Weekly Mileage #165 and the Unintentional Half Marathon

Monday afternoon I went for my weekly long trail run. It was supposed to rain all week, but it wasn't supposed to rain Monday. It was sprinkling as I left, but I put too much faith in the no rain forecast. It ended up raining the entire four hours I was running. I've decided to add an hour to my long run each week to increase my time on my feet- that's the larger concern, rather than increasing my mileage, I think.

wild cherry blossoms, I think?

Despite the rain (and the wet shoes and socks I had for most of the run), it was a good run. I maintained my pace pretty well the entire time, despite spending a lot of time on the back half of the park's trails, which are the hilliest. Speaking of which, I'm thinking of just doing the back loop once on race day. It'll mean doing the less hilly (though there's definitely still hills) front loop 8 times instead of 5, but the steep hills of the back loop take a lot more energy. My energy levels are a concern, and fewer steep hills will also be easier on my leg muscles. I'm not looking forward to the repetition, but I think that's a minor concern in the grand scheme of things.

cool fungi

I do need to start taping to avoid chafing- those wet socks left me with a huge blister on the underside of one of my toes.

The first long run I did a couple weeks ago, I just ran the downhills and walked the uphills. This week and last I've kept fairly closely to a run half a mile, walk a tenth of a mile routine. Even on the uphills it's working pretty well, and I think it's why I've been able to keep my pace pretty consistent.

I ended up running 13.4 miles in my allotted 4 hours. An unintentional half marathon! Which I am totally counting as a half marathon, BTW.

The bling from the virtual 5k River and I ran also arrived that day. I've always felt kind of silly getting a large medal for a 5k (River doesn't mind though, and it's added incentive for him, so it's fine), so now it's my half marathon medal. I tried to go back in and change my time from a 5k to a half marathon (they're using the same tracker for all distances), but once you enter it, that's it.

Interestingly enough, I have done a trail half before, back in Nov 2015. I remember it being a difficult, slightly traumatic event. But when I looked up my finish time, it was about 25 minutes faster than Monday's half marathon. Now, I wasn't going for speed on Monday, but I don't know that the hills are any worse than that first trail half. Maybe I've just slowed down that much in the last 4.5 years (age, narcolepsy, etc). I don't know. I'm not really concerned about it, it's just something that's got me thinking.

Tuesday I was dragging a bit. I'm not sure if it was from all the energy I used on Monday, or the side effects of the Tylenol PM I took Monday night. I slept through the night all right, but I did not wake up feeling rested, which is probably due to how sleep aids like Tylenol PM work. It's actually the first time I tried it, and I wasn't sure how I would react. The tired was probably a combo of the TPM and the long run.

I finally put a cover on the chick's bin- do you see that chick up on the feeder?

they were starting to hop up to roost, which is just a step away from hopping out entirely

Tuesday and Wednesday it only sprinkled for a few minutes. It didn't rain in earnest till Thursday night. So much for the rainy forecast. It was cooler than normal all week till Saturday, then it went from 50s/60s up to the mid 80s. blech. Running in cooler temps is so much easier. I'm starting to worry about doing the 50k at the end of June in hot and humid temps. This coming week will be a good test to see how I handle it.

Friday I made gluten free sourdough bread for the first time. I really wasn't sure it would work out, but it did! It was pale on top (gluten free flours just don't brown up that well), but it tasted like sourdough bread. In fact, it reminded me of the sourdough loaves my mom used to buy, especially when toasted and dripping in butter- yum!

This week I worked on batching posts for my travel site so I can focus on my leatherwork for awhile. It took longer than I'd hoped, of course, but I just have to finish a couple things on the last couple posts and I'll be good through the end of July. That gives me two months to focus on making stuff for my Etsy shop. I've bought a variety of leathers and have been watching tutorials and I'm ready to try some different items. Think tote bags and notebook covers (for refillable notebooks) to start, and then I'll branch out from there.

the boys were helping daddy wash the cars, which meant they got to use the power washer, which they loved

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I've been thinking about energy levels and narcolepsy. The last year and a half my energy levels have been lower than they were before my narcolepsy got worse. Yet I'm actually doing pretty well with these weekly long runs. I think part of that is my "keep moving" coping mechanism/mentality that I developed years ago. Years ago I realized that if I kept moving, I could usually get what I needed done. But if I sat down, it was all over and I wasn't moving again. So I keep moving.

