Trenton Half Marathon

Yesterday I returned to Trenton to run the Half Marathon! Last year was the inaugural event and I ran the 10k, but I knew right away that I wanted to run the half! 

I must say, at this point, that the 10k was fairly flat, so I told some people that the Half course was fairly flat. Yeah.... Not so much!

But I digress! Colleen and I headed out fairly early for the race. We had a Half Fanatic  photo meetup at 7:30 and I didn't want to be late! I was having some tummy issues, like most runners do on race morning, but was otherwise very excited to complete my 13th half marathon in 2013!

We got to Trenton with no problems, and passed the lot where we parked last year. I almost just pulled right in, but decided to follow the directions that the site gave us.

Yeah. We got lost. We backtracked to a lot that was charging, figuring it was quicker and worth the $8. It was for cheerleaders only. The attendant directed us to another lot. Again, cheerleaders only. Really?!? Now I am frustrated and follow the next guy's directions. To the lot where we parked last year. Ugh. 

So we missed the meet up by about 2 minutes. We checked our bags and headed to the starting line, where the potties also were.

This is where I noticed that my gps watch    was dead. Oh, and I left my KT tape in my checked bag. Too late to go back, we used the potties and got a "before" picture.

I am still wearing my throwaway sweatshirt from one of last year's races. We entered the corral, which had porta potties flanking both sides. The smell was nauseating. I had to move way up to get away from it, it was making me gag. So gross!

The race started about 10 minutes late. Last year it was about 30 minutes, so it was progress! Shutting down major highways takes time, and they needed a little extra. They had a great trio playing drums and ?flutes? A la George Washington, in full dress. The Trenton mascot, aptly called Trent, was giving us five, and we rounded the corner to run up our first hill. Colleen and I maintained a pace of about 11 minutes for the first 6 miles or so with no problems. The scenery was beautiful, the water stops plentiful, and porta potties every few miles. I finally had to stop to take care of those tummy issues. The line was short but some ladies (I use the term loosely) cut in front. They were bigger than me so I just sucked it up and waited a little longer. We probably lost 10 minutes, but we ran into my friend Lisa and got more pics!

She even gave me a red rubber bracelet saying that I was a perfect 10. I love my running friends! So sweet!

Off we went, and the miles ticked by. We ran through a very hilly area around miles 8-10 and that is where I started to lose steam. My knee pain was minor, almost non existent, but the exhaustion I have been battling all week just kicked in and knocked me flat. Around mile 9 Colleen pulled ahead and I didn't see her again until the finish. 

I met up with a poor guy having hamstring pain and hung back a bit showing him some stretches.

Then I ran the last mile or so with a woman in a Disney ToT shirt who was running her first half. We talked about running and Disney and when we approached the stadium for the finish I pulled ahead of her. Her family was there cheering and taking pics which was so nice! They had finished ahead of her and were waiting.

I zipped around the Trenton Thunder warning track and as I crossed Home Plate they tried to announce my name but mangled it. So funny. Colleen was waiting right there and laughing with me as they attempted my last name.

We collected water and medals and ran into Lisa and posed for more pics!

 We hung with the mascot for a bit and then made our way up three flights of stairs to the food. Which was gone. No more soft pretzels. I am thinking some family members ate very well. There were bananas but they make me gag, so I ha to wait until we got back to the car to eat. 

We got our Mylar blankets and posed for more pics.

A cute little boy took these for us.

#13 is done! We collected our bags and hit the porta potties nearby, which were out of toilet paper so we went back up three flights of stairs to the stadium restrooms. Much roomier but quite stanky!

We skipped the after party and headed home instead. My knee aches a little today but it will heal with a little rest! 

I will definitely return in 2014, I love this race and each year they will work out more kinks! 

Today I am a spectator at a different kind of race: Enduro. The hubs is a dirt bike rider, and this is his second Enduro. I don't really get it, it isn't a race, it's a timing event. You can't go too fast or too slow, it gives me a headache just thinking about it! I love that I can go and cheer for him, he does it so often for me!

Have you ever attended a dirt bike race??