Shamrock Weekend

AWESOME weekend of hanging out with friends and running a Half Marathon...again!!

Started out on Saturday morning...met up at a friends house. Decided the Highlander was the easiest car to take with 4 Girls (some of which don't pack as well as other...yeah I'm talking about me). We were also bringing a blow up bed, and lots of food. So we packed up the highlander and headed out on the open road.

We stopped for a bathroom break and some wake me up stuff/ gassing up the car. Ohh and we tried on a few hats!

We made it to the EXPO and got our packets with our numbers, and shirts....and then headed to the EXPO part that, and got more goodies! Including for me a motivator for my next big step and 70.3 headband.

We had a nice evening full of eating our food that we brought pasta with meat sauce and garlic bread...ohh and some choc. chip cookies. We all tried to get to sleep early..but sleep was slightly elusive for most of us. I think I pee'd 5 times that night. We were up at 4:30am. Got breakfast and got ready to RUN!

It was totally COLD and WINDY!! It was ridiculous! We parked closer to the finish line and walked to the start. They had not even put up the coral numbers when we got there because the wind was blowing them over. We got into our corals probably 15 minutes before the start! It wasn't to bad once we were there...but it was still COLD!!

The run was GOOD! My first 5 miles were AWESOME! I felt great, my legs felt fresh and happy. Then I had to play little games with myself because I was starting to get tired. I still run/walk so I would run and catch up to someone (lady in the pink jacket) and then I would fall back on my walk and the next run I'd try to make sure I caught up with my target person again. That worked really well for awhile. Then...I had to stop and stretch a little at about mile 8.5, my calves and "hip" were getting tight.

At about mile 9.5 I met up with Jenn and she totally helped me rock it to the end. I was getting tired...as I always do at mile 10. Jenn was my light at the end of the tunnel. We laughed along the way at people and signs. We stopped and took pictures of different things including a couple of sweet puppy dogs.

We turned the corner to go down the longest boardwalk to the finish I have ever been on. I mean you could see the finish...but it was way way way down there. I was battling with the 2:30 pacer guy. He was great and had lots of motivating things to say to the people in his group...but I was working really hard to stay in front of him. So in the end the 2:30 pacer guy made me finish at my goal...less then 2:30! 2:27+, I know I'm not fast, but I'm happy!!

Afterwards there was a ton of BEER. And Fun...ohh and a hotel change...from the okay hotel to the Hilton at the Oceanfront. Ohh and it was club level...ohh and FREE!! WOW!! Just sayin' it was a FANTASTIC weekend!