These days I can sit at the computer, but I have to be active- typing, etc. I can't sit and watch something without my hands staying busy. If I try to just watch something, I'll fall asleep. I do ok in theaters, but we don't go very often, and when we do I eat and drink while we're there (busy hands), and we watch action movies that require a lot of attention so details aren't missed.

Driving is ok if done for less than 2-3 hours, if I'm listening to something that keeps my brain engaged (podcasts or audiobooks) and I've got water, sugar free energy drinks, and low carb snacks to keep my hands busy. Standing around talking to people can actually be difficult- there have been many times when I've had a hard time staying focused and awake while talking to others. Church is difficult as well- it's hard to keep my hands and brain busy while listening (note taking doesn't do it for me), though trying to keeping Ocean quiet and reverent helps. Hmm, maybe that's why he's such an energetic child: to help me be more alert during sacrament meeting! 😂

That said, after I do the 50k, I think I'll keep my long runs to 5-6 miles unless I'm in a training cycle, though I don't really have time to do a full blown training cycle right now.

Weekly Mileage
Tuesday- 13.4 miles run and hiked
Saturday- 10.0 miles biked
total- 23.4 miles

2020 totals

19 hikes towards #52hikechallenge
0 kayak miles towards #365milechallenge

112.61 outdoor foot miles towards #365milechallenge
11.00 indoor foot miles towards #365milechallenge
140.0 bike miles towards #365milechallenge
263.61 miles total

December Mileage + 2018 Mileage

This is just the numbers, I've got another post planned in a couple days with my thoughts on those numbers and my goals for 2019.

Total hikes: 52
Total miles hiked: 107.36
Average length of each hike: 2.06 miles
Shortest hike: this snowy, muddy hike earlier in December (1.03 miles)
Longest hike: when we actually found the waterfall (4.65 miles)
Most hikes in one week: 5, on two different occasions in December as I played catch up
Coolest hike: Big Branch Falls
Most painful hike: Laurel Falls, when I broke my foot
Favorite hike: Snowshoeing!

Total bike workouts: 41

Total miles biked: 365

Average length of each bike workout: 8.9 miles
Shortest bike ride: 3.5 miles
Longest bike ride: 15.0 miles

Number of races completed: 9, totaling 41.9 miles
6- 5ks (18.6 miles)
1- 4 mile (4.0 miles)
1- 10k (6.2 miles)
1- half marathon (13.1 miles)

Total kayaking trips: 2
Total miles kayaked: 2.14
Average length of each kayak trip: 1.07 miles

Highest mileage month: 110.23 miles (August)
Lowest mileage month: 15.56 miles (February)

Total mileage for the year: 387.86 foot miles + 365.0 bike miles + 2.14 kayak miles= 755.00 miles
2017 total mileage: 500.30 foot miles + 20.0 bike miles = 520.30 miles
2016 total mileage: 310.42 foot miles

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December mileage:
0 treadmill workouts + 18 hikes + 3 bike workouts + 0 kayak outings = 68.40 miles

52 hike challenge: 52 hikes

365 mile challenge:  365.0 bike miles + 387.86 foot miles + 2.14 kayak miles

total miles: 755.00 miles

November mileage:
2 treadmill workouts + 8 hikes + 1 outside run/walk + 1 race + 6 bike workouts + 0 kayak outings = 95.76 miles

52 hike challenge: 34 hikes

365 mile challenge:  335.0 bike miles + 349.46 foot miles + 2.14 kayak miles

total miles: 686.60 miles

October mileage:
0 treadmill workouts + 5 hikes + 6 outside walking + 8 store walking + 1 bike workouts + 0 kayak outings = 47.83 miles

52 hike challenge: 26 hikes

365 mile challenge:  265.0 bike miles + 323.70 foot miles + 2.14 kayak miles

total miles: 590.84 miles

September mileage:

3 treadmill workouts + 2 hikes + 3 store walking + 2 races + 2 bike workouts + 0 kayak outings = 

