Run Log: December 2014

The month of December was not as snowy as the month of November... We've finally gotten a few flakes today, the last day of the year.  No white Christmas around here, but it did mean more running outside.  Run Club is going strong with 3 to 5 people each week!  We've even met over Christmas Break ~ and it sure does make a difference running with people at 26 degrees than by yourself.  First off, when it's a group, you actually GO & run!
This week started the 20 week marathon training plan.  Hard to believe May is 20 weeks away.  Under the advice of my husband and my running partner, I'm scaling back & actually following the plan. I'm giving my body the chance to rest {a little} and I'll work on speed {a little}  Marathon #2, here I come.

December Totals:

121.2 miles for the month
1191 miles for the year 

600.82 miles for my blue Brooks Glycerin 12 ~ and they are officially retired from running (but I've been wearing them to tennis lesson.  Probably the best pair of shoes I've ever owned. ~ a 5k PR, a 10k PR {which I almost forgot about} and a 1/2 marathon PR.  They served me well.

28.25 miles in my Gortex Ghosts, by Brooks

74.05 miles in my NEW pink Brooks Glycerin 12.  LOVE THEM!

Training for:  The Cleveland Marathon on May 17, 2015  ~ Signed up for the 20 mile drop April 12, 2015.

2011: 564.5 miles

2012: 656 miles 

2013: 1217 miles 

2014: 1191 miles

{I saw a challenge to run 2,015 miles in 2015.  How in the world would anyone have the time to do that?}

My WEIGHT:  Well, with all the sugar I've been stuffing in my face for the past four weeks, it's no wonder the scale said 138.2 this morning {twice, just in case it was wrong the first time}.  So I went out,  met Lori for lunch and stuffed my face with sushi.  That diet can start tomorrow.

Some interesting facts:

Longest run this month: 14.23.  It was good to do 14 two Saturdays in a row.  That's more than halfway to a full!

Favorite place to run this month: the 14 mile route.  Arcola to Dock to Chapel to Bennett to 20 to Burns to Dayton to 84 to County Line to Home.
# of bags of Candy Cane Kisses left in my cabinet: There is one GIANT bag and the bag I just bought for 50% off at Target today.  And there are some left in the candy dish {under the regular Milk Chocolate ones}
# of books I read this month: FOUR
Monthly mileage record: 155.46 ~ August 2013!  WOW
Highest mileage ever-at-one-time:  26.2 ~ October 13, 2013 ~ Northern Ohio Marathon

PR's:
5K: 22:30 (Run For the Grapes 9/28/14}
10K: 50:13 {Run for the Hills 6/22/14}
10-miler: 1:21:29 (Hermes Cleveland 10-miler 4/28/12)
half-marathon: 1:44:58 (Northern Ohio Half Marathon 10/12/14)
marathon: 4:01:04 (Northern Ohio Marathon 10/13/2013)

Christmas wrap up

Christmas preparation seems to start before Halloween and I still am rushed and stressed to get it all done. I think I'm learning to enjoy the moments more and not worry about the small stuff...but I still worry about the small stuff.  

Then there is that moment on Christmas Eve when we light the candles and sing Silent Night.  That is the peaceful moment. That is the powerful moment for me. I wish I could bottle that moment & call up that calm whenever I need it. 

Two big Christmas celebrations and two big Christmas dinners. It was a good season. 

Lunch with th Dodds so Jackson could give his buddy his Christmas present. 

A Barton Cassidy trip to the toboggan chutes in Strongsville. 

