I’m going to sum up the Rutgers Unite Half Marathon & 8K on Sunday, April 14, 2019 into three phrases–small bladder (not my own), nuun (yay!), and Orange Family.

My little family and I decided to make a weekend out of this event, since I had never run in New Jersey before, and the race was a good two-and-a-half-hour drive from our home in Delaware. I had been weather-stalking (new verb, right?) all week, and I was nervous that we’d have rain on race day. I’ve never really run in a downpour for a race before, but all I could do was hope for the best!

We booked a room at the Hyatt Regency New Brunswick, which was the recommended hotel on the race website for that Saturday night, and I was hoping to leave the house by around 9:30 a.m. EST or so to get to the race expo around 12 or 12:30 to meet up with fellow BibRave Pros Miles and Lacey (my “Orange Family”). I had never met another BibRave Pro in person before, so I was both nervous and excited!

We ended up getting a later start than planned, but thankfully the ride itself was uneventful aside from some on-and-off rain. We drove straight to the expo, which was at the Sonny Werblin Recreation Center on the Rutgers University Busch Campus. As we walked up to the building, I thought it was neat to see volley ball players. The rain had stopped quite some time ago, and it really felt like summer!

BibRave Pro Miles had already left the expo, but Lacey was still there, so we were able to connect in the lobby to say hi! She’s so down-to-earth and sweet. I hope to see her again at a future race! We talked about race-day strategies and what the expo had to offer. Miles was staying at the same hotel that we were, so I knew I’d have another chance to meet up and say hi likely before the race.

The expo itself was in a small gym-type area. I wasn’t sure what to expect, and I didn’t have anything in mind that I really wanted to purchase. However, we did end up buying the Angry Kindergartner (AK) some nuun Sport Strawberry Lemonade of her own (because it’s all the rage with the Kinders, y’know) along with nuun Mango Orange, which I had never tried before. I also snagged the new Hoppy Trails GU. I’m not a huge beer fan, and this flavor doesn’t entirely intrigue me, but I wanted to try it never the less.

I also won a Rutgers pom pom hat by spinning a wheel. Standing in line to spin the wheel ate up the majority of the time that we were there. We stayed for maybe thirty minutes and decided to check into the hotel next.

After spying the pool at the expo, all the AK could talk about was going swimming (even though she doesn’t know how), so we checked into the Hyatt, quickly put our stuff away, and headed down to the pool. We had a blast there and got local pizza and fries afterward for dinner at a place called Panico’s Restaurant + Bar. That seems to be my go-to meal before a race these days, as that’s what I also ate before my first marathon and a few other races. I ate my body weight in pizza, and it had been a long day, so we all went to bed around 9 p.m.

I made sure to lay out my race gear the night before, which included my Brooks Ghost 11s, my lucky Feetures socks (which used to be orange), black capris, my BibRave shirt, my BibRave visor, my Handful The Closer bra (check out my review here!), my Orange Mud Gear Vest Pro, and three GUs (Espresso Love, Campfire S’mores, and Birthday Cake).

I set my alarm for 6:30 a.m. EST on Sunday, knowing that I wanted to be at the start no later than 7:30 for an 8:00 race start. I whipped my clothes and gear on as quickly as possible and ran down to the lobby to check us out while hubs graciously got the AK ready. (Thank you!)

We decided that although the walk to a shuttle to get to the start wasn’t far away (less than a mile), it wouldn’t behoove us to drag the AK around in the morning like that. Instead, we decided to drive back to the expo location to park at the race start.

As I was waiting for hubs to grab a cup of coffee in the lobby, I turned around to hear, “Becky?” Lo and behold it was BibRave Pro Miles and his fiance! We hadn’t planned on meeting up in the hotel because he was going to leave around 6:30 or 6:45 a.m., and I knew we’d be leaving later than that, so we were hoping to meet up at the starting line instead. This worked out even better though! Just like Lacey, Miles was just super genuine and nice. They wanted to catch the shuttle to the start, so we snapped a pic and wished each other good luck.