40.87 miles

52 hike challenge: 21 hikes

365 mile challenge:  260.0 bike miles + 280.87 foot miles + 2.14 kayak miles

total miles: 543.01 miles

August mileage:

9 treadmill workouts + 4 hikes + 1 outside run/walks + 1 race + 4 bike workouts + 0 kayak outings = 110.23 miles

52 hike challenge: 19 hikes

365 mile challenge:  250.0 bike miles + 250.0 foot miles + 2.14 kayak miles

total miles: 502.14 miles

July mileage:

9 treadmill workouts + 6 hikes + 8 outside run/walks + 1 race + 3 bike workouts + 1 kayak outing = 90.43 miles

52 hike challenge: 15 hikes

365 mile challenge:  215.0 bike miles + 167.27 foot miles + 2.14 kayak miles

total miles: 381.36 miles

June mileage:

4 treadmill workouts + 4 hikes + 2 outside run/walks + 1 race + 7 bike workouts + 1 kayak outing = 102.12 miles

52 hike challenge: 9 hikes

365 mile challenge:  190.0 bike miles + 102.88 foot miles + 1.1 kayak miles

total miles: 293.98 miles

May mileage:      

4 treadmill workouts + 1 hike + 1 outside walk + 4 bike workouts = 49.95 miles

52 hike challenge: 5 hikes

365 mile challenge: 120.00 bike miles + 71.86 foot miles

April mileage:

1 treadmill workout + 1 hike + 1 outside walk + 6 bike workouts = 45.31 miles

52 hike challenge: 4 hikes

365 mile challenge: 85.0 bike miles + 56.91 foot miles

March mileage:

1 treadmill workout + 2 hikes + 1 outside walk + 1 race + 4 bike workouts = 33.43 miles

52 hike challenge: 3 hikes

365 mile challenge: 45.0 bike miles + 51.60 foot miles

February mileage:

0 treadmill workouts + 1 hike + 3 outside run/walk + 1 race + 0 bike workouts = 15.56 miles

52 hike challenge: 1 hike

365 mile challenge: 25.0 bike miles + 38.17 foot miles

January mileage: 

2 treadmill workouts + 0 hikes + 4 outside run/walk + 1 race + 3 bike workouts = 47.61 miles

52 hike challenge: 0 hikes

365 mile challenge: 25.0 bike miles + 22.61 foot miles

September Mileage

cool wispy fog during the half marathon

My mileage for the month was not great, but when you consider that the majority of it came in the first week of the month, before I broke my foot, I didn't do too badly. I did two races back to back, which I haven't done for some time, and while we didn't do nearly as much hiking as I'd planned, we still had a fun vacation. This was my ninth half marathon, so yay me for doing all that training and all that running.

beautiful scenery during the half marathon

September mileage:

3 treadmill workouts + 2 hikes + 3 store walking + 2 races + 2 bike workouts + 0 kayak outings = 

40.87 miles

52 hike challenge: 21 hikes

365 mile challenge:  260.0 bike miles + 280.87 foot miles + 2.14 kayak miles

total miles: 543.01 miles

August mileage:

9 treadmill workouts + 4 hikes + 1 outside run/walks + 1 race + 4 bike workouts + 0 kayak outings = 110.23 miles

52 hike challenge: 19 hikes

365 mile challenge:  250.0 bike miles + 250.0 foot miles + 2.14 kayak miles

total miles: 502.14 miles

July mileage:

9 treadmill workouts + 6 hikes + 8 outside run/walks + 1 race + 3 bike workouts + 1 kayak outing = 90.43 miles

52 hike challenge: 15 hikes

365 mile challenge:  215.0 bike miles + 167.27 foot miles + 2.14 kayak miles

total miles: 381.36 miles

June mileage:

4 treadmill workouts + 4 hikes + 2 outside run/walks + 1 race + 7 bike workouts + 1 kayak outing = 102.12 miles

52 hike challenge: 9 hikes

365 mile challenge:  190.0 bike miles + 102.88 foot miles + 1.1 kayak miles

total miles: 293.98 miles

May mileage:          

4 treadmill workouts + 1 hike + 1 outside walk + 4 bike workouts = 49.95 miles

52 hike challenge: 5 hikes

365 mile challenge: 120.00 bike miles + 71.86 foot miles

April mileage:

