A Beautiful Way to Taper

I ran the Big Sur Half Marathon again this year! How could I not? Gorgeous coastal views, sea lion sightings and fantastic race organization certainly could not keep me away.

On Friday, I hung out with good friend and fellow SFM Ambassador Elise as we manned the San Francisco Marathon booth! It was so much fun to see friends and connect with other runners in the community and encourage those to sign up for one of the best races this side of the country.

It was fun spending the weekend in Monterey. Something about this coastal town that I just love! Charming really. Saturday night, Paulette and I walked around Cannery Row, had some dinner, and went to bed early so we would be well rested. Before I knew it, we were wogging from the hotel to the start line.

Elise and I at the ex

We parted ways as we were in different corrals and it was then that I got see Meg who spoiler alert, PR’d on the course! This girl has had an amazing training cycle and has become quite the speedster. I can brag about my friends right?

So compared to last year, I felt pretty damn good on the course. I knew I didn't want to push it, but certainly wanted to run under marathon pace. My garmin has not been doing so well lately, and once again it crapped out on me around mile 10. my splits up until that point were -
Mile 1 - 8:14
Mile 2 - 8:24
Mile 3 - 8:24
Mile 4 - 8:33
Mile 5 - 8:16
Mile 6 - 8:25
Mile 7 - 8:27
Mile 8 - 8:37
Mile 9 - 8:59
Mile 10 - 8:24

I was very happy for staying pretty consistent. The last few miles, I apparently slowed down. I knew I was lacking, but still tried to keep a pretty even pace. Honestly, I don’t think I ate enough that morning (like always) and just plain ran out of fuel.

I finished 1:54:50. A mile slower than last year. It is funny, but looking back, while I was faster, my splits were all over the place, not to mention I was having some legs issues. This time, I felt good, but finished slower. Of course, it has been a fairly slow year for me overall, but I am perfectly content with my time...For now!

Loved everything about the shirt this year, especially the fit!

Big Sur Finishers w/ Paulette

Post race celebration at Cannery Row Brewing Company, would you expect anything less?

Big Sur Half - What a beautiful way to taper! 
CIM, ready or not is but a couple of weeks away!