#30 The Spectacular Now

A quick read while I waited for my next book to become available from the library...and I finished it & still I wait.  I'm not sure where the recommendation came for this book, #30 The Spectacular Now by Tim Tharp, but it's about a teenager who only lives in the now.  All his relationships are jaded because of his inability to believe anyone could love him, yet he is quite lovable.   He drinks way to much.  He doesn't graduate.  He loses his job.  He makes a sweet nerdy girl his project in a very lovely way.  It's one of those stories where there really isn't an ending...and certainly no hope for a happily ever after ending ~ which I really hate.  In fact, the ending is so obscure, I had to look up some reviews to see what other people thought happened to Sutter. {Don't Read This if you Plan on Reading the Book and Want to Form Your own Opinion.}  Personally, I think he dies, but in the review & comments I looked at no one else mentioned that theory.

fl: So, it's a little before ten a.m. and I'm just starting to get a good buzz going.  ll: Goodbye, I say, goodbye, as I disappear little by little into the middle of the middle of my own spectacular now.

#29 ~ The Circle

A parable for today's social media society ~ what can happen when knowing everybody's business is more important that personal relationships.  Book #29 for 2014 is The Circle by Dave Eggers.  Parts of it can get a little 'preachy' about the negative side of knowing all.  And parts of it are pretty far fetched, but it did make me pause and wonder how social media has effected me & if it's been more harm than good.

fl: My God, Mae thought.  It's heaven. ll: Why shouldn't they know them?  The world deserved nothing less and would not wait.

December

This is the Barton Family Runners...after our NERC interclub relay race.  It was held December 7 at The West Woods in Newbury.  I ran 8, Mike ran 5 and Jacob ran 3.  Overall we ran it in 2:24:03.  By it, I mean the roller coaster they call the trails at the West Woods.  I swear there wasn't a single bit of FLAT anywhere on the trails.  Honestly, I think I'm still recovering from it!  But while driving there, we saw this sign:

"Newbury, Home of the 1986 Class A state Wrestling Champs"  I think we know someone who was on that team.

Later that same afternoon, we celebrated our annual Mount Union Christmas.  Love these girls & am blessed to know them & have them in my life!

And here are my beautiful new Brooks.  Don't you love the pink?  I do!  Another pair of Glycerin 12.  They are the bestest shoe EVER.

Then there's the December Band Concert ~ With Jacob in the regular band and also in Jazz band.  He looks quite dashing & grown up!  On December 11 the band preformed at the Great Lakes Mall outside Macy's. He and Audrey had a duet & were amazing.  I have the video on my phone...it would b nice if I could upload it.

Yesterday we had a impromptu visit from The Amos Family as they traveled to grandma's house.  What a great time to see & catch up with my cousin!  I certainly hope my house can become a stopping point for the family as they travel across the states.

AND PATRICK IS HOME!  He got his feet wet, so to speak, at his co-op & is home now until spring semester starts.

Then ~ I saw this amazing parking job at Giant Eagle yesterday.  Certainly under the category of  "Things that make you go HUH?"

I think I'm pretty much done Christmas shopping.  I need to hit Walmart one last time & of course, Giant Eagle (again!)  But I think I'm ready.

Time to enjoy.

#28 Shadow Spell

The second book in the Cousins O'Dwyer series is #28 Shadow Spell by Nora Roberts.  A little fantasy, a little romance, a little cheesy.  I enjoy these easy reads.  This book has Meara and Connor falling in love & the group coming just this much closer to destroying Cabhan.

fl: Mists spiraled up from the water like breath as Eamon rowed the little boat. ll: And the terrible thirst was vengeance.

#27 Dark Witch

Needed a quick, light read for Thanksgiving break, so I turned to a Nora Roberts.  #27 is Dark Witch, Book One of the Cousins O'Dwyer Trilogy.  It's an interesting story beginning in 1263 when magick and witches ruled in Ireland.  The Dark Witch is being attacked by an evil power and before she is killed, she passes her power onto her three children.  750 years later, the three descendants of these children join forces to try and defeat this same evil power ~ and of course find love along the way.  Easy Nora Roberts fun read.