1 treadmill workout + 1 hike + 1 outside walk + 6 bike workouts = 45.31 miles

52 hike challenge: 4 hikes

365 mile challenge: 85.0 bike miles + 56.91 foot miles

March mileage:

1 treadmill workout + 2 hikes + 1 outside walk + 1 race + 4 bike workouts = 33.43 miles

52 hike challenge: 3 hikes

365 mile challenge: 45.0 bike miles + 51.60 foot miles

February mileage:

0 treadmill workouts + 1 hike + 3 outside run/walk + 1 race + 0 bike workouts = 15.56 miles

52 hike challenge: 1 hike

365 mile challenge: 25.0 bike miles + 38.17 foot miles

January mileage: 

2 treadmill workouts + 0 hikes + 4 outside run/walk + 1 race + 3 bike workouts = 47.61 miles

52 hike challenge: 0 hikes

365 mile challenge: 25.0 bike miles + 22.61 foot miles

Weekly Mileage #76 and Great Smoky Mountains 5k and Half Marathon

During the week I spent some time prepping the RV leading up to our trip to Tennessee. A little bit here, a little bit there, and everything was ready to go except for a few last minute things Friday morning.

Those few things took longer than planned (of course) so we left a bit later than planned Friday morning and were rushing around when we arrived in Townsend, TN. Mr M parked and set up the RV while I went to the race expo and picked up race bibs and shirts.

ready for the 5k

Great Smoky Mountains 5k

That evening we all did the 5k associated with the half marathon. Mr M walked with the kiddos. The boys were in the stroller, but River got out to run the last two miles. He's been telling me that he wants to run races with me, so this was a good start. I'd planned on finding a 5k for him and I to do in October, but that will have to wait (more on that later).

someone was not excited to be doing the race...

I did run the race, but I tried to take it nice and easy- just stretching my legs. It was really hot and humid and I didn't realize the 5k was cupless (the half marathon is), and I forgot my hydrapouch, so couldn't get a drink during or after the race. I spent the rest of the evening guzzling water and gatorade in an effort to re-hydrate and not be dehydrated in the morning. I ran the 5k (3.05 miles) in 42:04. Not my fastest time ever, but I was consciously trying to go slow so I wouldn't wear myself out right before the half marathon.

crazy faces instead of pained smiles, guess I'll take what I can get from him :)

Great Smoky Mountains Half Marathon

Saturday morning I was up bright and early, ok, dark and early, to catch the bus to the start line. Our campground was almost straight across the road from the staging area/finish line, so I just walked across the road (not much traffic at 5:30 am) and up a little ways to the bus line. Easy peasy and no one else had to wake up to drive me somewhere.

The course has changed a bit since the first time I ran it, but that was definitely a good thing. The first 9 miles are run on a little used country road that has some fairly extreme slants to it. The final 4 miles are run on a blessedly flat bike path that runs next to the main road through town. I don't normally like running next to busy roads, but my left foot was killing me after all that running on the slanted road. It was on the uphill side, which meant it received a disproportionate distribution of my weight, and my foot did not appreciate it. The flat bike path was a relief to run on.

River did a lot of running ahead of Mr M, then running back to him, then running ahead, etc. Pretty sure he ran more than a 5k, and he finished strong (I wasn't expecting him, so I didn't have time to set up the picture)

I ran the half marathon (13.14) in 3:00:36, I ran it in 2:51:01 in 2014. I was a little disappointed about the slower time, but given my foot pain, how little running I did in my training, and how tired I've been for the last month or so, I'm actually pretty happy with my time.

He's convinced he won the race :)

Cade's Cove

After the race we drove to Cade's Cove in Great Smoky NP, where we stayed Saturday and Sunday nights. We drove the Cade's Cove loop, stopping to hike to some of the original log cabins that are still present. We drove the loop last time we visited, but didn't stop to hike to these log cabins.

He was even more excited about the box of after-race treats 

We also hunted out some waterfalls, since they're fun destinations to hike to. Two we were able to see from the road, so no actual hiking was needed, and the third was Laurel Falls. We hiked to it last time as well, but did a repeat so I could try to get the Trifecta, which you earn by visiting three designated spots in the park and taking a picture with your bib and finisher's medal. You get a pin and a discount on a future race for your efforts.