All three of us BibRave Pros were hoping to finish around 2:30 or so, so it was nice to say hi before the race knowing that I would likely see each on course as well.

Parking was fairly easy (albeit in a muddy field), and I used the porta-potty before hubs, the AK, and I walked toward the race start. The poop gods were on my side that day (don’t laugh, you know what I’m talking about), so that part of my pre-race nerves went away.

There was a chill in the air, but I wasn’t overly cold, and I hoped that the fog would dissipate some before the actual start. Aside from the fog, I noticed a nuun flag that made me smile from ear to ear! nuun was also on course, which was a godsend to me in the later miles (more to come on that).

We walked toward the race start and stood around for about ten minutes or so before they announced that the half marathoners should start walking to the start to line up. It still seemed early to me (with about twenty minutes or so before the race), but I think they did strategically. The 8K runners/walkers started fifteen minutes after the half marathoners, and I assume they wanted everyone lined up and ready to go as quickly as possible.

My strategy for this race was just to go slow and steady. I couldn’t find an elevation map for the course, but I assumed it was hillier than most courses in Delaware.

The course itself looped out and back a few times and went through the Livingston Campus, the Rutgers Athletic Center (RAC), to the Busch Campus, past Rutgers Stadium, across a bridge going over the Raritan River, and finished past Buccleuch Park on College Ave.

I took my GUs at Miles 4, 8, and 12, starting with Espresso Love first, which is my tradition. (I don’t tend to drink coffee or eat anything before a race, so that’s kind of like my substitute for coffee.)

Two things surprised me during this race:

1) I ran out of water in my Orange Mud hydration pack halfway through the race. I’m so glad that nuun was on course, because I definitely took advantage of it after Mile 6 or so. I didn’t feel like I was drinking an inordinate amount of water, but I guess I was!
2) I’ve never run a race before where you go through the start/arch twice! Just after Mile 8, we ran through the start again, and I chuckled and noted to another runner that I hoped I wasn’t going the wrong way.

Overall, the Rutgers Unite Half Marathon & 8K turned out to be a great event! It was very well run, offered amazing course support, and the volunteers were enthusiastic and friendly.

With what I have to compare to here in Delaware, the course was fairly flat, well maintained, and very well marked.

Here are some fun facts: At Mile 5, I clocked in at 54:08, at Mile 10 I was at 01:49:45, and I finished in 02:26:08. My average pace was 11:08 per mile. I was #92 in my division, #601 in my gender, and #1692 overall.

If I have the opportunity to attend this race again, I definitely will!

Cold, windy, but delicious would describe this race to a T. I attended the Delaware Technical Community College’s The Sweetest 5K Run/Walk in Delaware on February 9, 2019 in Dover, DE. I’ve been meaning to attend this event for years now, but have always been afraid of the potential weather (it almost always seems to rain or is frigid). I’m so glad I finally took the plunge and ran this race. For whatever reason, I always thought that this race was wicked small, so I didn’t have high expectations on race day. Boy was I wrong!

The first amazing factor was that the race started at 10 a.m. EST. That meant I didn’t have to drag the fam out early! I always feel guilty about that, even though hubs constantly tells me not to worry. Secondly, the race boasted chocolate goodies post-run, so I was all over that. (Their tag line is “everything chocolate!”) Again, I’m not sure why I pictured them giving out huge chocolate bars at the end, but that’s what I had in my mind. What I got instead was a million times better!

The race proceeds also went to a noble cause. According to the website, “This annual event raises funds to benefit Study Abroad scholarships and our on-campus Global Understanding Series. Study Abroad scholarships provide deserving [Delaware Technical Community College] students with the opportunity to learn through immersion about countries and cultures worldwide, and the Global Understanding Series offers learning events on cross-cultural topics.”

Packet pick-up was very simple, although it was tough to wade through the crowds inside the Education Technology Building on campus. We saw a former neighbor, which was a nice surprise, as well as a couple and their children whom we haven’t seen in awhile. I love seeing friendly faces! The race shirts were excellent quality and a really pretty green. (I was thinking we’d get brown shirts because of the chocolate theme?!)

