A Journey of 144.1 Miles

One of my goals for the year was to run 10 half marathons in 2010 (thanks to Libby for the great idea!). I am very proud to say that I completed that goal in early November and added an eleventh half marathon at White Rock on December 5. Each half marathon is different and has a story all its own and I wanted to take this opportunity to look at each of them.

Number 1 January 30th The Texas Half
Hello Winter! I wasn't very excited as we embarked on this half marathon because it was about 25 degrees with a 13 degree wind chill and not a trace of sunshine. I think that I might have found that famous "wall" for the first time ever...in the closing miles I just wanted to cry as I realized I would have to face the wind coming directly off the lake once more. I still managed a sub 2 hour finish, but it wasn't pretty.

Number 2 February 14th Austin Half Marathon
Great city, great race, HUGE hills! The crowd support was great, the weather was perfect, and we had a great time. I loved the finish of this race--running onto the state capital grounds and next to the beautiful capital building. This was just a good weekend, our friends the Shehans were very gracious hosts to us as we stayed in Austin.



Number 3 February 27th Cowtown Half Marathon
It is just a bad sign when you are still in your car as the starting gun goes off! We sat on the freeway for at least an hour in a huge traffic jam....I even kicked Erik out of the car so that he could get to the start in time for his marathon. I think that the traffic snafu really drained alot of my energy and I felt as if I was running behind the whole race.



Number 4 March 20 Grasslands Trail Half Marathon
That which doesn't kill you, right? I really grew as a person on this day and the limits of my comfort zone were shattered. A massive cold front came in and dropped tons of rain (which later turned to snow) and temperatures hovered near freezing the whole race. Because it was a trail race I found myself up to my calves in mud for the duration of the race. I really wanted to quit and might have if Erik hadn't told me to suck it up. Not so sure that extreme weather trail running is for me!



Number 5 April 11 Big D Half Marathon
The Grasslands really gave me a huge boost of confidence for my next road race (what, no mud?) and I felt strong going in to this one. It was a humid day and the course was challenging (hilly for Dallas) but I managed to get a new half marathon Personal Record (PR) and break 1:55 for the first time.



Halfway There: Number 6 May 2 Heels and Hills Half Marathon
This HAS to be my most favorite half marathon of the year....in fact, it might be one of my favorite races in my running history. I knew that I had a chance to get a new PR because this course is fairly flat. Then I met Mark O., friend to all runners and my pace group leader for the day. Having him there to believe in me in the closing miles was just what I needed to shatter my PR of just 3 weeks ago!



Number 7 August 15 Hottest Half Marathon
Ugh...if there is an exact opposite of the Texas Half this has to be it. It was 85 degrees at 7:00 am and the temperatures would top 100 that day for the 50th (okay, I exaggerate...but just a little) day in a row. I started out with a decent pace--my summer pace anyway--but found myself a little overwhelmed before the halfway mark. I turned this one into my very own social run and went for a new personal worst (PW). I had fun stopping to take pictures and talk with friends.



Number 8 September 26 Heels and Hills and Him
I love these races and all of the people involved with them. It was the same course as May, but I just couldn't capture any of the same energy. I suspect that I went out too fast and then paid for it at the end. More crazy weather--it changed from summer to fall around mile 9!



Number 9 October 10 Tyler Rose Half Marathon
Who knew that Tyler was so hilly?! This one was certainly an effort by Team Kennemer, we attacked those hills together and came out with another sub 2 hour finish. Tyler is a beautiful city and we had a great time exploring it by foot...all in all a nice weekend get away.



Goal Met: Number 10 November 7 Dallas Running Club Half Marathon
The 2nd anniversary of my 1st half marathon (2008)...this course is always challenging and today was no different. I really had to push through some fatigue around mile 10, but came out with my 2nd best half marathon time to date. The big news was Erik--he raced hard and broke 1:50 to regain possession of the Kennemer Household Half Marathon Record. Erik and I celebrated our 7th anniversary (on 11/8) with dinner that night.



Extra Credit: Number 11 December 5 White Rock Half Marathon
White Rock Magic found! This race is another favorite of mine, you just can't beat the energy of 22,000 runners waiting for the starting gun. I was very worried about my hip going into this race, but it stayed very manageable and I came very close to a new PR and added another sub-1:55 time to my records. I found myself emotional at the beginning of the race, probably because I was wrapping up this big 2010 goal.