Quote:
p38 ~ Illusion, Nan would say, was as good as reality.

fl: Near the shadow of the castle, deep in the green woods, Sorcha led her children through the gloom toward home. ll: Deep in the woods, in another time, the wolf whimpered.  The man inside it cursed.  And with arts as black as midnight, slowly began to heal.  Carefully, began to plan.

Run Log: November 2014

Here Comes December!  Winter has been here for a while now, at least it's sure felt like it.  Yesterday's 14 mile run was brutal ~ the temperature wasn't so bad, around 30 degrees, and the wind wasn't horrible ~ but I never got warm.  Ever.  My fingers were non-functioning sticks when we finished.  It was hard to take off my clothes to get in the shower.
Then today, it's in the 60's.  But, I know this won't last!
Run Club has run in snow & really high winds this month.  And we've decided that Monday we will pack our run gear and make a game time decision each week.  We have a pretty solid core of 4 people & it's a lot of fun.

November Totals:

133.47 miles for the month {WOW}
1069.8 miles for the year 

581.92 miles for my blue Brooks Glycerin 12 ~ Whoa ~ that's a lot of miles.  Good think I'm going to Ladies Night at Second Sole on Wednesday to buy me a new pair of kicks!

Training for:  The Cleveland Marathon on May 17, 2015  {my 20 week plan starts 12/29...but I'm already running like it's 10 weeks out.  Going to keep it here for the next 8 to 10 weeks}

My WEIGHT:  So, I guess I lost a little bit.  Didn't want to get on that scale this morning, but I did with my clothes and glasses on {swear that adds some}  137.6... I don't know what to say about that as I just eat whatever & don't really stop & don't really plan to.  I'd LIKE to be a couple of pounds less...and not have this roll around my middle...but I don't really want to DO anything about it.

Some interesting facts:

Longest run this month: 14.13...and I was sore after.  It was GOOD to feel run sore; it has been a while.
Favorite place to run this month: The Turkey Day 5k, when we turned onto the bike path & everything was covered with snow & the runners were just plowing through it.  It was beautiful
# of books I read this month: Three
Monthly mileage record: 155.46 ~ August 2013!  WOW
Highest mileage ever-at-one-time:  26.2 ~ October 13, 2013 ~ Northern Ohio Marathon

PR's:
5K: 22:30 (Run For the Grapes 9/28/14}
10K: 50:13 {Run for the Hills 6/22/14}
10-miler: 1:21:29 (Hermes Cleveland 10-miler 4/28/12)
half-marathon: 1:44:58 (Northern Ohio Half Marathon 10/12/14)
marathon: 4:01:04 (Northern Ohio Marathon 10/13/2013)

#26 Leaving Everything Most Loved

The last Maisie Dobbs book ~ #26 Leaving Everything Most Loved by Jacqueline Winspear ~ I love it and a I hate it when I come to the end of a series. This was another good Maisie Dobbs ~ but the book was full of endings also.  Maisie closed up her business and her employees found other jobs and James & Maisie went their separate ways, but with a twist, which makes me hope there will be another book.  I want to know her decision regarding James.
But it is also a good place to end a series.  A new adventure may not make for good novels!

I don't have quotes or first or last lines...as the book left my Kindle a few days ago.  

Black Friday

For the first time ever I went shopping on Black Friday.  I really think that the crazy people shop On Thanksgiving and the middle of the night, because the two places I went were fine.  Granted, Lowes and Madison Peebles aren't the hot bed of shopp on deals...

We got a great deal on a grill at Lowes and shirts for Patrick "business casual" at Peebles.  

No actual Christmas shopping took place, and I need to get on that!

And, I heard a tap tap tap in the mud room this afternoon...looked out the window & saw this:

A woodpecker pecking away on our deck railing. Huh. 

