I had signed up for the Under Armour Copper Mountain 50k as a way to cross "ultra race" off my bucketlist, as well as capitalize on my MS Run The US fitness. When I originally signed up back in February, they didn't have the course up yet and there wasn't much details on the website. The only thing that I could really go off of was the 2017 race results (it's inaugural year), which told me that the field was REALLY small and everyone was pretty slow (to me anyways- I mean, it's only ~4 mile more than a marathon and the winning time was I think over 5 hours?). What I failed to realize at this time was that this actually signaled how DIFFICULT the race was! Ha. Oh, how naive I was. Silly Stacy, this race was going to kick your BUTT!

I ended up traveling solo down to Copper (Alex went on a boys backpacking trip, which honestly was good because I didn't want him to try to occupy himself for 6+ hours!), which is a little less than a 2 hour drive. I rented a condo in Center Village (relatively inexpensively) and arrived there a bit past 6pm. Checking into the hotel was so easy and I headed off to find my room, park my car, and then decided to walk to the main village where I could check-in and scope out the starting line. I had previously been to Copper to ski, so I knew where everything was (relatively) and also had an idea where we'd be running up to (REALLY FAR/ STEEP! ha.).

It was super quiet at the start and check-in area and there was still SNOW along the course where they had their half-pipe! Gosh. I was NERVOUS. I was also really tired and headed back to my room before 7pm to get some dinner, shower, and lounge in my pjs watching some trashy rom-com ; ) I did some stretches, foam rolled, and fell asleep by 9:30pm.

My alarm went off at 5:30am (which felt like sleeping in for any other race!) and I got dressed, attempted to make coffee (= complete fail. the coffee maker didn't work and it ended up leaking all over the counter top! already off to a fantastic start). I had a small amount of breakfast, but my stomach was a bundle of nerves and felt super full for some reason. I tried to shake it off and left the condo by 6:30 to move my car to the open parking lot across the street (I needed to check out by 2pm and wasn't completely sure I'd be done by then, so better to be safe than sorry)! I got to the start line and it was QUIET. I used the restroom one more time and hung out by the lockers (which in hindsight, I should have left my clean clothes in one of those rather than in my car, but oh well) to stretch. I still couldn't shake the feeling of fullness in my stomach as I shoved a Honey Stinger gel down and headed to the start line. I figured it would go away once we started running.

I tried to sort myself somewhere in the middle of the pack, but having never done one of these before I had no idea where I should be! I just assumed things would sort themselves out after the first mile (like a typical marathon does). Oh, how I was wrong. Silly Stacy. We barely lined up and then we were off! The race immediately started on a single track within a 1/10th of a mile and hello bottle necking! I was stuck in a huge line of people with my pace dictated by the person in the front. Which just happened to be a run-hike pace. This was frustrating. I also began to feel extremely nauseous and thought that I may puke on someone very near me (since we were all so close together). I tried to hold it together, focus on the person in front of me, and remember to breath. We continued to zig-zag up the switchbacks and I was CONVINCED that we must surely already be few miles in. I checked my garmin- 0.77 miles had passed. I couldn't BELIEVE we weren't even a MILE into the race yet! Goodness, this SUCKS. You can tell how positive I was this morning ; )

I continued to have my pace dictated by those in front of me, stuck in a pack and just told myself that at least they were keeping me slow on my first of two 25k laps (which is what everyone told me to do on the first half). We continued to climb, climb, and climb some more. We stepped over water pipelines, ducked under a few tree branches, and *finally* crested to almost the top of the mountain at over 12, 000' (having only come to one aid station by this point) around 6.5 miles in. I was still feeling nauseous, didn't keep track of my gel-intake and just tried to keep drinking some sort of fluids hoping my stomach would figure itself out. I was so glad to finally see that second aid station at the top and knew (or well, thought) that it would be all downhill from here! I had a few pretzels and some coke (thank goodness for carbonation) and turned around to head down. At this point, I told myself that if I could just make it down to the 25k and back to the start/finish, that I could be done and not go up for my second lap. I was NOT a happy camper.