After packet pick-up, we stood inside as long as possible because it was so cold outside. I couldn’t resist a photo op in front of an ice statue outside though, because I’ve never seen one at a race before.

I gave hubs and the Angry Kindergartner (AK) a kiss and a hug before heading over to the starting line. The AK declined the Kids’ Fun Run at 9:50 a.m. EST, even though it was a very short distance. As mentioned in previous race reviews, I never want to force her into running; I want her to find it organically if she so chooses some day. The choice will be completely up to her.

The course itself was relatively flat aside from one slight hill toward the latter part of the course. What made more of an impact was the wind. It was so dang windy! My nose wouldn’t stop running either, which was not attractive.

I ran with my Garmin on for this race, because I wanted to gauge how fast I was going. For the most part, I knew I was running sub-10-minute miles. My legs were so cold though that my turnover wasn’t efficient, so I felt like I was moving in slow motion half the time.

I was gunning for a sub-30, which I think I would have done if it weren’t for the wind. I ended up running a 30:33—so close! I did, however, come in ninth in my age group, which I was happy with. Running a sub-30 is difficult for me, and I have to mentally really be in the zone to do it.

After the race, I tried to call and text hubs, but to no avail. He and the AK ended up playing lacrosse outside with our former neighbor who is a lacrosse coach. I couldn’t be upset at that—I was more worried when I couldn’t find them for a good five minutes after I finished. I finally found them, and we headed inside to scope out the post-race chocolate extravaganza.

They had actual chefs preparing awesome to-go containers of chocolate dipping sauce with fruits, cookies, and other awesome food. I also snagged a cup of the BEST hot chocolate I’ve ever had loaded with marshmallows. Yum! Everything was efficient and high quality.

We didn’t stick around long afterward, but I wish we would have so that we could’ve stayed and chatted with a few friends. I ran into a friend from my running club, and I even ended up bumping into my primary care physician (who’s also a runner) as we were leaving!

I will absolutely be back at this race next year, and I hope to recruit some more of my running club or running friends too!

It has become my birthday tradition to run the atTAcK Addiction 5K in New Castle, DE, on my birthday weekend. This year for my 37th shin-dig, the race fell on Saturday, March 2, 2019 and held an extra special place in my heart. I ran, in particular, for my sister-in-law Chrissy, who passed away suddenly this summer from an overdose.

The race’s proceeds benefit atTAcK addiction, a grassroots 501(c)(3) charitable foundation established to assist individuals and families impacted by addiction. The organization provides support for recovering addicts and their loved ones, advocates for policy changes, educates families about opiate addiction and treatment options, works to prevent drug use, and strives to end the stigma of the disease.

Each year it seems like this race grows leaps and bounds, and this year was no exception! I compared my stats from last year’s race recap, and I was 18 out of 98 in my 30–39 age group in 2018, versus being 36 out of 309 in the same age group this year. I was 201 out of 841 runners in 2018, versus 348 out of 2,444 runners this year. Crazy, huh?!

The weather for this year’s race was slightly warmer, and I was prepared in my BibRave Under Armour Hoodie. I’ve never actually raced in a hoodie before, so I was a little worried that I’d overheat. To compensate, I didn’t wear a hat, and for whatever reason I only wore one glove apparently. I was comfortably toasty but not hellishly hot. Win-win.

Since I usually become a slave driver of epic proportions before a morning race, I thought I would slow my roll a bit and not worry if we were a little bit late (read: “on time” for normal people) to the start. We left the house around 7:30 a.m. EST, since Hubs is the wizard of finding parking spots in Old New Castle, where he grew up. We found a parking sport somewhat near St. Peter School and waded through the throngs of people into the gym to pick up my bib and t-shirt.

Like last year, packet pick-up was a breeze. I didn’t have to wait in a long line, everything was well organized, and I was in and out in a matter of minutes. Then I kissed Hubs and the Angry Kindergartner (AK) goodbye. They were going to drive my birthday cake to my in-laws’ house to drop it off, find a quick bite to eat, and then come back to watch me finish.