Last time we hiked it in the middle of the day, and it was super crowded. This time it was late evening and we only encountered a few people on the trail. Even better, there was no one else at the waterfall, so we could take our pictures without having to worry about people accidentally photobombing us.

On the way down, Ocean decided he was done, so I stopped to strap him to my back, just like I'd done many times before. After securing him to my back, I started back down the trail, only something  went wrong. Instead of walking down the trail, I found myself on my knees on the ground. I'd tripped on the uneven pavement of the trail and fallen, gouging my left knee on the edge of the pavement and twisting my right foot. I also bloodied my left big toe (I was wearing my Chaco sandals because of some blisters from the race on my baby toes), but my feet and knees were the only parts of my body that made contact with the ground. So Ocean didn't get hurt because he was on my back.

Mr M took Ocean off my back and herded the kiddos down the trail, while I hobbled along as best I could. We still had about three quarters of a mile to go to get to the car, but thankfully it was all downhill, which made it slightly easier.

As much as it sucks to break my foot, the timing for it was really the best it could have been. I've taken the kids on so many solo hiking trips and road trips and I can't imagine having to herd the kiddos down the trail, then drive an hour or so to get to the nearest hospital, then keep them occupied while they were tired and hungry, in between getting X-rays and the splint and crutches.

Oh, and then driving back to the campground with the splint and breaking camp while on crutches. Especially since my foot hurt too badly to put pressure on it, which means I wouldn't actually have been able to drive or break camp (hooking up the dolly and loading the car would have been impossible). And we wouldn't have been able to spend extra time in the campground, waiting for my foot to heal, because all the NC campgrounds were evacuated ahead of the hurricane. So I'm very grateful that Mr M was with us when this happened.

splint on, waiting for discharge papers

In the end, despite my accident, this was my highest mileage week since the week I ran the Glacier half marathon last June. I had intended to find an October 5k to do with River, but that's not going to happen. Hopefully I'll be able to run at least some of the Turkey Trot on Thanksgiving Day, so I'll keep him with me, rather than have him stay with Mr and the stroller. We'll see how things go from there.

It was 1:30 am and we were almost to our campground (that reflecting sign ahead was the turnoff), but got stopped by this fallen tree in the road. Mr M was able to clear the road, but it was definitely the icing on a really long day.

Weekly Mileage
Monday-  2.00 miles walked on the treadmill
Tuesday-  5.00 miles on the bike
Wednesday- 2.00 miles walked on the treadmill
Thursday-  5.00 miles on the bike
Friday- 3.1 mile walked and run at GSM 5k
Saturday- 13.14 miles walked and run at GSM half marathon
                    .50 mile walked cool down after race
Sunday- 2.21 miles total hiked while visiting different spots at Cade's Cove
               2.65 miles hiked to Laurel Falls and back
    total- 26.16 miles

21 hikes towards #52hikechallenge
2.14 kayak miles towards #365milechallenge

276.16 foot miles towards #365milechallenge
260.00 bike miles towards #365milechallenge
538.30 miles total

December Mileage + 2017 Mileage

this little dude is getting so independent and grown up

I've been tracking my miles since early 2014, but I didn't start totaling those miles until 2016.
2016: 310.42 miles hiked, walked, or run
2017: 500.30 miles hiked, walked, or run + 20 miles biked = 520.30 total miles for the year

Most miles in one month: 94.37 (May)
Least miles in one month: 13.65 (July)

I ran 13 races that totaled 60 miles (and completed my 40 by 40 50 by 40 goal in June with the Glacier half marathon).
   9 - 5ks
   1 - 2 mile
   1 - 4 mile
   2 - half marathons

I completed 52 hikes that totaled 103 miles.
Sunshine completed 48 of those hikes, including Angel's Landing in Zion NP.
River completed 49 of those hikes, and he hiked all of them, except for one of the first, when he hitched a ride on the stroller the last half of the hike.
Ocean was on my back or in the stroller for part or all of 49 of those hikes.

