To help cut down on race fees this year I did a lot of volunteering. Thankfully YDI was offering a free race bib if you volunteered. I was all over it. I helped with packet pickup the day before the race.
Race Morning:
I woke up with a sore throat and heavy lungs...no buena. I chose to just enjoy the run instead of racing it. This worked out in my benefit. The hubby and I stuck together for a lot of the course. I was holding him back but it was nice to have conversation on the run. The course is along the waterfront for a majority of the run which is just beautiful. The course creator, Ginger, and I run this route about once a month.
Somewhere between mile 5-6 we came across our favorite site on this run...the camels! Camels in Port Orchard, Wa. It's a fun site in 30 degree weather.
We saw Ginger (who was out due to a recent injury) as we turned the corner to head into Manchester State Park. We stopped and posed for pictures :)
Coming back out of the park we stopped for a few pictures of the camels and continued on. My lungs were not liking the hills so I walked them. It gave me a big burst of energy for the downhills! The hubby took off at about mile 10. I just took my time and enjoyed the scenery. I finished the course this year in 2:03:06. It was about a minute off of my course PR here so I was pleasantly surprised at the finish. I wish I was feeling better because I think today would have been a great day to pull out a new PR in the half marathon.
After the race I went back out onto the course to watch my friend Brian finish the last mile of the marathon. I ran the final mile with him. Overall, it was a great day. I look forward to this race every year!