Turkey Day

Lots to be thankful for this Turkey Day.  Patrick is home, which just feels right. But, he wanted no part of running ~ so only three Bartons (from Madison ~ two from Newbury) rand in the fourth running of the Turkey Day 5k.  Driving to the Central YMCA on Thanksgiving morning ~ in the falling snow.  It was 30 some degrees and big fat wet flakes were falling from the sky.  It was absolutely gorgeous.  I've also gotten my pre-race routine down ~ which is comforting & makes it so I don't feel like I'm going to wet my pants at the start line.  30 minutes out I drink my pre-race drink & get in line for the bathroom.  Then I do a little warm up jog.  Today it was all about making sure I would have good footing.  It was slick.  Found that running in the snow was better than where it had melted.  Decided not to wear my music or my watch.  It was kinda freeing and I really enjoyed watching the snow fall on the stream of runners.  I didn't set the world on fire ~ but it was still enough to win a pie for the second year in a row.  This year's looks much more appetizing than last year's too.  And there was additional bling...another coffee mug.  I'm getting quite the collection :)

Now we're off to Newbury to eat and eat.  Gotta love this tradition we've been a part of since the beginning four years ago!

Snow day #1

The phone didn't ring before my 6:00 alarm. I laid in bed a few minutes...and it still didn't ring...so I checked the tv ~ Ashtabula was closed, but nothing in Lake.  I showered, dressed, make-uped, and as I was feeding the dogs & watching the weatherman live from Madison, the phone rang.  Guess the decision maker watches channel 3 news.

So I had a very productive day:

Cleaned out the workout room & closet. (For a house that doesn't have any mice, there was a lot of mouse poop I'm that closet)

Ran 6 miles at the Y while listening to episode 7 and half of episode 8 of Serial.  

Watched most of my DVR'd shows

Paid bills

Went out for lunch and dinner

It was an amazing snow day!!

#25 King and Maxwell

I do fear this is the last King and Maxwell novel ~ even though a new character has joined the team...I wonder if David Baldacci will write another one (I hope so!)  #25 is King and Maxwell ~ number 6 in the series.  A very fast read ~ and I've been reading so slowly lately.  In this story the CIA and DOD and DHS all gang up on a poor guy to be the fall guy for a bad mission.  It's all very dark and sinister in the planning & frightening at how things along this line are probably happening daily within our government.  Michelle and Sean manage to narrowly escape being killed seven or eight times in very unbelievable ways...but it works for me in the fiction.

fl: Forty-eight hundred pounds.  That was roughly how much the cargo in the crate weighed.ll "Oh my God," Michelle said hopelessly.  "Yeah," said Sean, with a long sigh.

First Snow

It started with a dusting this morning & just kept on going. By 2:45, all after school events were cancelled & the first of the busses were really late. We didn't dismiss kids until 3:15 & there were still quite a few busses not there at 3:30.

7 inches of snow or more covered everything & I'm not sure the snowplow a remembered they are the ones who have to do something about that. 

I knew I didn't have a snow scraper...or gloves (seriously, where are all my gloves?). And my dear colleague cleared off my car for me (and I love the remote start on my new car). When I opened my door, what is on my seat?  But a snow scraper and a cute pair of gloves.  My husband is the best (even tho he cancelled my dentist appointment). 

The roads were horrible, but Jacob made it home safely (and duly frightened) and I am ever so thankful for my three mile drive home.  Most people were stuck for hours in traffic.  

It sure is beautiful

Weekend Fun

The high school football team made the playoffs this season ~ and even had home field for the first round.  We haven't seen Jacob march for a long time, so it was great that this one was at home.  We get to the game all bundled in our cold gear & a blanket to wrap in too ~ it was that cold.  We sit down and prepare to watch pre-game.  People are just wandering in & getting there seats...it's early yet, not a lot happening before the game starts...

Except the people in front of us.  Apparently they have been sitting in the bleachers for a while, maybe hours.  this was the mess BEFORE THE GAME EVEN STARTED.  They certainly had their money's worth in fun.  This just struck me as one of those things...I couldn't stop looking at the mess & wondering what kind of partying they were doing in the stands before I got there.  Because they were pretty tame fans while I was there.