Most hikes in one week: 5, which happened two weeks in a row, first at Zion NP, then at Glacier NP
Longest hike: 6.42 miles (Angel's Landing in Zion NP) with Mr M and Sunshine
Shortest hike: .54 miles (only two were under 1 mile, and those were early in the year)
Coolest hike: Kanarra Falls

December's mileage: 

1 treadmill workout + 6 hikes + 1 outside run + 1 race + 1 bike workout = 20.45 miles

52 hike challenge: 52 hikes

365 mile challenge: 520.30 miles

November's mileage:

1 treadmill workout + 3 hikes + 2 outside runs + 1 race + 2 bike workouts = 37.26 miles

52 hike challenge: 46 hikes

365 mile challenge: 499.85 miles

October's mileage:

 1 treadmill workout + 5 hikes + 0 outside runs + 1 race + 1 bike workout = 20.41 miles

52 hike challenge: 43 hikes

365 mile challenge: 462.59 miles

September's mileage:

7 treadmill workouts + 4 hikes + 2 outside walk/run + 1 race = 40.42 miles

52 hike challenge: 38 hikes

365 mile challenge: 442.18 miles

August's mileage:

5 treadmill workouts + 6 hikes +1 outside walk + 1 race = 36.66 miles

52 hike challenge: 34 hikes

365 mile challenge: 401.76 miles

July's mileage: 

3 treadmill workouts + 1 hike + 0 outside runs + 1 race = 13.65 miles
52 hike challenge: 28 hikes
365 mile challenge: 365.1 miles

June's mileage:

0 treadmill workouts + 10 hikes + 3 outside runs + 3 races (1, 2, half) + 2 walks = 81.25 miles

52 hike challenge: 27 hikes

365 mile challenge: 351.45 miles

40 by 40 goal: 50 races

May's mileage:

11 treadmill workouts + 3 hikes + 1 outside run + 2 races (1, 2) + 1 field trip = 94.37 miles

52 hike challenge: 17 hikes

365 mile challenge: 270.2 miles

40 by 40 goal: 47 races

April's mileage:

15 treadmill workouts + 4 hikes + 0 outside runs + 1 race = 73.58 miles

52 hike challenge: 14 hikes

365 mile challenge: 175.83 miles

40 by 40 goal: 45 races

March's mileage:

3 treadmill workouts + 3 hikes + 2 outside runs + 1 race = 25.45 miles

52 hike challenge: 10 hikes

365 mile challenge: 102.25 miles

40 by 40 goal: 44 races

February's mileage:

12 treadmill workouts + 3 hikes + 3 outside runs + 0 races = 54.70 miles

52 hike challenge: 7 hikes

365 mile challenge: 76.80 miles

January's mileage:

4 treadmill workouts + 6 hikes + 1 outside run + 0 races = 22.10 miles total
52 hike challenge: 4 hikes
365 mile challenge: 22.10 miles

Shenandoah Half Marathon

As you may remember from this post and this post, I debated whether or not to run the Shenandoah half marathon, before ultimately deciding to go ahead with it.

I was only able to run five times in between the Glacier half and the Shenandoah half and I only walked a few times, so I was definitely undertrained, but this isn’t the first time that’s happened. I've gone into most of my half marathons with less training than I'd planned.

all the names of the participants- the light blue is the shape of Shenandoah NP

My plantar fasciitis is still an issue, and I also have a cold, courtesy of Ocean. The little dude brought home germs from nursery for the umpteenth time. Only a year and four months till he’s old enough to move to the next class, which shouldn't be such a cesspool of germs (not that I’m counting or anything…). So I didn’t go into this race feeling at the top of my game and expecting a PR.

River liked the triple hammock stand at the expo

Tuesday we had some glorious, if unusual, rainy fall-like weather that had me hoping for nice weather for the race, but the subsequent hot and humid weather on Thursday made me seriously afraid Saturday would be hot and humid as well. I really dislike running in heat and humidity.

Sunshine very carefully burned her marshmallow :)

However, when Friday came we were loading the RV in the rain.

So there was hope it wouldn’t be too hot and humid after all.

I <finally> checked the weather forecast and it called for rain most of Friday and Saturday morning, as well as temps in the 50s and low 60s. Perfect running weather.

When we arrived at the race campground and expo area, it was raining pretty hard, but it let up after awhile and most of the evening was dry, though still cloudy.