The 25k runners also began to run past me (they started 30 minutes later than us), which got to be really frustrating when we began to get funneled on the single track because I had wanted to conserve some energy and they were all flying down around me. There were three more aid stations before I'd come back to the start, so I just kept counting them as we ran along both single track switchbacks and service roads down the mountain.

By mile 11, we began another out-and-back side road and this part really broke me. It was a fairly steep down to aid station #4, then you climbed up to another steep section to the top of a chairlift, then they had you turn around and do all that again (for the first lap). So it not only was hard after doing so much uphill and downhill, but knowing that I had to do that all again if I were to do a second lap- I was DONE. I texted my mom saying that this was the hardest thing I've ever done (even harder than my 175 mile run to Denver) and that I was throwing in the towel at 25k. I couldn't WAIT to get down. My stomach didn't feel any better, but it also didn't feel any worse so at least I had that going for me.

I finally made it back to the start line (where an aid station was set-up) and I contemplated quitting. I had commiserated with a few 50k runners around me and then I saw them take off for their second loop. I looked towards the finish line and so badly wanted the announcer to say my name as I crossed the finish line for my first ultra marathon.

I knew it was going to hurt, but I also knew I would regret it if I gave in at this point.
After all, I did it once I could do it again. So, I loaded up my water bottles, turned on my music, and headed back up the mountain.

I mainly hiked the second half back up to the top, but would run the cross-sections of the switchbacks. We had spaced out by this point and I could only really look up and see a few runners ahead of me, which was comforting to know that I wasn't alone and also knew where I was going. My music playlist was honestly AMAZING and I just zoned out. My stomach still felt unsettled, but the feeling of throwing up passed and I kept a decent pace past aid station #1 again and powered up to the second aid station. I snapped a few photos and was relieved to know that it was *almost* all downhill from here.

I thought about my grandfather when my music lulled or I felt lonely. I carried him along my race and showed him all the views and told him about my experience skiing my first powder day here at Copper a few years ago. It helped to give me some purpose during my race and my mind wondered to my High School friend (whom I also lost within 24 hours of my grandfathers passing)- he was an amazing runner and I looked up to him during Cross Country for how speedy he was. I carried his spirit and drive through my middle miles.

Before I knew it, I was back at aid station #4- the dreaded out-and-back. My mind drifted back to where I was (mentally) at this point just 15 miles earlier- I couldn't believe that I had made it back here. I really was ready to call it quits, but for whatever reason I stuck it out and now I was almost finished. It was truly incredible.

I actually had no idea how long specifically a 50k was, somewhere between 30 & 31 miles, (ha) so I just kept an even pace at this point on the downhill. At one point, I thought that I was flying - only to look down at my watch and see an 11 minute pace. Ha. Oh well, I was speeding along in my mind!

The finish line came into view and I was so happy and surprised that I actually did it that I began to hyperventilate (you know when you're trying to hold back tears- I did this at point during my MS Run The US relay too) which isn't the greatest when you're running. I crossed the finish line (slower than I anticipated), but I DID IT. I couldn't believe it. I dug myself a large hole in those first few miles and somehow came out of it to accomplish my goal.

I gained 5, 885' over 30.77 miles (that's what the actual distance of 50k is incase you were wondering...) and had an average pace of 14:31, finishing in 7 hours 26 minutes and 40 seconds. The medals were all the same, which was a bit disappointing since someone who did the 5k got the same medal as me who ran 10 TIMES farther! The race shirts were also OK- long sleeved, slightly cheesy t shirt material. Overall- this race wasn't super great (I felt like the energy just wasn't there- maybe that's an ultra trail running thing?) and paired with my pretty terrible GI issues/ negative nancy mentality I probably WON'T do another ultra race, but I guess never say never. Crossing that finish line was a pretty amazing feeling.