The Saturday (after running our 13 miles in the cold & wind) we loaded up the car & drove south to Cincinnati.  This is our usie...it's really difficult to get a really tall kid and a really not so tall kid in one shot!

It was really good to see Patrick & Maggie.  Patrick took us to his new favorite BBQ place ~ Alabama-Q.  A little store-front with five tables (not so clean) and food served in Styrofoam to-go packages.  For $28 we all had a very good and filling meal.  Mike pointed out that it didn't even have a bathroom & we were probably glad for that!  I would eat their food again; I would just take it to another location to do so.

After breakfast with the kids, Mike & I went to Jungle Jim's.  I tried to get a selfie with one of the 'animals' out front. It was an interesting place ~ with even more interesting bathrooms.  In the middle of the store are two big port-a-potties... that enter into very nice bathrooms.  It's pretty freaky to open that door tho'.

At check out Mike thows these Cinnamon Twists on the belt ~ I can't believe he bought the Cinnamon ones ~ like he totally didn't read it & thought they were the Strawberry ones.  So I say, "Those are Cinnamon."  MIKE SAYS, "I know.  They're like breath mints, but candy." 

unrelated events

Today a coworker brought rice krispie treats made with peanut butter chips and chocolate chips.  They were pretty good with my coffee. And with my lunch.

In unrelated news, a binder clip can hold your pants together when the button pops off.

Halloween Weekend

I am a fairy princess!  Finally we were 'allowed' to dress up for Halloween & I became my true inner self ~ a fairy princess.  It was amazing

Trisha made Maple Bacon cookies with Maple Bacon frosting.  Notable because they are such a strange thing to come across at the Giant Eagle.  Fun that Trisha bought them to let Uncle Silly Mike try them...as he loves everything bacon.  They rather tasted like maple frosted donuts with a side of bacon.  Not a favorite, but not horrible either.

And we went to a quite chilly, and pretty awful {except that we did win} Browns game.  Had to leave at the end of the third quarter because I was frozen, so we listened to the win in the car on the way home.  Yes, I am a fair weather fan.  

And now it's November...officially Holiday Season in my book.

#24 Elegy for Eddie

Each Maisie Dobbs book gets better and better & I'm pretty sad, because I do believe there is only one more.  I love the historical fiction ~ it's a unique perspective to see WWII from the before it happened point of view.
#24 is Elegy for Eddie by Jacqueline Winspear ~ about the death of a 'simple' man ~ and how it leads to the necessity of keeping England safe from the threat of Germany and Hitler.  I do wish that Maisie would figure out her love life...but I like how the relationship with James was left at the end of this novel.  I guess Maisie is too independent to really be a married woman in the 1930's...

Quotes:
p55 ~ hail-fellow-well-met attitude {an interesting way to describe a trusting, kind person}

p222 ~ {I love the name} Elsbeth  {I do}

p337 ~ After the wary, however, in the early 1920's, the government had launched a series of advertisements aimed at getting the populating out into the fresh air, encouraging people to go hill walking, which some master of the slogan had abbreviated to "hiking".  {is that a true story of the birth of the term}

p341 ~ ...know he sailed close to the wind

p425 ~ even truth could bleed.

fl: Maudie Pettit pushed the long broom back and forth across the wet flagstones, making sure every last speck of horse manure was sluiced down the drains that ran along a gully between the two rows of stall.  ll: Each with their own thoughts.  Watching their world go by.

