Race Recap: Hypothermic Half-marathon

The crap weather, however, didn’t prevent Audrey, Dalton, Ashley, Lana, Karen and Dan to drive from Grande Prairie. It was so great seeing everyone! (I was disappointed Tiffany didn’t make it. I don’t blame her though. The roads were awful.)

We had no doubt our race route would be one for the record books.

Our scenic route started and ended at the Highlands Golf Course. We ran through subdivisions and around the river bend. I’m sure it was quite scenic. However, all I could look at were my feet.

I started strong. Rather I ran for 30 seconds without slipping and sliding. I knew it was going to be a challenging 21k from the get go.

Think quicksand and substitute the sand for snow.

Still I soldiered on with the other racers. My biggest concern was getting hurt (as usual). I slowed down on the really messy spots and sped up when I spotted a clear sidewalk. Clearly I needed snowshoes or even skis.

Karen found me around the 14k mark and we ran a bit together and finished within 50 seconds of each other.

When I saw the 16k marker, I knew the last 5k would be the most challenging. As you know, I had only run a few 16ks leading up to the race. If I was going to hit a wall it would be now.

Thankfully Karen was just ahead so I had someone to chase. The next three kilometres were probably the hardest. As much as I could, I maintained a good pace. I tried to keep my pace in check.

I could feel both my legs screaming whenever I picked up the pace. I didn’t want a repeat of the Lacombe half-marathon where I was injured for two and a half months. It simply wasn’t worth it to shave off a few minutes of time.

I was happy to finish. Happy to finish. Repeat.

I sprinted through the finish line to a crowd of screaming fans. (At least that’s what I remember).

My results? I finished in 2:03 which was good enough for 29th overall. I finished 3rd in my age group and I was the 7th woman across the line.

I’m pretty happy about the race. My finish time doesn’t really concern me. I maintained a good pace and I didn’t throw in the towel. That’s important to me right now. I always struggle with following through even when I know I can push myself harder.

This race also officially kickstarts my marathon training. I have a mere 89 days to get ready for the Calgary Marathon. Time to turn up the volume on my training.