This race hosts a lot of walkers and large groups, so I decided to make my way to the start line rather early. I’m not a fast runner by any means, but I knew I wanted to give it my all and get ahead of the larger pack if I could. I found the start line and anxiously waited . . . and waited . . . and waited.

Apparently there were so many people, that the race director/organization stalled the start of the race until a few more busloads of people got to the start. They were shuttling participants from nearby William Penn High School and the Carpenters Local 626 over to St. Peter’s School, since the area around the start of the race really has no dedicated parking. (It does have a parking lot, but it’s full of people on race day.)

The race didn’t actually start until nearly 9:15 a.m. EST, which royally threw off my mental game at first. I was already trying not to put a lot of pressure on myself to run a certain time, and then I had to wait and sit with my own thoughts/anxiety for a whole whoppin’ fifteen minutes until the race began. That was fun.

As we finally started, I had to weave in and out of other runners to try and keep a steady pace. The course itself was the same as last year as far as I could tell, and there are typically two to three spots where I mentally give out—all around the slightest inclines ever. No joke. Not even hills—just inclines that make me want to curse.

I did walk once or twice for maybe 10–20 seconds each, but every time I stopped, I knew it would be better to just keep on running. With 5Ks, I know that they’ll be over in generally 30 minutes or less, so I can endure that type of all-out running for such a short amount of time. I, however, much prefer the full marathon or ultra distances where I don’t care about pace so much, and I’m A-OK with walking whatever I need to.

I came in at 29:52 with a pace of 9:37/minute. These days, that’s extremely fast for me, and I was very proud of my time. I tried not to compare this year’s time to last year’s, which was 29:06. That’s not a huge difference for me, and ultimately I’m humbled to still be able to race a sub-30 5K to be honest!

I’m glad I had my handheld Orange Mud bottle with me though, because I don’t recall seeing any water stops whatsoever. I was also a bit disappointed in the post-race food this year. Last year I remember they had donuts, but this year they just had prepackaged granola bars. Not that either of those factors would make or break the experience for me, but it’s just something to note.

We walked a short distance back to our car and tried to head over to Hubs’s parents’ house literally less than two miles away. Every single street was blocked off in all directions, so we couldn’t get close enough to their house to park. Hubs tried to drop off my birthday cake before the race and ran into the same issue. So we parked as close as we could, parked, and hoofed it to my in-laws’ with an entire cake and the AK in tow. We had to literally cross the stream of race walkers on the course at one point, and folks joked about wanting the cake. It was hilarious!

After the race, Hubs surprised me by asking if we could do the race as a family in 2020. I would absolutely love to do that, and I think the AK will be able to run/walk it by then too. It will be a nice future fitness goal to have as a family, and I can’t wait!

Run on,
Becky

I DID IT! I’M AN ULTRA MARATHONER! I’ve attended the Angela Ivory Memorial 50K/50 Miler for the past two years without completing the full 50K, but this year I finally did it! Both years prior I had to leave early due to a toddler’s birthday party, so if you’re interested in those mini recaps, check them out here (2017) and here (2018). I think they offer a great taste/slice of what the full race is like.

This year, hubs and the Angry Kindergartner (AK) dropped me off at the race instead of my taking our car by myself. The race started around 8:30 a.m., so we were able to leave the house by 7:30 a.m. with plenty of time to get to Killens Pond State Park in Felton, DE. Compared to typically getting up at 5:30 a.m. or earlier for a full marathon, this felt very extravagant! It was light out, and I didn’t feel sleep deprived.

In years past, I would arrive at the park before the park entrance was open. There would be a line of cars waiting to enter, and I’d simply wait and follow everyone else’s lead. This year, however, we got there, and the park gate was open, and no one was in sight. My heart sank into my stomach for a second—what if I got the wrong date or time for some reason?!

Thankfully, as we weaved our way to the starting area (read: group of picnic tables) near the Nature Center, we saw several other cars. It was still very cold (barely 30 degrees I think), so everyone was being smart and waiting in the warmth of their cars before the official start time.

