Montgomery Half (WW # 32)

Welcome to the Weekly Wrap!

This linkup is hosted by yours truly and my good friend Tricia at MissSippiPiddlin.    The purpose of this link is to connect with and support other active women.  

You can summarize your whole week or just a small portion of it.  It's up to you!  Race recaps are also encouraged!  {See rules}  We hope you'll challenge yourself to come back later in the week and interact with more women.   It's a wonderful way to make new friends!  Don't forget to comment on all blogs you read and remember to support your hosts. 

Monday - Physical Therapy
Tuesday - 4 Miles
Wednesday - 3 Miles
Thursday - Physical Therapy
Friday - Rest (Expo)
Saturday - 13 Miles (Half  Marathon)
Sunday - Rest

Total =  20 Miles

For half marathon #38, I did more of a taper compared to 2 weeks ago.  I've run this race several times and know it's fairly tough with an elevation gain around 375 feet.  Much of that comes within the first two miles with a substantial hill at mile 10 and rollers throughout.  In addition, after stalking the weather all week I knew it would be warm and humid.  Good times!

The expo at Riverwalk Stadium

Tricia was coming for this race so I was super excited about that.  After her arrival, we went to Riverwalk Stadium for packet pickup.  We received a nice teal colored women's V-neck tech shirt. There was also a very small expo and we each bought a couple of items.  You can't turn down half price Feetures socks!  We carbo-loaded at our favorite Italian Restaurant, Mr. G's.  We could have talked all night, but went to bed around 11 p.m. as the race had an early start time. 

As expected, it was a warm 68 degrees and the humidity was 88%.   At the start line we found Debra from Happy Running Sole.  She and I live in neighboring towns, have run many of the same races, so I was very happy to finally meet her.  After a beautiful rendition of the National Anthem, Tricia, Debra and I started up the long hill together.  We passed by the famous cemetery that is the final resting place of Hank Williams, Sr. and continued our upward trek.

I struggled almost immediately to keep pace with them (stupid humidity) and in hindsight started too fast.  I paid for it later.  But, it was nice to run together.  They chatted and I mostly listened because talk was already too difficult given the incline!  We stayed together through Oak Park (4 miles).  But after crossing over the interstate and coming into the ASU campus, I realized we had separated.

This is still a young race and I was pleased to see there was more crowd support on course this year. I continued to struggle in the heat and humidity but I wouldn't say the wheels entirely fell off my bus. By mile 8 my pace had definitely slowed.  When I reached the killer hill at mile 10, I walked a little. The people around me that continued to run made no gains so I felt no guilt about it.  We had a couple of smaller hills during mile 11 and I knew there was a long downhill at mile 12 in front of the capitol building.  My calf muscles had been feeling tight for a few miles, but they had not cramped yet.  If I could just hang on, I could make up a little time on the downhill.

Dexter Avenue

The full blown calf and foot cramps in both legs started after reaching the bottom of the long hill coming down historic Dexter Avenue (mile 12).  Humidity is not my friend.  I'm grateful they didn't start sooner and can thank SaltCaps for that.  I lost 2 to 3 minutes in that last mile (you'll see why this is relevant in a minute).  On the bright side, all other body parts felt fantastic!
 

Friends, Fellow Half Fanatics, and Volunteers -- Valerie and Jenny

I came into the finish chute still cramping with a somewhat disappointing 2:16:04.  Although we separated, our original trio finished very close to one another.  Thankfully, my cramps did not linger.  We chatted with friends for a while and ate the delicious post race fare of eggs, hash browns, bacon, sausage and biscuit before heading over to The Spa.  Tricia and I pampered ourselves in the whirlpool and with delightful pedicures.

Our pedicures.  (Some day maybe I'll have time to tell the story behind this photo!)

After returning home mid afternoon, we chilled in the backporch swing while being amused by PoPo and his stories.  We dined at Firebirds and our entertainment for the evening was the play White Lightning at the Alabama Shakespeare Festival.  Because the story was based on bootlegging, the ticket came with free moonshine tasting.  Peach was my favorite.  

Alabama Shakespeare Festival

On our way home, I received a text from a running buddy named Lisa.  After posting my worst time ever for this race, only having a 9th place finish in my best year, I was floored to read I had placed 2nd in my age group.  Lisa, who passed me during the final mile as I walked with cramps, had beat me by 1 minute and placed first.  She earned it!  After being a little disappointed with my performance, I'll just shallowly admit this news lifted my spirits.  {Humidity, you can kiss my boo-tay.}

The age group medal puts the finisher's medal to shame!

Tricia and I did a little sightseeing and Waffle Housing Sunday morning before she left.  We had a wonderful time this weekend.  We took so many pictures and there is so much I could say but it would just go on forever.  And yes, we've got another half in the works.  You didn't think it was over, did you?

And that's a wrap!

Would a age group trinket help your feelings?

Tell me about your week!  Did you race?

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