Urban Half Marathon Recap

4:15 was an early wake up call on race morning. But, my body was ready and my legs were hungry for some miles. I ate some oatmeal and drank 1 cup of coffee to help things along before we left for the race. Jason is the photographer for this post. Thanks hubs!

We parked about 1/2 mile away (following the direction fro the pre-race email). Parking was a breeze. The start line was very visible (of course). There were so many things to look at, so many vendors. It was a little chilly in the morning, so I wore my jacket that I gave to Jason to hang on to while I raced. They did have a bag check, if people needed it. Cow stuff was everywhere (not the poop, actual cow stuff):

When they said a 7:30 start, they really meant it. The count down clock barely hit 0:00 and we were off.

Since this was in Sacramento, the course was super flat and fast. Spectators were everywhere!! The held signs, cheered and rang the (annoying) cow bells. People stood outside of their homes and cheered for us. When we were on the bike trail, I watched some guys fishing, everything was so entertaining! Photographers were everywhere (at least that's how it seemed).

My heels never hurt, just a slight hip pain, but nothing major.

My official time is 2:26:58. I finished 218/362 of females 30-34, 1179/2232 in females and 2248/3541 overall. This was a great race and I can't wait to do this one again next year! The only thing that got annoying really fast was all the cow bell jingling. That noise for about 3 hours was deafening. I still had a great time, though!

After chugging my chocolate milk, eating a chocolate chip cookie and about 3 bottles of water (can you tell they also had a great post-race food spread), we headed home so I could take a fast shower, change and head back out. We had a 2 hour drive ahead of us.

We were finishing off Jason's birthday celebration with lunch at a brewery. It's called Laguintas Brewery in Petaluma. We had never been there before, but we've had their beer from Bevmo. It was pretty easy to get to.

before we sat, down, we knew we wanted hamburgers (we both had been craving them for a while now). We ordered our beers, then took a look at the menu, and they didn't have burgers. So, we each got our own panini. They were good, but they weren't cow.

They happen to have a live band playing while we were there, which was pretty cool. The restaurant was mostly an outdoor restaurant (glad it wasn't raining). There were sections were they had a beach theme with sand. It was a very laid back place, which we desperately needed!

After the brewery, we headed downtown to walk around and grab a coffee (it was a very long day). It was a very fun day, but we really wanted to be home, cuddled under a blanket (it's starting to get chilly here), watching movies. So, when we got home, that's what we did!

How did every ones weekend go?

'Tis the Night Before the Race

So, tomorrow morning is the big day. I am running my last half of my first season. Don't worry, there will be many more seasons to come. I already have my next half planned for next year (in March). I will keep running and blogging about my adventures. I love running too much to give it up.


Last night, I picked up my packet downtown. It was so organized. I loved it! Here's my shirt, bib, d-tag and pint glass that I get to fill up once for free in the beer garden. I love the shirts! The race is called Urban Cow, so that's with all the cows stuff.


Jason has some friends over right now (that's why I'm posting so late). So, today, I'm going to carb-load with yummy pizza (no beer, though), and rest like a dead woman. I have lots of movies planned and reading some running books. It's going to be a very chill day for me.


Goals:
To finish the race un-injured, happy and having fun. I wish to finish under 2:30, and anything under 2:15 will be even better (that will set a new PR).


Plan for the race:
I will set out at my own pace and not worry about others passing me the beginning. I have fruit chews (no more GU after my last half) that I have tested out and know that they do their job. I usually take the chews about 5 miles and 11 miles. I will drink my hand carried water throughout the race and only take water at the air stations (about every 2 miles). Whenever I drink Gatorade, my stomach get sick. I will have a great time and enjoy the surroundings and the bands along the course.


Music:
I don't have anything set for the exact music and time hat I listen to it. I will start the race without having my mp3 player on, and will turn it on probably about mile 4. I have Marylin Manson, System of a Down, Metallica, Sublime and so much more on it. I will be pumping to the hard beats!


Post Race:
I will enjoy the live music, and chocolate milk hey will have, along with the yummy foods. Afterwards, I have to head home as soon as possible, because I am taking Jason out to conclude his birthday celebration. We are driving about 2 hours away to go to one of our favorite breweries (that we haven't gone to, yet).


Tomorrow will be a blast and will go by so fast, but will be a great day! So much to do to prep for tomorrow, so I better get everything laid out, so I don't freak out tomorrow. Enjoy your Saturday!


How do you get ready for a race?

Last One...

This morning was my last workout before the big day. Sunday is the race and I'm ready! All my training has been done and all my long run have been ran. I feel prepared. Since this is my third half, I now know what to expect, when to eat, when to drink and how to mentally prepare myself. I will be posting about my goals, nutrition, and music later on in the week.

Last night's dinner was pretty good, especially for just throwing it together in 5 minutes. I fixed brown rice, green beans (my favorite) and bbq (sauce) chicken with a huge side of water.

Today is Jason's birthday and I'm going to fix him breakfast. So, I better go, and try not to make too much noise before he wakes up. I'll post about his birthDAY tomorrow (we're really celebrating this weekend).

When is your birthday? How many rest days do you take before a full or half marathon?