October Run Log

Happy Halloween!  {We dressed up for Halloween today at school & I was a Fairy Princess.  Pictures  at another time, as I have to wait to get them.  Heaven forbid I take a Halloween selfie!}

October Running!  What a GREAT month.
Cross Country came to an amazing end ~ another wonderful season {I do coach the BEST sport EVER.  Want to feel good about kids & life, coach middle school cross country}  Another PR set; already blogged about.  Run Club had it's first meeting of the school year last Monday with 5 members running.  And plans to do it every Monday {which kinds messes with my training...but Run Club is too fun to not figure that out}

AND Mike and I signed up for the Cleveland Marathon ~ May 17 is the date looming up ahead.
Reasons WHY I'm running a second marathon:

• Cliff Bars {I really miss those, especially the Blueberry Crisp ones}
• eating everything I like & my pants still fitting
• I really think I can earn a Boston Qualifying time.
• I'm a little crazy {or a lot}

It will be good to train for a marathon at the same time as Mike.  It will be really good.

October Totals:

98.44 miles for the month 
936.33 miles for the year 

448.45 miles for my blue Brooks Glycerin 12 ~ Man, It's probably time to get a new pair...but these still feel good!  I know what I can spend that gift certificate my XC kids gave me!

Training for:  The Turkey Day 5k ~ and the Cleveland Marathon on May 17, 2015

My WEIGHT:  UGH.  I guess I haven't GAINED weight...138.2 this morning.  Pants still fit...but I really have to quit eating the JUNK.  This is why I'm running a marathon ~ I have ZERO self-control.

Some interesting facts:

Longest run this month: 13.1 ~ at a PR pace :)
Favorite place to run this month: Northern Ohio Half Marathon.  Yeah, pretty much your favorite run is the PR run.
# of books I read this month: One {but I'm almost done with the one I'm on now!}
Monthly mileage record: 155.46 ~ August 2013!  WOW
Highest mileage ever-at-one-time:  26.2 ~ October 13, 2013 ~ Northern Ohio Marathon

PR's:
5K: 22:30 (Run For the Grapes 9/28/14}
10K: 50:13 {Run for the Hills 6/22/14}
10-miler: 1:21:29 (Hermes Cleveland 10-miler 4/28/12)
half-marathon: 1:44:58 (Northern Ohio Half Marathon 10/12/14)
marathon: 4:01:04 (Northern Ohio Marathon 10/13/2013)

nightmare

Monday night I had the scariest experience ~ First, I woke up from a dead sleep, choking on my own spit.  Seriously?  How does this happen?  So I cough myself to breathing again, and then go back to sleep.  That's where the scary dream started.  I was dreaming that I was sleeping in my bed and a ghost was trying to kill me {suddenly the choking made sense, in a very frightening way}.  In the dream, I was being poked by the ghost and when I'd open my eyes the bathroom light would be on.  Then the next time I'd open my eyes, my closet lights were on.  The next time, cabinet doors were open...and on it went.  Suddenly I was a little kid and the only thing I could think to do was to get to my dad.  I just couldn't get out of bed and run there.  It doesn't sound too freaky as I type this, but I was terrified.
Suddenly I hear my husband say in a very monotone voice, "Hey, you're yelling."
I  was never more relived to be awake.  I yelled, "I'm so scared" and I kinda got the giggles because of his response.

Rabbit Run

  I love the Rabbit Run for a number of reasons:  1.  My family will usually run it because they want to {not because I make them, like the Turkey Day 5k} 2. Many of my XC kids run it ~ and many of my former XC kids run it ~ and I really like seeing them all out enjoying running.  3.  It's a Madison run & I know a lot of people running...which just makes it fun because you can cheer for everyone by name. 4.  It's the only race I've ever placed overall in...that first year, came in second behind Kelly Chandler... and I've always placed first in my age group {yes, I am that vain}

These are the majority of the current & former MMS XC runners who raced today.  Runners are the best kids!  I am so fortunate to coach the best sport in the world.  The tallest one on the right ran in the Regional XC meet yesterday and came in THIRD overall today.  That's a kid who's had great coaching {hee}

Here is my son (sorry it's blurry) getting his SECOND PLACE award ~ 22:45 was his time {he passed me pretty early & I could see him the whole race...but there was no catching him today}  

And the post race usie ~ With Jacob & I wearing our bling.  I finished at 23:18 and Mike finished at 25:15.  A great 5k day.  And the warmest Rabbit Run to date.

