Whistlestop

1:57:54!!! I was really happy with this half marathon. I really wanted to get under 2 hours after finishing grandma's in 2:17. I was averaging 8:45 for about the first 8 miles and then I started to slow down a bit. I was okay with that though. My lungs felt great the whole time. Unfortunately, my legs did not. I must have strained my Achilles because it nagged at me every step. I was also running on a packed limestone trail that was much harder than I thought it would be. I could feel every single rock through my shoes. That was painful! I've never really dealt with pain while running before so this was a new one for me. I stuck it out though. I even had a little bit of steam left at the end for the final push....emphasis on the "little".

I have another half marathon in two weeks so I'm not going to be able to give my calf proper time to heal until that's over. This will be the first time I've been guilty of being a the stereotypical runner and running through pain. I think I'm okay with it though, just this once ; )

On the down side. I got stung by a wasp after the race, and NP locked the keys in the car while he was waiting for me to finish. I had to spend the first 45 minutes post race tracking down a locksmith and trying to get the car unlocked. That was unfortunate.

After the race we took the scenic route home through Bayfield. We had lunch at this eclectic old inn and then drove home gawking at all the fall colors. It was nice. We were both struggling to stay awake, but it was still nice.

Sunday was a long day of cleaning. I put off so many things this summer!! The next step will be doing all the outdoor maintenance that needs to happen before the snow flies.....yikes.

This will be the first week without a Wednesday night dollar race since they are switching to Sundays now, bummer. I will just have to run by myself ; (