Race recap - RunRaleigh Half Marathon

Today was the inaugural RunRaleigh Half Marathon.  Simple as this...This race was amazingly different than the Raleigh Rocks Half.  The only "complaints" I have are:

• More porta-potties...  I detest using a porta-potty, but sometimes you need to go "just once more" before the start of a race.
• I wish there had been mile markers.  I wasn't expecting them for an inaugural race, but they would have been nice.
• I wish there weren't hills.  Yes, I am being a diva.  I hate hills.  I know they are good for you, yada, yada, yada - doesn't mean I can't hate them.
• The last part of the course is a relatively steep hill by Pullen Park.  That's so awful at the end.  I ended up just walking up the hill.   

From left:  Mary, Pam, Lisa, Debbie, and me

I set my clock for 4:45 a.m. and got up after hitting the snooze once.  I was so worried that I was gonna wake up Jason - he didn't come to bed until after 2 a.m.  I wasn't terribly hungry, but I knew I needed to eat.  I forced myself to eat half of an english muffin with peanut butter.  While I normally do well with this for a pre-race meal, I don't think it was enough food :-(

Debbie, Mary, Lisa, Pam, and I met in Cameron Village for the 7 a.m. start.  Debbie, Mary, Pam and I were all on the same page - run, have fun, but still try to keep a good pace.  Around the time we got to Pullen Park (mile 4?), Debbie and I started getting ahead of Mary and Pam.  Mary had already run 7 miles on the treadmill and was using the race as a training run - not nearly as concerned with her time, etc.

We kept trudging on and ended up on Western Boulevard/Martin Luther King Parkway.  We eventually got on the Walnut Creek greenway trail - what a relief!  I was so grateful for the bit of shade on the greenway, just wish it could have lasted longer.

We eventually ended back up at Pullen Park.  We had to go back up that awful hill at Ashe Avenue.  I know that I should have been prepared because we went down the hill on the way out.  Unfortunately, it was at this time that I became quite a whiny little turd.  I think I complained with every step - poor Debbie had to deal with that!

When Debbie and I reached Hillsborough Street, I told her to go ahead...I felt the entire run that I was kinda holding her back, even though she said I wasn't.  I also was just plain exhausted by that point - my thighs were killing me and my tummy was "off".  I was able to keep Debbie in my sight, but she finished about a minute before me.  Thank goodness she waited for me at the finish line! 

After we finished, I posted on Facebook that I was officially done with half marathons in Raleigh.  Of course, now that I am 1/2 a day past the race, I am reconsidering.  Like I told a friend that posted on my Facebook, I was just being a whiny diva!  However, I do agree somewhat with Sarah's sentiment of only doing races on the coast - it is so pretty at the beach and it is nice to not have the damn hills!  

After watching Mary and Pam cross the finish line, we took several pictures, and just spent some time talking, etc.  On the way home from the race, I was starving.  I guess I should have grabbed some post-race snacks, but I just didn't feel like walking over to the table - lazy, I know!  I got in my car and headed to the closest fast food restaurant.  I was hoping that McDonald's would be serving lunch items by this point and I could get a grilled chicken sandwich, but they don't serve lunch until 11 a.m. on weekends (I had no clue!).  I enjoyed an Egg McMuffin sandwich, a hashbrown, and a fountain coke (one of my favorite post long run treats!).  I can't tell you the last time I had any food from McDonald's, but the Egg McMuffin definitely hit the spot!    

The rest of the afternoon was spent enjoying a nice, long lunch at Lynnwood Grill with Mary and Brian.  After lunch, Jason and I decided to go hang out at World of Beer since it was such a nice afternoon.  I think we ended up staying there almost 3 hours.  The weather was absolutely perfect for sitting outside and enjoying a nice cold beer!  When we finally got home, we were both pleased with our wonderful day.  

The rest of the evening was spent piddling around the house, laundry, packing lunches, etc.  I was so tired by 8 p.m., but forced myself to stay up until about 9:30 p.m.  I knew if I went to bed that early, I would be up at 3 a.m.

Love a good race and a great day to follow!

Love running with these ladies!
From left:  Mary, Pam, Lisa, Debbie and me