Who's the consistent one? (Little Rock Half Marathon Race Report)

It's me! Although I'd rather be accurate in my race predictions. Sunday was the running of the Little Rock Marathon, who boasts the world's largest marathon medal. No kidding, really. Yeah, so the half marathon, which I did, has a medal that is only about half the size (4"x4") of the full (7.75"x6"). Upon reading that my medal was so much smaller, I was really curious to see this hunk of metal. But it was too late. Maybe next year it'll be bigger. 

The short version of my race report is that I am very consistent on that course. I was 10 seconds slower than last year (yeah, SLOWER), but I'm not counting it as another PW, since it was within the same minute. 

In addition to my half marathon on Sunday, I also did various other races, even winning my age group in freeze tag multiple times. Daisy, the Sheltie, has mad zig zagging skills, so she managed to beat me a few times, but I totally overtook the 3 and 7 year old... at least for the first few minutes, until my lateral movement muscles fatigued. Seriously, I woke up sore Sunday morning from it. Or from carrying them both on my back at the same time all afternoon, one or the other. Not that these are my excuses for being slow. Two years ago I had an amazing bust on the roller skating rink two nights before the race and did just fine. 

Upon finding the online race results for the first time yesterday I almost cried when I realized I'd missed top 5 by 38 seconds, since in the past that meant I'd have been in the money. Fortunately for me, I suppose, they didn't offer money this year. I knew there was some explanation for why it was so slow. It was a very deep race, as I'd have moved up four places just being one minute faster. 

Besides starting way back in corral C (we registered late) and having to weave in and out, over and under, and onto the sidewalk for the first mile, it was a pretty uneventful race. I can't explain my suckiness, except that it all started after my 7:00 mile 4. Somehow at the same exertion level I ran a 7:40 for mile 5. If you see the elevation chart from last post, I suppose it was uphill, while 4 was downhill, but really? That's a big difference. 

This has to be the friendliest race I've done. I chatted with so many nice people along the way, including that high school kid who wore me out up that long hill in mile 8. I made him go ahead eventually, partly because I couldn't breathe and run that fast at the same time. Just after a woman had passed me around 10, a man whispered to me, "go get her!" I thought it was a good idea and passed her right back. She was probably doing the full.

 I'm really glad that race is over and I can resume my short and sweet training. I'm swearing off half marathons until I get to swim a mile and ride 56 beforehand.