This summer I was able to do a 1/2 marathon in the town I grew up in, well, went to high school in. The smithfield 1/2 marathon! It was very different from the flat, slightly boring (but for a good cause) farm land scenery that has been my previous 2 half marathons.
I was able to do it with three of my very good friends. I started right out front of my old high school, Sky View. Then, within the first mile the uphill started. It was great weather, and the scenery was pretty. Very familiar, which was pretty cool. However, this was the first time I'd ever Ran on these streets (except one 3 mile run up & down Smithfield canyon).
I can't say that the uphill was super hard, just a few spurts of semi-hard uphill, but over-all, I felt good and had fun, which probably says I should have been running a lot faster, lol. The elevation change truly just doesn't allow me to just up run my guts out. I need air for that!!
I had fun and feel fine about my time, considering I stopped at the "top" for a 2 minute rest/drink break and my hip was bothering me, so I had to stop and stretch that a lot. Thank goodness that last 3 miles or so was down hill and flat.
The serious runners did well on this course, like the guy who won -who I think is nationally ranked- got his best time. I think the uphill mentally psyches you out and makes you push yourself harder than usual, and then you get to bust it down hill at the end, so I can see why its possible to beat your previous times (but not for me, being an Arizona girl and not having trained like crazy for this one).
I am ready now to take step it up, in terms of my speed. I just signed up for the Ogden MARATHON!! Yes, marathon! Am I serious runner now?? I still don't feel like it, so I guess its time to TRAIN like one, lol. I am ready to start training for this, having taken a few weeks off of running in October and November.
More to come on my Napa Valley Ragnar relay :)
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