We parked down by the lake, and had the most gorgeous beachfront views.

There were only a few RVs at this race (there were quite a few at Glacier), but we were sure thankful for ours when the off and on rain became a downpour multiple times during the night. The poor tent campers….

I slept poorly, as seems to always be the case before a race, though I think it was worse this time since I actually did sleep through my alarms before last week’s 4 mile race, and the paranoia was running strong.

It was pouring rain when I gave up and got out of bed to get dressed 20 minutes before my alarm was supposed to go off, but it tapered by the time we left the RV to catch the shuttle bus to the starting line. Unfortunately, it started pouring again after we arrived at the start line and our rain jackets couldn’t keep up. We were pretty soaked and the race didn’t start for another half hour. Nothing like starting a race while wet and chilled.

lots of misty rain clouds were hanging low over the hills all around us

The elevation map had me worried, but in the end the hills weren’t too bad. They weren't nearly as steep as the hills in the Glacier half. A couple of the hills felt long, but they weren't as long or as steep as the first five miles of the Glacier half.

The rain misted off and on, but there were no downpours during the race. The temps were in the mid-50s, which felt great, even when the sun came out just after I hit 11 mile mark. It was still misting at that time, and it never got too hot.

I went into this race with no expectations for finish time. I knew I would be undertrained and the elevation map had me worried about the hills, so my only plan was to walk the uphills and run the downhills and see how it went. Overall, it went pretty well.

The scenery was beautiful: misty clouds, rolling hills, farm fields, horses, cows, old barns, dripping trees all around.  Though the smells coming off the horses and cows weren't quite as beautiful :)

I felt good at the start and ran the first four miles without too many problems, but started slowing down between mile markers 4 and 5. Between mile markers 6 and 7 was a brief downhill that sped up my pace a bit before I slowed down again on the next hill between mile markers 7 and 8. The down hill that followed can be seen in mile 9's pace, but once the course started going up hill again my speed once again slowed. I walked miles 8, 10, 11, and 12, which is evident in my times. 

hmm, that hat is from my first half marathon (the Disneyland half, pre-blog) that I ran 10 years ago, almost to the day

I planned on walking more, but I felt pretty good for the first half of the race, so I ran more then. My cold, lack of sleep, and a bit of a chill from being wet all combined to make me feel worse than I'd have liked in the second half, but it was not as bad as it could have been. So I walked a good portion of the second half, though I did finish fairly strong.

my sister and I have now run three of the half marathons put on by Vacation Races

The plantar fasciitis in my right foot is definitely a problem, and after the race I was hobbling worse than I have yet, so I finally decided to be more proactive. I dug out some KT tape and looked up how to tape my foot (it's making a difference already) and ordered a splint to wear at bedtime, which should help a lot. For some reason, I’ve recently turned into a stomach sleeper, which flexes my feet in exactly the direction they shouldn't be if I'm trying to get rid of the PF. I've been feeling like this was contributing to the issue, and after looking at the splints and braces available, I would say that's definitely the case.

love that reflection

Back to the race: this was my eighth half marathon, and I ran it in 2:51:05, just 4 seconds slower than the Great Smokies half in 2014. One of my slower times, but not my slowest. Despite having damp feet, I didn't get any blisters, though if the race had been longer I probably would have gotten some as my preemptive moleskin had loosened and started to shift a bit.

I ran 13.01 miles in 2:51:05. I ran the tangents, which cut a smidge off the total distance. My mile paces definitely match up with the terrain, as would be expected, and as I talked about above.
1st mile- 11:41
2nd mile- 10:49
3rd mile- 11:07
4th mile- 11:42
5th mile- 13:50
6th mile- 13:36
7th mile- 11:36
8th mile- 15:04
9th mile- 12:27
10th mile- 15:21
11th mile- 15:55
12th mile- 14:58
13th mile- 12:57

Weekly Mileage
Wednesday: 3.12 miles walked on the treadmill
Thursday: 1.46 miles hiked
Saturday: 13.01 miles run and walked in half marathon
     total miles: 17.59 miles

34th hike towards #52hikechallenge
415.02ish miles towards #365milechallenge (I still need to verify hike mileage from a couple weeks ago)

there was a hill behind where we parked that offered a great view of the hills and the lake