1/2 Marathon Report: A&B - DNF, Z - 2:02, A - 2:09



Brooks and Adlyn riding in the stroller.



Zach finishes in 2:02.

Anne finishes in 2:09.

Brooks offers Mom a drink.

Family photo after the race!



We're done!
















Believe it or not, this was Brooks & Adlyn's fourth time doing the Half Marathon.  They are only 2 1/2 years old, you do the math.  This is also the first year they are marked with a DNF (Did Not Finish). 

At 5:45 AM, it was time for them to get up and get ready for the race.  We needed to be downtown and ready for the start at 6:30 AM.  Adlyn got up and was ready to go, Brooks was a little tired.  While we were driving to the start, Adlyn was so excited!  She kept saying, "Race, Race, Race!".  She had her legs going fast and was ready to run.  Even though she was going to be riding in the stroller, she couldn't have been more pumped up about the race!  I am really looking forward to the day when Adlyn &/or Brooks wants to run a 5K!

The race started on time and progressed well.  Zach pushed the kids this year since they are getting quite heavy now.  62 lbs is a lot of weight to push, so I've been lucky to have a training partner this year!  Zach and I ran a half together back in 2006, and he hasn't run one since.  Zach pulled ahead of me early on in the race and I told him to go for it.  I sank into a steady groove and ran my own, slow pace.  The weather was great.  If you are unfamiliar with the course, it is important to know that it is a challenging course.  The first half is uphill and several hills are steep.  The last half has rolling down hills.  Every portion of the course is very scenic.

Brooks and Adlyn were doing well until 8.22 miles when they wanted out.  Grandma and Grandpa were waiting for them with the pick up to shuttle them to the finish line.  :-(  I was kind of bummed out since they have made it the whole way in years past, but nothing goes as planned. 

Zach crossed the finish line in 2:02.  There is no doubt in my mind that he would have been under 2 hours had he not pushed the kids, and ran with a watch to monitor his pace.  He ran under 2 hours during his first half marathon.  I finished in 2:09, and was just happy to finish.  That is in my range of time for running this race for the past five years.  I never go for a PR in this race because of the course. 

Overall, it was a great experience.  It has been a lot of fun to train as a family for the past few months.  Running is something that we can do together and the kids enjoy the scenery and going for a ride.  I would do it again soon and I'm looking forward to our next challenge.  I also like the fact that our kids get to see us lead an active lifestyle, and I hope they will want to partake in similar activities in the future.