The AK was sick that day, so I gave hubs and the AK kisses and hugs, and hubs helped me bring my stuff to the picnic tables. I had packed some nuun samples to share with other runners, along with vanilla yogurt raisins, Fig Newtons, some random Peanut Bars (that I had never tried before hah!), and of course my trusted GUs. I also brought a case of water, since the entire race was carry-in/carry-out and self-supported. I had never practiced really eating solid foods while running, so my strategy was to use my GUs like normal for at least the first 20-ish miles. Then after that, all bets were off, and if I had to poop in the woods, so be it. I know you’re not supposed to try anything new on race day, but A) my stomach is pretty solid, and I’ve never had any stomach issues like some runners do B) this was a free race, and I figured if I had to DNF (Did Not Finish), that would be OK too. I was there to enjoy the scenery, tear up some trails, and see what I could do!

Speaking of scenery, this park is gorgeous and never ceases to amaze me! Here’s a little bit about the park’s background. According to the park’s website, “the centerpiece of Killens Pond State Park, conveniently located in central Delaware, is the 66-acre millpond, which was established in the late 1700s. Before the pond was created, the Murderkill River and surrounding hardwood forest were sites of several Native American homes and hunting camps. Killens Pond became a state park in 1965.”

The terrain was a mixed bag, but it was mostly covered with leaves, twigs, rocks, and pine needles. There were several wooden bridges/planks to run across, as well as a few small inclines that I walked up.

The course itself was an almost-three-mile loop around the millpond, which you run ten times to complete the 50K. More on that to come, because the course was actually short (or at least the way I ran it) by about four miles.

Once I was situated at the race start, the Race Director, Gene, said that we could start at any time. Gene is a sweet older gentleman who comes out from Illinois to oversee this free, unsupported race. I love that he remembers me (because his daughter’s name is my first name, and his son’s name is my last name!) from year to year, and he’s always there to encourage runners. He sets up a race clock and a makeshift tally board to keep track of everyone’s loops.

There were a few new runners to this course/race, so I chatted with them for a bit before we started. I warned them that there are two spots that always confuse me along the course, but if you follow the yellow markers, you should be OK. I quickly told them about my first experience with this race and how I accidentally followed a runner who was taking a bathroom break off course. One runner laughed and asked if I had written a blog post about that, because he had read it and remembered it! That made me smile a mile wide, knowing that he had actually read a past race review of mine before attending the race himself.

I started around 8:20 a.m. EST, since I knew I would probably be the last person to finish. I’m not a trail runner per se, and I knew I would allow myself to walk whenever I felt like it. I figured my pace would be much slower than usual, around 13–13:30 perhaps. Last year I remember feeling like I was running in slow motion due to the cold weather, so this year I layered up in a long-sleeve shirt, my BibRave t-shirt on top of that, and a hoodie over that. I also brought gloves and a hat.

Not a half a mile into the race, as I was trying to tuck my hoodie strings into the neck area of the hoodie so that they wouldn’t bounce around, BAM. I fell. What is wrong with me?! I picked my confidence up off the ground and kept on going. See, I told you I wasn’t a trail runner. I think the biggest piece of advice to give someone attempting a trail 50K for the first time is to keep this mantra in mind: PICK UP YOUR FEET. I literally said this to myself many times along the course. Because when you’re getting tired around Mile 21 or so and your form goes to hell, the only thing that you can do is pick your feet up higher than normal to avoid roots, mud, and rocks.

I ran with one guy for a bit who was very helpful in steering me back on course early on in the race. Remember those two areas that I warned the newbies about? Yep, I myself got lost on one of those for the THIRD YEAR IN A ROW. Clearly I don’t have a very good memory about this loop. I didn’t catch his name, but thank you if you are reading this post! He was very friendly and encouraging. As I saw him during later loops, he would ask how I was doing, which meant the world to me. Runners are the best, aren’t we?