This was my 6th marathon and I cut off 3 minutes & 22 seconds off of my previous PR that I set 5 months before at the Las Vegas Rock 'n Roll Marathon! I finished in a time of 3:52:11 with an average pace of 8:52 and finished 9th in my age group and 31st female overall! I was a bit nervous before this marathon (I always am...) and was unsure what my goal time should be! I followed the Hanson's Marathon Method again (I did for my Rock 'n Roll race as well) and peaked at 63 miles. I was following a plan to break 3:40, but because I had my MS Run The US Relay Segment in less than a month after this race, my goal was to stay injury-free first and foremost and have a great experience (before setting a new PR). I knew I was in great shape and could have gotten close to that 3:40, but wanted to play it safe! My other main goal was to have a faster second-half (negative-split). While I didn't exactly negative-split, (my first half was 1:54 and second half was 1:57) the splits were MUCH closer than previous marathons (my second half would be as much as 10+ off my first half).

The race was to be a net-overall downhill course with some hills in there. I thought it would be a great challenge to run some hills (my first for a marathon- besides my first marathon, Steamboat Marathon!) and it ended up gaining 841' in elevation (according to my garmin). Alright, so let's go back to the start of the race. I got up at 4:45am (we stayed near the airport) and ate some oatmeal (heated water up in the coffee maker in the hotel room) and foam rolled everything out (along with A LOT of deodorant to prevent chafing- works WAY better than body glide! I didn't have one chafed spot after the race). We left the hotel at 5:20am and planned to drop me off at the library square tram stop (all race participants got free transportation on it the morning of the race and this stop meant I wouldn't have to change trains at all which was MUCH easier). I got on the tram by 5:45 and arrived at the race start a few minutes before 6 (the race didn't even start until 7!). They had the bikers start their race at 6am, so I got to cheer them off and also enjoy clean porta-potties..win win!

I did a bunch of stretching, drank my Nuun Energy (contains caffeine)/ mixed with coconut water and had a banana. It was still pretty chilly out (I brought an old fleece jacket to wear before the race start and then put it in my drop bag) before the race began (around 50*), but I used the bathroom one more time (way more racers started to arrive by 6:30) and dropped my bag by 6:45. I got to the start and was in corral B! I've never been so close to the start line before- it was crazy intimidating!

The national anthem was sung and we were off 30 seconds after the first corral. There was a small hill in the first 1/2 mile, which certainly got the legs warmed up! I opted to wear my new Brooks Ghost 10 (hadn't worn them yet) with my used Superfeet insoles. I know you're technically not "supposed" to race in new shoes, but I've had 3+ pairs of these and with my broken-in insoles, I figured I was OK. My feet were actually numb and tingly for the first 5 miles, which got me pretty nervous (I was also really cold still- the race was in the shade) but it finally dissipated. The first 4-5 miles of the race were absolutely breath-taking looking over the city from the hills above. Then we started going down a crazy canyon (and not the best road- so many pot-holes), with a pretty steep decline. I wanted to not "fly and die", so had to keep focusing on my form and leaning into the hill, rather than breaking it with my quads.

I took water/ gatorade at every station (they were so great with announcing what (water vs gatorade) was where and took Honey Stinger gels every 5 miles. I alternated between caffeinated/ non-caffeinated at every 5 mile segment. This is how I had practiced and also what I found works best for my body. The half & full marathoners started together, but we ended up splitting off around mile 11 and that's when the real work began. We were immediately were faced with a pretty steep hill (I was prepared for the rollers in miles 8-14 & another one expected around mile 20-21), there was no going back now! The sun started to hit us around then, but thankfully there was a bit of a headwind to cool us down. I focused on leaning into the hills and relaxing my shoulders.

Around mile 13 or 14 (I can't remember), we entered one of the two parks that we ran through and I needed to do a quick Shalene Flanagan-style pee break. I think maybe it took me 11 seconds total before I was out running again! I still felt great at this point and the crowd support was incredible! We were in the park for several miles, so when we were coming out it a spectator told me to relax my hands (at least I think he was talking to me) and that helped SO much! I continued to think about relaxing my hands from then on! At this point, I was still feeling great and keeping a rather comfortable pace around ~8:35/ 8:40. I started passing a lot of people (which never happens to me during a marathon normally) and that felt fantastic (because I got passed considerably during the first half).

