Am I a runner....or just crazy?: Mini Heart Half and 5K

This morning Jeremy participated in the Heart Mini Marathon in Cincinnati. His goal was to break 2 hours. In the half he did last fall he was 2:02....so close. We went up to Cincy last night and stayed with one of my best friends and her husband. Her husband scared Jeremy because he said it was a very hilly course, even hillier than the Flying Pig! If any of you have researched the Pig you know it is hilly. This put it to shame according to a guy Jeremy talked to after the race.

The weather was supposed to be cloudy with some rain moving in later that morning. No such luck - we woke up and it was already raining. :( It rained, then would stop, drizzle, then stop, then rain the entire time.

Here are some pics before the half started.

Alyson and I headed back to the car since the 5k didnt' start for 2 and a half more hours. You may be wondering, wasn't I supposed to do a 15k?? yeah, i was but i woke up Friday morning and my left hamstring was killing me. it hurt to walk. i have no idea what i did but i knew there was no way i could do 9 miles, so i dropped down the to the 5k and boy am i glad i did.

here's the elevation map for Jeremy's half. the first 1.5 miles would be the first half of the 5k, the first 9 miles were the 15k course. as you can see it was up and down the whole time.

We came back to the finish line just in time to see Alyson's husband cross. There was still about 20 minutes left before the 2 hour mark, so we found a spot by the gate and watched for Jeremy. The time kept getting closer and closer to 2 and I was getting worried he wasn't going to make it. Then Alyson screamed there he is. I looked at the clock and it said 2:00 something. I knew he wasn't at the start of the line so he should have a minute or so to get in under 2 for his official time. He made it with a of 1:59. 27!! So proud of my baby, I teared up, as i got some pictures of him finishing! He's in the green shirt with the 2 hour pace group. He didn't stay with the pace group the whole time. He was ahead of them for most of the race but got passed within the last mile. He was able to catch back up to them at the finish though.

After I met up with him and handed over the camera and congratulated him, it was time for the 5k! Jeremy warned me it was hilly and to pace myself. Should have listened better. As we waited for the start it started pouring the rain. :( Luckily it did slack off some during the race, but running with glasses in the rain is not the easiest. I started with Alyson but we had the understanding if one of us needed to go ahead to go on. We started off and she said, see that ramp up there, we go up that! Seriously?? This ramp was seriously a 45 degree angle up! blah! the only good thing about it was we would be coming down it at the finish! About 1/2 up the way of the hill i looked at my garmin and it said a 12min pace, which is good for me. unfortunately it was way to fast for me on a hill too and i had to walk the last 1/3 up. there was a small down hill once you crested the big hill, then another up long hill (walked again) to the turn around. I HATE HILLS! I walked at the turn around where there was a water stop. Once we turned around we had a down hill, another uphill (walked again), then the big downhill! I was feeling good at the last downhill but too little too late!!! The finish line was a little confusing they had a mat about .05 from the finish, so when i crossed it I stopped my watch and slowed down. Then I saw 3 more mats ahead and realized that was the real finish. Rats!! My official time was 43:19. Not too bad considering all the hills!

me and Jeremy after the race with our medals!

me and Alyson, who went a 37 min in the 5k with no training! The girl ran track in hs and still has those runners legs!

Alyson, Jeremy and I after the race

All the festivities were to benefit the American Heart Association. We were on a team with Alyson and some of her friends. I think there were 50 people on the team, in all the various races. One of Alyson's friends lost their 7 month old baby daughter to an undetectible heart disease a couple years ago so the team had "Team Audrey" shirts in honor of the baby.

All in all I am not too disappointed in my time even though it wasn't a PR, due to all the hills!

We walked around the square after the race where they had a couple booths and a band set up. They were giving away bananas, pretzels, apples, chocolate milks, ice cream sandwiches, bottles of tea and goetta sausage (so good)!