Photo ©Ericka Bailie-Byrne showing tornado damageI completed my first half-marathon on Saturday! And a trail run at that, which proved every bit as challenging as I had been warned. But I did manage to finish and complete all my racing goals. The route was kind of nuts due to damage from the tornado that swept through the area earlier this year. Those were hard-earned miles. But the trail was marked well and I never got lost. The aid stations were great too but if I hadn't brought my own bottle of Gatorade I don't know that I would have made it.
I tripped twice but managed to recover both times. Others were not so lucky and got banged up. At one point there was an ambulance on the trail and paramedics were helping a young lady walk back to it. Around mile 10 I gave up on racing for time and focused on just finishing. I was in good company as several others were walking or painfully limping through the final miles. I watched the clock change to three hours just as I entered the finish chute and the announcer called out my name.
After gulping down water I sat in the shade until I felt well enough to drive home. I was so out of sorts that I even passed up free beer! I was okay again--if a little sore--by the end of the day. After this, the Monster Dash next month should be a cinch!
Race recap (nearly 2,000 ft of collective elevation gain!)