National Half

Thanks to the NCAA Bracket Committee's decision to put Duke in the West bracket I was not able to go to the Sweet 16 and was able to run the National Half Marathon in DC.  If you haven't noticed, this race was only 6 days after the NYC Half, so I was definitely not expecting to fly through this race.  I decided to take the approach that I would just run the race at whatever pace my body feels good at and I wouldn't push it....that didn't quite work out.  I ended up running approximately the same time as I did in NY.

This course is advertised as a fast course, despite the few hills, and they were not kidding.  The first 3 miles I thought my watch was off because I was on pace to run 1:45.  Eventually I set back into a good rhythm and felt pretty good.  There is something about running through our Nation's capital that really appealed to me.  I can't really describe the feeling but as you see the Capital building and the monuments it makes me think about our history and how much we have done as a Country in such a short time.  Maybe it was the vibe of the city that pushed me through this race, but there was something empowering about the city.

It was also the start of the cherry blossom festival in DC, which was my first time there.  It was peaceful sitting out by the Washginton Monument sitting under the blooming cherry blossoms, walking around the lake and just sitting at the Jefferson Memorial (my favorite) and looking out over our Capital.  It was one of the most relaxing days I have had in a while (even with the running part).

Kathy ran this race and, as usual, she rocked it! It was great to see her, Adam (her boyfriend) and her sister Kristen who both braved the cold and early morning to come cheer us on.  We met up later on in the evening to have dinner and celebrate completing her 3rd race and my 4th of the challenge  It's amazing how quickly we have gotten through these races already.