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Well, (you know when it starts off with well, it's not the results you wanted) where do I start.
Jo-jo and I drove the route to see the course Thursday, just to get a visual of what we were about to get into. We couldn't drive the whole thing because the end of the course was on a sort like board walk like area. There were lots of bridges and ups and downs, (I need to train in that area.) The route was nice.

I considered myself having enough rest. I went to bed by 11:30 and up by 5:00am. That is sort of a normal schedule, give or take an half hour. Anyway, I had all my stuff out last night and ready for this morning.

The event started right on time Marine Corps 1/2 Marathon. The crowd was light, seemed to be fewer than 2000 entries. The normal slow shuffle before the chip chirped and it was a slow start. Mile one pace was much slower than I thought, but that was fine I consider it my warm up. Mile 2 we cross the bridge (not that you'll find many hills in Jacksonville to train on, but we have treadmills) anyway, I thought what goes up, must come down. We run flat another mile, then we come another incline, a freeway on ramp up, up and away. The people are really thinning out. At the four mile marker, the clock reads 37:01 and my watch reads 36:01 okay that is easy math. Every other mile was cool music or a band, in between those miles were water handouts. Mile six 59 ish on the clock, I'm feeling the same, enjoying my music.

I thought, "okay I'm suppose to be at the eight mile maker in 12 minutes, how am I going to do that?, your not, so chill and enjoy" Well, I made it to the 8 mile, 9 mile and my time was not at where I thought I should, but it was okay because I felt like "I'm a lot better than last year"
Finally mile ten and ten minutes behind my pace and problems started with my left foot. (I am all ears on advice on a numb foot cures, no high blood pressure recommendations please.)
So, the foot goes numb and I feel like "go ahead keep running, just make sure it lands down flat to the ground and it'll will be okay"

Between ten and eleven, I am doing more walking, I couldn't get the foot to wake up and started cramping. When touches the ground the pins are going deeper into the bottom of my feet. I'm working through this, and keep going. Here comes mile eleven, its my dream from the other day, "The Obstacle course" I couldn't believe it. The first part you go up, then plateau again again maybe a dozen times. Then we come to this sign which indicates you are about to go back and forth. My girlfriend said she got dizzy going around and around in that area. We are spiralling down this four story ramp, no joke. Oh, and by the way I saw the stairs out there from the dream and thought "No way!" But my feet were cool in there I was running again.

About four minutes after hitting the pavement again it starts to cramp up. "I'm finishing this run and that is that!" so I stopped and put on my big girl face and tried my best not to scrench. The next sign posted showed "12 1/2" mile marker. No way, where they get the half but it was incentive enough for me to go five more minutes. After a half mile I came to another water stop and asked about how much further, bout another half mile. Donkey!

I could see my crooked-legged girlfriend coming towards me. She was far, but I knew it was her. So I started waving, here she comes, sprinting towards (Little energizer bunny) she says "Come on girl, come on. What are you doing, lets go" So, I put on the shuffle and the cheers were good closer to the finish line. No sprinting to the finish, just a smile to finish "Yaaaay me!" I did have a good time.

Well, I'm grateful that I finished and also that I finished faster than last year by eight or nine minutes, but it still wasn't my goal pace. Then I socialized a little with some fellow strider's, put some protein in the ol' body and went on my way.

On my ride home I called my hubby and of course he asked
how are you doing and how did you do?
Well, I didn't make my goal
and what was that?
2:06
what did you run last year?
2:26
what did you run this time?
2:17 ish
well that's great, maybe you set your aim to high this year
well you know what they say about aiming to low....

So, I still get another chance to brake my 2:06 from 2003, this November. My first half marathon I ran 2:15 and I was 22 pounds heavier so I'm not feeling that time today. Back then I didn't have that foot cramping for the last three miles either, so I feel November I can get that 2:06 or even 2:00, that's what I'm here for ... to keep going, because I can and never give up!!!
Look forward to doing it again. Run Steady.