Mayor's Half Marathon

The Mayor's Half Marathon was the race that won my heart 4 years ago.  It was the race that transformed me from a casual runner, into an obsessed distance runner.  The race had a new course this year, including a new start and finish line in Downtown Anchorage along the park strip.

After racing in California for the past 2 years and experiencing races with 50,000 runners, it was a welcome change to be back in Alaska where there were only 2,000 runners!  I arrived early to warm-up, took my two potty breaks, and found my spot near the front of the pack.  It was a gorgeous, sunny day and although it was warm, my years of racing in the Cali heat prepared me well.

My pre-race plan was to race hard and see what my body is capable of when I'm not training like a crazy-person.  :)  When the gun went off, the adrenaline took over. The "relaxed and steady" start I always intend to have was left at the starting line and somehow my competitive spirit took over.  The first 5 miles until I warmed up were painful, but then I found my groove and let my feet fly.

My least favorite part of the course is running by the airport because a.) it's all hills and b.) it's all hills. Part of the new course was running a trail section to connect back to the Coastal trail (paved path).  Luckily I've been doing some trail running, so I felt prepared, but the path was laden with roots, rocks, holes, and if you're trying to maintain a 7-sub 7 min pace it was a bit of a challenge.  I wanted to kiss the paved ground when I reached the other side.

Miles 9-12 felt great.  I felt strong, pushed myself, and held a steady pace.  It was that last mile that almost killed me.  The new course looped up 3 switch-back hills to ultimately put you on one last steep hill into the finish line at the park strip.  There was one girl about 7 seconds in front of me that I wanted to beat, so I gave it my all.  My amazing husband cheered me into the finish line.  As I crossed the finish line, I immediately felt my airways closing.  I've had asthma in the past, but it has been years since I've used an inhaler.  I was straining to get in an ounce of air. I don't really remember how I got from the finish line to the medical tent, but I made it there and they started me on a nebulizer.  Jake magically appeared at my side and stepped right in to help.  After 20 minutes of the treatment, my airways were open and I felt immensely better!

Lesson learned? Don't run races with uphill finishes.  Oh... and always bring an inhaler.

Race Results:
Time: 1:34.18
Avg. Pace: 7:15
Overall Place: 53rd
Female Place Overall: 9th
Age Group Place: 2nd