Half Marathon!

AWWW MAN!  After months of training and hours of pounding pavement, we finished Moab's 'The Other Half' half marathon this Sunday!  Hells yeah!  My legs are jello right now, but I still feel like a TANK.  Awesome.

I've run two other half marathons before, but this has got to be the classiest and most professional.  The Other Half has it all -- great support staff, generous swag, and a route that takes you through some of the most scenic landscapes in Utah.  The course runs along the Colorado River on Highway 128 for 13.1 miles from Dewey Bridge to Sorrel River Ranch (check out the course map.)  The rockstar scenery glides by like a best-of-Moab checklist:  Fisher Towers, Castle Rock, and the La Sal Mountains.

starting line!

  
About 1500 runners were shuttled to Dewey Bride for the 8:30 AM start.  It was a classically gorgeous fall day -- mid-60s and sunny.  I definitely wasn't running to break any landspeed records, but I felt strong and solid.  Traffic was closed down along the road so we could relax and enjoy the scenery.  Aid stations every 2 miles were stocked with drinks, goos, and snacks.  The killer hill at mile 8 kicked my ass, but the Taiko Drummers at mile 12 were incredible.  Their beating drums were really motivating, and we picked up the pace as we ran the last downhill mile to the finish line.  

The finish was runner's heaven.  We were handed free beers from the Moab Brewery, then shuffled to the grass and zonked out to watch live music, raffle drawings, and the awards ceremony.  Perfect.  :)

Beers at the finish!

medal / bottle opener

Half Marathon Training

Keep on keeping on ...

Our half marathon ("The Other Half - Moab Half Marathon") is exactly a month away, and we keep chugging along.  This week, the long training run was 8 miles, which felt long but manageable.  We'll bump up the long runs for one mile every week until we're ready for the entire 13.1.  So far the knees have been cooperating (knock on wood!) and the legs feel solid.  The brutal summer heat is finally fading, and running in the morning in 60-degree weather feels amazing.

I've been following the training schedule in the Non-Runner's Marathon Trainer, which got me through my first two half marathons.  The book works for me because it's geared towards people who aren't naturally talented runners and aren't shooting for a particular time.  Exactly.  I'm not going to break any land speed records here, but it's nice to feel solid and progressively stronger.

Wish me luck!

Registered for the Moab Half Marathon

Aw hey!  Jordan and I officially signed up for the Moab Half Marathon.  I'm pretty excited.  I've run two halfies in the past, and they've always been really rewarding.  Don't get me wrong -- I don't especially enjoy running and it's not something that comes naturally for me.  I don't shoot for any particular time or pace, I just try to run and finish the entire race.  Still, I enjoy the training and and I'm more diligent about working out when I have a solid goal.  This spring I've been biking for cardio, which I love, but there's something about running that makes you dig deeper.  I've been on a couple jogs so far, and my muscles feel like they're waking up.  This is going to be good.  :)


The course is just outside Moab along Highway 128 and the Colorado River.  Beautiful.  The race isn't until October 21, so we have lots of time to build a solid base and train carefully.  The only wildcard is my slightly gimpy knee from an old Appalachian Trail injury, but I think if I pay attention to my body and slowly build my miles it'll behave.  Sweet!

Photo credit:  http://www.moabhalfmarathon.org/otherhalf/index.cfm