I smiled and hit posters that had the words "hit here for energy" and high-fived the chik-fil-a cows and waved to the older spectators sitting on their lawns cheering along. I'm not going to say this was my happiest marathon (because Rock n Roll Vegas is SO much fun), but it was very close to being a 26.2 party! Before I knew it, we were getting close to mile 24 and I STILL didn't have any music on! I had listened to the Ali On The Run Show's podcast with 2nd place finisher, Sarah Sellers (wanted something to keep my pace in control and not pump me up too much) and that finished by mile 5 and I didn't put anything else on. With 2 miles to go, it felt appropriate to put some music on to hit some fast paces for the last 2.2 left! I actually ended up getting into 7:5x pace in mile 24, which is just INSANE!

Alex ended up surprising me at mile 25 and snapped the photo below. I felt relaxed, excited, and honestly just loving life! I sprinted into the finish line (still passing a few people, including half marathoners) and didn't feel gassed after I crossed the line. I wanted to keep going! I've never felt so strong throughout a race and cannot believe that an 8:52 average pace felt easy. This gets me REALLY excited for my next race, when I will actually push the pace and race!

Overall, this had great organization and was so much fun! The course didn't feel overally difficult to me, but I was prepared for the hills! If you fly and die on the first few downhill miles, you may not feel the same. I highly recommend running this course and holding back a bit until after you get past mile 14 (there's still a few small hills after this point, but nothing too crazy). Plus, FREE race photos! How amazing is that?!? You don't have to break the bank to get some awesome action shots ; ) We got Inn-N-Out burgers afterwards to celebrate and then I dropped Alex off at the SLC airport (he had to fly to Vegas for a work conference) and made the 6-hour drive home solo. That certainly wasn't the fun part, but my runner's high was still going strong that I didn't even care! Plus, a pit-stop at TJ Maxx certainly made it better as well ; )

This was my FIFTH marathon and my favorite (so far). I did the Las Vegas Rock 'n Roll Marathon in 2016 (did the half) and had so much fun that I actually took advantage of their pre-race entry and signed up for the marathon (I really realllly wanted that marathon finisher jacket). I followed the Hanson's Marathon Method (you can find my weekly training rundowns and training review on the blog HERE ) and felt SO prepared for this race. Since the race doesn't start until 4:30pm, I had enough time in the morning to braid my hair, prepare my race playlist, foam roll, carbo-load with some bagels, drink lots of electrolytes/water, and put my legs up the wall. We stayed at the Excalibur (because it's so close to the start line and within a mile of the finish), so we didn't have to leave our room until 3:15 to head to the start area festivities!

Because of the horrendous #VegasStrong events that occurred, the start line was moved actually closer to our hotel and we were able to use the REAL bathrooms just inside of New York New York. They had ample security set-up throughout the entire starting area, which made me feel really safe. I began in corral #4, but because of where the entrance to our Blue Corral start was, had to weave my way through other corrals to get to my start (definitely recommend getting into your corral 50+ minutes early)- which was really crazy considering I tried to get into my corral over 30 minutes prior to the start and it took me 15 minutes to weave my way up to Corral 4! In 2016 they had the blue start just for marathon runners (but they blended the two for this year), so hopefully they change it back because that was insane. It was also a wave start (NOT corral starts which I assumed it would be), so when the gun went off, everyone began running/ walking and it was just insane. It took me the first few miles just to weave through the crowds. Not so much fun. I decided I would break my run into time splits and focus on just the hour I was in, with an acronym for each hour ( 0-60 minutes- A-Attitude; 60-120 minutes- B-Believe; 120-180 minutes C-Conquer; 180-finish ABCs just keep repeating the mantra)- also wrote these ABCs on my arm. I was also planning on taking gels every 50 minutes (roughly every 5.75 miles), which doing the math for the gels really helped keep my mind off running!

