A few reasons why my slowest half wasn't half bad

OK, slowest time EVER! 2:23. I'm not the speediest gal in the world, but I do have a half marathon PR of 2:04 from not that many years ago and have a reasonable collection of times in the 2:10 range. Even so, lots of reasons why this morning's race wasn't half bad:

• Finishing in the Tennessee Titans stadium, with my picture on the JumboTron and my name announced -- and pronounced properly! -- for all the stadium to hear;
• Nearly perfect weather -- cool (40 at the start), only slightly breezy, sunny;
• Nice, flat, out-and-back course, nearly 10 miles of which are run off the streets on the asphalt paths of the Shelby Bottom Greenway, along the Cumberland River;
• Out-and-back means the chance to cheer loud for the faster runners coming back on their return trips, like Superstar Guest Dick Beardsley and Superfast Rhetoric Guy Professor Sloop;
• Despite slow speed, ran a very (freakishly, in fact) steady pace and finished strong;
• Feeling in my legs now, just a few hours later, confirms my strong conviction that there was no way I could have run any faster today anyway, so why stress?;
• Opportunity to remember fondly past finishing times as these times came, and went, and I still wasn't finished (wow, Finnegan, you used to rock!);
• Shamrock-shaped finishers' medal and fabulous t-shirt;
• Dinner tonight at a great Italian place -- courtesy of my beloved, whom I have managed to dupe into thinking that this race performance deserves a congratulatory dinner.

Next up? River to River on April 21. Commence speedwork and hill training!

And now, we return you to our regularly scheduled programming:

Comments

[Scott Springman]

Congratulations Cara! No matter what you might think, you rock right now! Very solid time and it sounds like it was a fun race. The JumboTron and announcement would be super cool!!! I am just starting training for an out and back half that will be in early June, so we are at different ends of the spectrum. Good luck as training commences.

Now one last thing. John is wearing shorts in that picture isn't he!!! It is 35 degrees in Minnesota today, so I am soooooo jealous.

[Lu]

Great job, Cara! I wish we could have been cheering you on in your foot race, rathering than driving in the rat race of 74/57/39/90/94 from Champaign to TC. Keep up the great training.

[dhawhee]

huzzah! I am so impressed!! (especially that your feet somehowlook so fresh and untired.

[KWT]

Yeah! We're glad you had a fun race. There isn't much running going on around these parts these days due to a full womb and a bum lung (again, I think) so we'll run though (with?) your legs for a while. Miss you much.
-JBT, KWT & little "Digger"