#23 Confessions of a Slightly Neurotic Hitwoman

#23, Confessions of a Slightly Neurotic Hitwoman by JB Lynn, was a recommendation by my mom.  It's a fun little story about how a slightly crazy woman, who talks to a lizard {named God}and a dog {named Doomsday}, sort of accidentally becomes a hitwoman.  But she only kills people who deserve it, so I guess that makes her a hero character, not a villain character.  She's got a crazy family, including a literally crazy mother and a father in prison and a missing sister and two dead sisters and a niece in a coma and three crazy aunts she call the three witches.  It's a fun read & the first in what I think is a very large series. {just by looking at the recommendations listed on my Kindle.

fl: You just know it's going to be a bad day when you're stuck at a red light and Death pulls up behind you in a station wagon.  ll: And, oh yeah, even thought I didn't know it at the time, I found out not long after that that I needed to kill someone at a wedding...

Northern Ohio Half. PR!!

The second time to the start line at the Northern Ohio...but this time it was for the 1/2.  I had a better night sleep & I was not near as nervous as last year, but it was SO much colder.  I think it was 35 degrees at the 7:30am start.  It's really a interesting start, because it's just after sunrise.  The crowd goes from milling around in the dark to the start gun in first light.  It's like even the sun is ready to run.  Mike joined me this year ~ and even though we have both run a few half marathons, we've never run the same one.  It was fun to be at the start line & get Mike in my pre & post race selfies!  {side note:  Mike ran this with only a few weeks training...and sore knees ~ made the discovery of KT tape ~ and finished in 1:54:47}

I felt SO good the whole race.  My toe/foot thing {woke up in the middle of the night Thursday with the big toe on my right foot throbbing? Then my leg, from the knee down, felt 'funny' Friday and Saturday...} didn't bother me at all.  I took water twice...thanks to the cold weather.  Didn't take any gu's or jells...  I did take a drink of the SPARK 1/2 hour before the race {I've taken that in the last two races, and PR'ed in both}

The biggest mental boost was passing the 20 mile marker & feeling SO good.  Last year at that point, was a whole 'nother story! {there's the difference between the whole & the half!}  Going through Headlands was fun because Madison athletes were manning the water stop...and I didn't feel the need to get in a car & be driven the rest of the way.

Around mile 11-12 I realized that I was going to PR. And I willed myself to get back to under 8 minute miles... didn't quite get there, but it was enough to shave 2:30 off my time.

   New 1/2 marathon PR: 1:44:58

Split	Time	Distance	Avg Pace
Summary	1:44:58.1	13.09	8:01
1	7:44.3	1.00	7:44
2	8:05.8	1.00	8:06
3	7:51.8	1.00	7:52
4	8:07.6	1.00	8:08
5	8:00.2	1.00	8:00
6	7:47.8	1.00	7:48
7	8:00.1	1.00	8:00
8	7:52.6	1.00	7:53
9	8:01.6	1.00	8:02
10	8:18.2	1.00	8:18
11	8:12.7	1.00	8:13
12	8:12.6	1.00	8:13
13	8:06.0	1.00	8:06
14	:36.8	0.09	7:11

  

Here's a shot of my bling {first in my age group}

The best was the note from Jacob, which is in the shot, but you can't read it.  He came home from Homecoming & then went back to his buddy's house for the night, so at midnight he left this note wishing us both luck in the run.  He is a great kid.  

Patrick was in his own bed when we left...and was on the road back to UC before we got back home, so that is kinda sad. But he looks good & is happy at UC & excited to head back in his new car.

Final Results:

#1 in age group

#13 female {out of 234}

#63 overall {out of 412}

This is a great little race.  It's organized well, marked well, challenging...makes me want to run it again!