5k of the race can get a little more clogged with people. A very enjoyable race experience. Well run and managed and well-supported by volunteers and fans. Thank you!

P.S. Watch for a more detailed account of the race later this week on RunningGrooveShark.com blog.