halloween half

Yesterday, Kelsey and I ran the Halloween half-marathon and it. was. AWESOME! Freezing cold but so worth it. The morning started at 5:45, then paused as I pushed the snooze button once and finally started again when I got out of bed 10 minutes later. 6:20 Kelsey picked me up to meet up with Ryan, Becca and Jen to catch the bus at 6:30. The five of us stood in line, waiting, freezing in 30 degree weather, for over an hour. The bus came and took us up the canyon to the race start at Aspen Grove. We did the pre-race ritual: wait in a huge line for the honey bucket, eat a snack, admire the silly costumes, shed the warm clothing and wait for the gun. The race gun went off at 9:00 and it was gorgeous in the canyon. The sun had just come up warming up the crisp fall air. We were so far back in the pack it took us 10 minutes to cross the start line. I was wishing the entire time I had a camera with me so I could capture all the Halloween costumes. Pinatas, vampires, nude Adam, a shower, people were quite creative. The 5 of us ran together basically the entire way and time flew as we laughed at costumes. Kelsey and I dressed up as pumpkins and Ryan, Becca and Jen were the potato head family. I cheered, "Gooo potato heads!!" every 10 minutes. It was quite an easy race, downhill the entire way. Kelsey and I finished in 2:00:32. Despite not beating my previous time I am very proud of what we accomplished under the circumstances: freezing weather, 2 bathroom breaks, and other unmentionables.

pumpkins!

 potato heads!

working it

 family! They were there to cheer us on.

 

24 hours later D.O.M.S. (delayed onset muscle soreness) has set in and all that eccentric loading has taken its toll. I have decided the half marathon is my favorite length to race. Long enough to get good training in yet not psycho marathon long.

I'll be making a trip back to Utah next year to run this race again. 

Happy Halloween!