I came home with stiff tired legs, a big smile, and a nice feeling of accomplishment. I stopped my watch a little late, and my official time was 1:52:26. While I would love to think I finished a half marathon in that time, my watch also reads 12.71 for distance. Uh, that's supposed to be 13.1. Everyone I talked to had roughly the same distance so it seems that the course was a little short. Even if I add an extra four minutes to my time to account for the difference, I still would have come in around 1:56, well under the two hour goal. Accordingly, race photos show me with a big smile as I crossed the finish line.
A day and a half later, and I might still have that same smile.
A performance I feel good about at the Annapolis race also brings with it some nervous excitement for my next big athletic endeavor. A few months ago, I started considering the idea of training for a full marathon. I had never aspired to run such a distance (of course until last year, I had never really considered running a half either), but with Mike gearing up to start training for his Ironman triathlon next summer, I'm motivated to do something big. Something that requires a lot of work and dedication. And for whatever reason, the half-Ironman triathlon I'll be doing in June didn't seem to be enough (yeah, that just sounds crazy--I have no explanation). I focused my attention on the Annapolis half to see how I felt at 13 miles before making any decisions about aiming for 26.2. Feeling good and having a strong performance at Annapolis sealed the deal. Training for the Shamrock marathon on March 18, 2012, officially begins next week.
I haven't quite figured out details, but I'm fairly certain a yarn/fiber incentive or reward should be worked into my training program.
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