Half Marathon

Finally, I've signed up for a half marathon and actually run it. See...I have a little history with the half marathon.

Last year, I tried to sign up for the Myrtle Beach marathon, but it was sold out. Sold out! After I'd trained and was up to 10 miles. Then, I signed up for the ING in Atlanta, kept training but ended up with a ruined left knee. So, I couldn't do it. This year, I signed up for Myrtle Beach again, but it snowed. At the beach. Enough said.

So finally, this weekend I ran a half. Finally. The Columbia Half Marathon. It was a bit interesting. Here's a rundown:

Will dropped me off at the start, and I hightailed it to find the port a potties which are a race staple. I looked and looked and saw none. NONE! Then I saw a long snaking line of women coming out of a bathroom at Finley park. So what should have been like 30 potties was 3. Really!? Yes, really.

SO the race starts, and there's no excitement for a while. The race website said that there'd be water every 2 miles. No water until mile 3, and then only at 6, 9, 12. I'm a running nerd and wear a camelbak so this wasn't a problem for me. But had I depended on water every 2, I would have been a mess. In tears.

The other misconception about the race was that it was advertised as having "live entertainment" throughout the course. Let me tell you what that consisted of...a B106.7 bus at mile 3 and then again at mile 12 and a police car radio. The most AMAZING live entertainment I've ever experienced.

Oh wait, one more. There were mile markers through mile 6, then none until mile 11. WHAT!? Yea, seriously. We ran 5 miles with no idea where we were. So much for trying to stick to our pace.

All in all...none of this matters because we ran and finished not at all off pace, but I just know that so many races are so cool and this one was so silly! Still counts though so that's worth it all.

Oh, and there were 15 port a potties at the end of the race. That was helpful!