Before I get started, you should know that I ran this half marathon last year. It was my second half marathon and I was just convinced I was going to get a PR...even though I knew nothing about the course. To summarize, I was so frustrated by mile 5 that I almost turned around and walked back to the start. I didn't care about a DNF at that point. I also called my mom in tears because I was so frustrated that I was running much slower than I wanted to and the hills were giving me issues. Also my legs were KILLING me. It wasn't a great experience and I vowed never to do the race again.

Fast forward to the end of last year when I signed up for the race again (LOL). I basically knew that I needed to redeem myself - I had to tackle that course again and have a much better experience.

The weather was very strange for June - 95% humidity but only around 65 degrees. Plus it was overcast, a little rainy and windy. Luckily it didn't rain during the race but we did get the occasional wind gusts. Side note - I feel like I banked some good weather karma after running in a monsoon during Rock'n'Roll DC in March. After dealing with crazy weather the past two weekends, I was very happy to run in cooler temperatures. The race takes place in Fairfield, CT which is about a 25 minute drive from my house. After we parked, we took a school bus to Jennings Beach for the start of the race. That ride only took about 7-10 minutes. After arriving at the beach, I found the tents for bib and t-shirt pickup. I still had about 40 minutes before the 8:15 start time so my parents and I decided to take a few photos.

For this race, the men and women have the same start time but different start areas. Both men and women merge around mile 1. I think the reasoning behind this is to make the start less cramped and crowded. Throughout the race the course did seem a little congested in some areas but then it would open up. Miles 1-3 were pretty good but the first hill came right before mile 3 and then another small hill between miles 3-4. Miles 4-5 were pretty flat, then another hill between miles 5-6. Miles 6-9 were glorious - nice and flat and great scenery. Between miles 8-9 we saw a raccoon in the grass. I think he must have been crazy because he literally just stared at all the runners as we ran by. It was almost like he was pissed that we were running in his neighborhood lol. Miles 9-10 had 2 more nice sized hills but the great thing was that there were no more hills after mile 10! Smooth sailing with flat terrain until the end!

I'm more than happy to report that although I didn't get a PR, I beat last year's course time by 30 minutes. I ran the entire half marathon, no walk breaks, not even to power up the hills. I felt good after crossing the finish line but I'm definitely feeling sore today! That runner's high only lasted a few hours.

If you're ever in the New England area, especially CT, this would be a great race to add to your calendar. It's been named the #1 half marathon in CT by a few different sources. I didn't notice this last year because I was so frustrated, but it's really a beautiful course. You can beat the image of the water as you're running by. Also the beach is a pretty decent size.