As I mentioned previously, I know you’re not supposed to try anything new on race day, but I had received my new Aftershokz Trekz Air in the mail literally the day before, and I wasn’t going to miss an opportunity to use those babies at this race. I ran with pepper spray, but I also loved that I could hear my surroundings with these wireless headphones! They were light, comfortable, and did not bounce or move as I ran. I’m so in love with them. I plodded along listening to a few podcasts like Another Mother Runner, the BibRave Podcast, and I listened to an entire podcast called Mind’s Eye. The sound quality was crystal clear, and I was still able to listen to the wildlife around me and hear other runners coming up behind me.

I think two of the most surprising things about how I reacted/did during this race were my hunger and stamina.

I’ve never physically gotten hungry during a race, but by around Mile 20, my stomach was growling, and I knew I was ready for some solid food. I had taken a GU every four miles like I typically do, but my body was screaming for more fuel. I asked the other runners who had just finished a loop what they would recommend, and they suggested a banana, which I happily ate.

A few folks were camped out at the picnic tables cooking bacon, pizza rolls, and who knows what else. The grill master kept trying to entice me with food, but in the earlier miles that seemed like a horrible idea, and by the later miles, they were already packed up and gone.

Toward the end I did end up chomping on the yogurt-covered raisins and some Honey Stinger Chocolate Waffles. I also started singing, "My humps, my humps, my lovely lady lump," to myself during one part of the course that’s a series of little dirt mounds.

I suppose you get kind of creative if you’re spending that much time out in the woods virtually by yourself!

As I completed my tenth loop, my Garmin clocked me in at a little over 27 miles, so I told Gene that I wanted to get the full 50K distance in. He smiled and said that the RD says that 10 loops is 50K, but that obviously I could go farther if I wanted. He was so sweet to stay and make sure I was OK until nearly the end. I gave him a big hug and thanked him for his constant support after each loop and for being out there for so long.

I ran around the parking lot for the last miles. Literally everyone else at this point had finished. I’m not sure if they covered a little extra distance on each loop or they just didn’t care if they completed the full 50K, but since this was my first, I really wanted it to be official!

Those last four miles or so felt like an eternity, but I knew that hubs and the AK were coming to pick me up and there was an end in sight.

I finished in 7 hours, 49 minutes, and 44 seconds. It still amazes me that I was able to to put that much time on my feet without hitting any sort of wall, without getting any blisters, and with the same amount of soreness that I get after a full marathon (which is typically three to four days).

I will most definitely be back next year, whether I go for the 50K option or just a jaunt in the woods.

Words can’t entirely describe how thankful and grateful I am to be a part of such an amazing running event as the Rehoboth Seashore Marathon. I truly do mean event. This isn’t just a race—but an actual epic event. The lead-up to the race literally lasts an entire year, starting on December 31 when you can sign up for next year’s race and get the deepest discount possible. (Mark your calendars! Set a phone alarm! Tell a friend!)

The Facebook event page always has a flurry of activity—mostly snarky—and the participants are generous, helpful, encouraging, and hilarious. The Race Director, Mary Beth, is Wonder Woman incarnate, and she is a jack-of-all trades. She covers so much ground (on foot, via email, via phone, you name it) in so little time and does it all.

This was my third year at this event (2014, 2017, 2018), and this race did not disappoint as usual. Hubs and I stayed in Rehoboth this year, which was new for us. We stayed about 0.2 miles from the race start, which was convenient for so many reasons. We were able to walk to the race start, Hubs was able to go back to the hotel room and try to sleep a little more during the race, and we didn’t have to walk far post-race.

We left our house around 6:15 p.m. on Friday night to head to packet pick-up. I felt bad leaving my family that drove down from NH/MA, but they joked that they didn’t come to see me or Hubs—they came to see our daughter for her sixth birthday! The Mature Kindergartner’s (MK) birthday is December 7, so it’s always a juggling act to host family at our house, have the MK’s birthday party, and run the marathon all in one weekend. That’s where my amazing Hubs comes in, because he cleaned, prepped, wrapped, and did anything else that I need done the week prior so that we would be prepared for the BIG weekend. A thousand thank yous!