The marathon follows the half marathon course until mile 11, where we peel off from the half marathon and from that point, it was SO much nicer. I kept my music off until this point (actually kept it off until past mile 12) so I could really take in the strip and hold my pace back a bit and just experience it all. I really recommend doing this during your next race! The crowd support was incredible and energy is contagious. The course is also definitely downhill after the turnaround by the Welcome to Las Vegas sign (miles 3-8ish I believe), so I tried to net 5-10 seconds during this section. I was my fastest pace during this time until mile 25, around an 8:41 pace.

At the point of the pull-off, the course opens up and becomes quieter as it heads into Downtown Las Vegas. I really enjoyed miles 11-15 for this point, but then I believe around mile 15 or so we hit a small hill and that was pretty difficult (one of two hills you'll encounter during this race). It didn't feel like they had as many bands through miles 11-24 where the marathoners are split from the half marathons, but I've never done a Rock 'n Roll Marathon before so maybe this is normal for these races. Thankfully I saved my music until these miles. Once I hit mile 17, we weaved through a parking lot where they had strobe lights (which hit me in the eyes a few times and blinded me..not so much fun). This part was the most challenging for me because it was a maze where you could kind-of see where you're running next, but couldn't see the end of the maze so mentally it was HARD. I tried to stay positive and focused on catching the runner in front of me. Around mile 18 they had salt packets (which was SO needed!), I took one (I've never used salt before but this was perfect because I had been craving pretzels) and immediately started feeling better. I also took a gel (with caffeine) a bit earlier at this point because I started to feel slugglish.

The gel kicked in and as we re-entered the strip around ~mile 23 (with the half marathoners), I started to look for my mom (who was running the half!). We had thought that we may finish around the same time, so I scanned the crowds and SAW HER! It was the most amazing boost to see her within a mile of finishing her second half and that really pushed me to the finish! We didn't stay with the half course for very long and began to be weaved through the staging area of the 5k the night before (again we were in a maze and could see where we were running throughout these two miles). It seemed like a lot of people began to bonk at this point because I started passing A LOT of people (or else was just so jazzed with seeing my mom and knowing that if I kept a decent clip, we could finish around the same time). I had been following this one girl from mile 18, but after mile 24 I hit my surge and passed her (THANK YOU to that girl who really helped pace me for those tough miles from 18-22).

We wove back onto the strip for ~.25 miles and then were on the last stretch. I knew from looking at the map that this out-and-back was the final push and that after this, I only had less than a half mile to go. It was difficult to pick up my pace during this part before the turn around because it was uphill, but as soon as I passed that mile 25 marker I got SO excited! I even turned off my music and picked up my pace to 8:20 for that final 1.2 miles! I passed several runners on the home stretch along the strip and used the amazing energy from the crowd to dig deep and push it to the finish.

I crossed the finish line and honestly felt like I still had more gas left! I do wish I had picked up the pace a bit before mile 25, but I was still SO HAPPY to cross that finish line in under 4 hours (in 3:55:33 to be exact!)- a goal that I had set for myself at the beginning of 2017. I looked over my shoulder to the half marathon finisher shoot and there was MY MOM! She had crossed the finish line exactly the same time that I did! I was SO HAPPY! We got our medals at the same time and seeing the notification of a 'new marathon time' come up on my Garmin was amazing.

The finisher shoot is pretty long (~.4 miles) and the walk back to our hotel is really a struggle, but it's nice to stretch out your legs after the race.

Overall, I LOVED every minute of this race and the runner's high is still going strong almost 2 weeks later. I love running and can't wait to set my next goal! I will definitely be back next year (and probably for another 26.2 miles!!).

This was my 16th half marathon and 10th state and possibly one of my favorite half marathons ever! The Jackson Hole Hole-Half is at a higher altitude than many may be used to, however it is a VERY small half marathon (they also offer a full marathon there as well). The race is run almost entirely on their amazing bike paths and very well-marked. You get picked up at the base of their ski mountain (by the finish) and take a shuttle 13 miles back from the finish near the Teton Science School. The overall course is mainly flat (it loses a bit of elevation within the first few miles) and then gradually increases elevation over the remaining 7ish miles. I think the entire half-marathon maybe had 250 runners, so the field is pretty small and I was often running by myself (especially towards the end), which made for the experience different than those big-city races and pretty nice to really step back and enjoy the scenery!

