Provo River Half- My first race in almost 20 years and had an amazing experience. Had to wait for an hour in the cold before the start and the lines for the port-o-potties were sooo looooong. Good thing there was some good thick bush cover. The start of the race was truly an unforgettable experience and it was incredible to be there at that moment. I had a huge adrenaline rush that carried me for the first 4-5 miles. I started out about mid pack and quickly passed several people in the first few miles, although he super fast goats passed me. After a few miles everyone kind of spread out and I found a nice comfortable pace. I'm not sure what my splits were, but I thought I was making good time and feeling great.
The path ran right under Bridal Vail Falls and that was just awesome! I really enjoyed the course and the scenery was fantastic. I only stopped once for about 30 seconds to use the bathroom and other than that I didn't stop the rest of the way.
I hit a little wall between miles 10-11. I still felt pretty good, but my legs were tired and no matter how hard i tried I couldn't make myself go faster. every time I would get passed by someone I would try and keep up with them, but my body said no. Around mile 12 I heard someone call my name and it was a friend from my neighborhood that was cheering everyone on. When I noticed all of the people watching I got another nice rush of adrenaline and the thought of finishing really made me forget my legs and I think my fastest mile was the last one.
Crossing the finish line (1:49) felt so good and I actually felt better than I thought I would. My legs were sore, but overall I was feeling great and not even close to as bad as I have felt on some of my longer hikes over peaks. It was an incredible experience and I am looking forward to my first marathon on 9/12, even though I know that one is going to kill me. | 