We got to packet pick-up around 7:15 p.m., and it’s always such a quick experience. I thought I knew what my bib number was, so I strolled up to the full marathon line and told the volunteer my number. His response: “Are you John?” Hmmm . . . nope! I blushed and ran away to a nearby laptop to look up my number. When I returned, the same volunteer helped me, and he jokingly asked if I was John again. He made me laugh, and it diffused my awkwardness for sure.

I received my Rehoboth Beach Running Company swag bag, along with one of the women’s shirts, which was a bright orange with a neat design this year. It’s very different from years past, but I really love it!

What I thought was wicked cool was that they had selfie signs at the expo, and we were able to find the sign that we made back in 2016! So of course I had to take a picture of it, despite it being a little worse for the wear. The volunteer manning the signs even asked if we were the Claytons!

Hubs and I were winging it in terms of dinner, so after packet pick-up we walked around the main area to find a spot to eat. We ended up at Cooter Brown’s Twisted Southern Kitchen and Bourbon Bar. It was a ghost town, but the food was delicious! We got the Pig Drippins’ Poutine for an appetizer, and I got The Not Just for Breakfast Burger for my meal. Our server gave us little goodie bags after dinner with a coupon and some chocolates. We plan to go back to Rehoboth this Sunday to visit Santa at the Santa House, so you better believe we’re going back to Cooter Brown’s!

After dinner, we went back to our hotel room to get some rest and lay out my race gear. We stayed at the Brighton Suites Hotel. Don’t let the outside fool you—our room was very spacious and cute! It’s definitely a no-frills hotel, but it suited our needs very well.

The next morning, we got up at 5:30 a.m., I whipped on my gear, and then . . . we waited! It seemed silly to leave the hotel room at 6 a.m. when we didn’t have to be in front of the famous Santa House until 6:30 a.m. to meet up with friends. There was no reason why we had to wait out in the cold needlessly, so Hubs and I jumped back in bed for a few minutes.

We walked to the race start around 6:10 a.m. where it was a chilly 30-ish degrees. We always check out the beach and the gorgeous sunrise before the race.

We saw our friends Jennifer, Julie, Chrissy, and Nora at the Santa House. Here I am below with Julie who came all the way from Florida to brave the cold for the half marathon! To listen to her review of the race, check out this week’s The Running Lifestyle Show podcast episode (12/13/18). She mentions our meet-up around 27 minutes in. She made me guffaw—guffaw—out loud.

It was a bit windy, so Hubs let me borrow his tear-away wind pants. I tried to rip them off in one fell swoop before the start of the race.

I positioned myself near the five-hour pacer at the start of the race, and before I knew it, we were off! I now have zero time goals in terms of full marathons, so I just plodded along at my own pace and found my groove. I’ll say it again. It’s OK to have zero time goals for a race! And I swear, that’s not being lazy. It’s smart.

Aside: Toward the beginning of the race I noticed a hot spot on my left foot, exactly where I felt it during my full marathon in October. I slathered up basically my entire body with Body Glide pre-race, but I knew this one spot could be problematic. I ignored it during the race, as there was nothing I could really do about it on course.

I ended up running ahead of the five-hour pacer until around Mile 16 or 17. I felt strong as I enjoyed the scenery of Gordons Pond Trail and Cape Henlopen State Park. I always love the stint at Lewes Beach too. I think the multiple changes in scenery help break up the distance nicely.

At one point a runner came up behind me and complimented me on my form. It was completely unexpected and really nice. It’s good to hear that type of feedback in the middle of a race, too!

Hubs met me at Mile 18 to give me a quick kiss and to see if I needed anything. Unlike last year, I didn’t have to hand off my outer layer or anything, because it was still cold on the course. I kept my hat and neck wrap on for the entire marathon. Somewhere along the Junction and Breakwater Trail, I stopped to literally soak up the sun. The wind was blowing toward us, and I couldn’t shake the chill.

If you need to do a full or half as part of a fifty states requirement, please don’t pass up this gem of a race! It has a variety of scenery, excellent course support and aid stations, ample porta-potties, the best spectators, and a rockin’ after party!

Oh, and have you seen the bling?! It’s my favorite medal to date! This race was totally worth the nasty looking blister, which nearly a week out is completely fine and healing nicely.