We camped the night before about 55 minutes from the finish line (and shuttle area) at the Fireside Resort Buffalo Valley, which was a nice campground, but a really long drive to get there (we saw the biggest moose we've ever seen driving in right next to the road). There aren't a TON of camping options by this race course (which was a disappointment) and all of the hotels were pretty expensive (given it's held over Labor Day weekend), so camping was definitely a good option (just remember to give yourself plenty of drive-time before the last shuttle leaves). Plus, the views from our tent the night before the race was amazing.

The start area was pretty small and they didn't even blow a gun when it was time just announced it over a microphone. It was REALLY chilly at the start (temperatures in mid-30's), but we were able to stay on the heated bus until 15 minutes before start time which was super amazing.

After the first few miles were VERY chilly, I started to warm-up and got to enjoy all of the natural beauty that this race has to offer. You have sweeping views of the farmlands, cows, and Grand Tetons almost the entire time. It's a really great race to just ENJOY running- I know I most certainly did! It was also really nice to never have to worry about getting elbowed by crowded courses because this one was pretty small. It's very well-marked (I turned off my auto mile alerts on my Garmin) and I only glanced at my watch twice. One thing to remember for this course is that it is a CUPLESS event, so you'll have to bring your own hydration (which is fine if you train on long runs with something, just bring that). They had several stations lined up with jugs full of water and Gatorade, so you could always fill up if needed. I ended up just drinking from my already full water bottle of Nuun & took 2 Honey Stinger Gels (one at mile 6 and one at mile 10).

There wasn't a lot of fan-fare along the course, so if you want a lot of cheerleaders this race may not be for you. I truly enjoyed the quietness of the race and just having that time to 'zone-out' to my music and focus on keeping my breathing nice and easy. It never got super warm-out along the course (it starts at 7am) and by the time I finished at 9, the temperature was perfect!

The last .1 of the race finishes on a grassy area up a hill, but I'm so glad that I left a lot in the gas tank for that kick! I also had 2 runners close behind me saying 'ok give it a final kick', so I knew I didn't want them to pass me! I live for that kind of adrenaline.

The medals were SO pretty and they also had a bunch of race swag to purchase (if you're into that). I already have so much race swag that I decided to save my money.

Alex had to finish packing up the tent after he dropped me off at the shuttle, so he wasn't able to make it back in time to see me finish (which is fine), but that did give me enough time to just relax and enjoy the base area of their Ski Mountain. We also grabbed the most amazing breakfast sandwich (bacon, egg, cheese) at the local coffee shop that is at the finish, which was SO perfect.

The race also finishes right where the Tram is, so that was SO fun to watch. It's SO giant and carries you up to almost the top of the ski mountain.

I ended up finishing 4th in my age group and honestly felt like I could've gone out and run another 10 miles easy! I didn't 'race' it like I had originally planned (probably could've gotten 3rd in my AG) and felt amazing after I finished, but since I was still dealing with a nasty head cold and major congestion I knew not pushing myself to exhaustion was key to recovering and getting 100% healthy. Plus, I have some pretty major goals coming up this Fall!

This race marked my 15th half marathon, 9th state, 2nd half of 2017, and first half marathon that I completed in under 2 hours! I am still in awe that I finished this race at a pace (9:08 min/mi) that in High School I considered 'impossible' to hold for a 5k!

We drove down to Albuquerque (stayed in Placitas) on Friday morning & the race was slated for 7am start on Sunday, May 7th. Check over on my blog for pre-race weekend activities (including quick recap of the expo!). Since I'm still in the midst of training for my Revel Rockies Marathon (35 days away) and I had originally had 18-20 miles on my schedule for Sunday, I decided that I would play the extra mileage by ear and not stress about it too much (I have already done one 20 miler that felt fantastic and have one more left in this training cycle). I woke-up at 5, got dressed, had some oatmeal with cinnamon and a banana, and we were off! Alex dropped me off about a mile from the start/finish area (which was right in front of the zoo!) and I got my mile warm-up in at a super easy pace. I still had 40 minutes to kill once I arrived there and it was SO quiet. I actually questioned whether I was there at the right time/ location because there were so few runners. I walked around for a few minutes to get a lay of the land and then walked RIGHT UP to the porta-potty line. I'm still in shock that there was no one around them 30 minutes prior to the start!

It was already pretty hot out (60 degrees), so I knew that my PR may not be a possibility depending on how hot it got (I don't do well in the heat). I had my nuun performance hydration blueberry strawberry mix with coconut water in my Nathan speedshot portable waterbottle, so I knew that I could take in as much electrolytes as I needed!

It was about 15 minutes to start and still a super small crowd. I wasn't nervous, but pretty excited! I LOVE RACING! I headed to the start line and got in some dynamic stretching prior to lining up.

We all lined up and this was by-far the smallest half I've ever done. There were very few spectators (kinda a bummer), but so thankful for all the volunteers that were there! We were less than 45 seconds to start and then they said that we would have a delay of 10 minutes due to a course malfunction? After a minute passed, they said it would just be a 5 minute delay and for us to line BACK up! Well, after that craziness, I restarted my garmin and we were off! I was so thankful that I had both my sunglasses and visor because it was already sunny and hot. The first mile traveled behind the zoo on a dirt path and then hooked onto their bike path (which we stayed on until mile 11). The bike path was nice and there were water stops every 2-2.5 miles, however they never once offered anything besides water. I am still in shock that on a hot day like today, they couldn't scrounge up a bit of Gatorade or something with electrolytes for us. Definitely a huge negative for this race and I was super thankful I decided to bring along my own waterbottle with some electrolytes (although could've used way more).

I felt really good up until mile 9 (when the shade was gone and the sun/ heat really started to wear on me). I started out at a conservative pace, picked it up after mile 4 and tried to hang onto that pace until mile 10 (this was my race strategy), and depending on my time either pull-back a bit (which I did due to I would definitely meet my 2 hour mark and the heat was taking its toll) or kick it up. I took one honey stinger gel at mile 5.5 and the second at mile 9.75.

At mile 11, we were joined by the 10k runners which was OK, but by the point I joined them I had to dodge a lot of walkers and that took quite a bit of energy. I really liked that a little past mile 12, you could see the finish area the entire time. I kicked it up and really just kept my focus on the finish. This part took a lot of grit! There were a few more spectators along this section and I was still feeling really good. I crossed the finish line at 1:59.37 and seriously felt like I could've run another 10+ miles. I was never super sore afterwards and although would've liked to really push myself and see how big of a PR I could get, I'm glad that I kept that drive and will use it towards my Marathon next month! I shaved 2 minutes off my PR in November and am so proud to be chipping away in the under 2 category.

Afterwards, we headed out pretty quickly as we wanted to get on the road. We did a pit-stop at Dunkin Donuts (like the true New Englanders that we are) and ofcourse I had to get a DONUT! I did a short rolling session with my R8 and stretching before getting in the car for our 8 hour drive back home.

Overall, if I wasn't trying to complete a half marathon in every state I probably wouldn't have participated in this race. The organization was OK (again, I'm used to larger races with spectacular organization), the lack of Gatorade/Powderade on the course was disappointing, the only check-in point that they had on the course for our chip was at the end (not even at the beginning) so I really had to rely on my Garmin, and they had NO mile markers on the course (also disappointing). I had a runner in front of me ask a volunteer if we were at the halfway point (it seemed like this could've been his first half) and the volunteer said yes- we were only at mile marker 5.5 (I didn't have the heart to tell the runner that he still had another mile to go before we hit halfway)...

Here's to chasing the next race and the next PR! Cheers!