This post is gonna be short on words and heavy on pictures because I like to dumb down my audience. Actually I just don’t want to think and have to write logical thoughts.
Anywhoozles, I got up at 5am, had a cup of coffee and left my house at 5:45am.
I was parked by 6:30am and hung out in my car until 7:15. It was dang cold outside and I wasn’t about to go freeze my schnitzels off outside. At 7:15 I walked over to the start and got into wave 1 which wasn’t full at all.
The race started at 7:30 and we were off. From the beginning I wasn’t really sure how hard I wanted to run so I wasn’t going to turn on my music for at least 7 miles. That lasted about 10 steps. Needed some motivation so I turned on the tunes.
Saw skintight Elvis.
The weather was warming up quickly; I wish I would have brought sunglasses because I’m sure I now have 2 new wrinkles from squinting the whole time. Better up the Botox budget…
I assumed that the course was flat because the website says,
This course is the fastest in the San Diego area and one of the fastest in the U.S.
It might be fast, but it is NOT flat. There were some rolling hills and a large hill or two thrown in there. Maybe it threw me off because I was expecting flat, I don’t know. Maybe I’m just a big wimp.
But the course was absolutely gorgeous. The first few miles we ran through Carlsbad and then we went right along the ocean for a few miles before turning around.
Saw Cupid’s men. Look at that Victorian house in the background! You know you’re married when you don’t even look at the shirtless guys and are more interested in old historic houses.
Is that not gorgeous or what?! Made me want to be running a marathon instead of the half. Obviously still bitter and jealous about it….
I don’t have any mile splits or anything because I didn’t look at my garmin AT ALL until the last mile. I just ran by how I felt and had no idea about time which was sorta “freeing” and sorta annoying at the same time.
We turned around a mile 6.5 and I had a GU then.
I switched it up on breakfast this morning: normally I go with a Clif bar but got crazy today and had a banana and then a GU right before the race started instead of a bar.
On the way back it was fun because we passed all the people who were running the opposite way so it was a good distraction to people watch.
Around mile 10 I finally decided to pick it up and run half marathon pace instead of marathon pace. That’s what’s hard about going from a full to a half: you want to run the easier, slower MP.
So I sped up the last couple miles and finished in 1:36:04, average pace 7:20. 242 out of 7018, 59th woman out of 4324, and 12th in my age division out of 777.
The only split that the official results showed was 6.6 miles: 49:45 Pace: 7:33 so I definitely stopped farting around and started running the last half of the race.
Got my medal, my goody bag of food and headed home.
Twitter
{ 37 comments… read them below or add one }
I love Carlsbad. My brother lives there and the whole town is that pretty. I’m thinking of signing up for the San Diego RnR just so I can go out and visit again soon.
I loved all of the pictures. You are a running machine:)
Ah, you’ve seen one shirtless man, you’ve seen them all. Now a beautiful old home is something you don’t see everyday!
I’m a sucker for historic homes too and I’m more likely to do a double take than if I see somebody streaking. Congrats on a great race! You’re so super fast! 
You know how to run in styleee!
I still can never believe what you look like after a race and how damn fast you are
AMAZING and inspirational. Once it’s warmer than 9 degrees in NYC maybe i’ll try to get speedy like you 
Sara
congrats on the race! Awesome time!
I thought I had run a positive split but then my results show that I ran a negative split. Sure didn’t feel like it with all those inclines at the end!
I really like the race. But the transfer is seriously crap – they have me as 54 years old. Um. Right. I hope that those race correction online forms actually work.
The course looks gorgeous!
Wow, what a pretty course!
When I looked at the picture at first I thought, What a pretty house! It wasn’t until you mentioned the Cupid guys I even noticed them, haha. That’s me. 24 going on 50.
Great job!!! I am so jealous that you get to run in gorgeous weather while I’m here running in 20 degrees. The course looked beautiful also
This makes me want to do this race! How beautiful!
A pretty course…and really, a good run!
Out and back courses do have their benefits – people watching during races can be oddly entertaining!
Congrats on the great time!
I am so jealous of the weather you get…running in shorts and a tank in January?! No fair.
What a pretty course! I love Carlsbad. I always confuse it with Riverside, though, because Riverside is a pretty name, and Carlsbad sounds like a crappy place.
Hi, send some sunshine, por favor! I hate New York, guuuuurl it is WAY too cold, I am abolishing winter for good.
Great race! It blows my mind that you can take so many pictures while running and still maintain that insane pace! You’re like super woman!
Way to go!
What music do you listen to to keep yourself going?
DAAAAANG look at those arms I see guns forming:). Great race congrats even though you really wanted to do the full!!!
Ha I think i was in a pack of runners you snapped a picture of after the turn around point. Glad you enjoyed the great course as much as I did, and the fact flat is only a relative term in the race organizers mind, those hills got me too!
SR, you are an effing ROCK STAR!! I love, love, love your blog, and you are such an inspiration! I get excited when I run splits faster than 10 min/mile, and you’re cranking out a half at 7 1/2 minute splits – and looking fantastic the whole time! Great race!
Great job!! You certainly inspire me!
Khourt from
http://lifeasaconvert.blogspot.com
GREAT job! I LOVE this race…I may be biased because I live about 10 minutes away and work right on the course(actually, across the street from the Victorian house!)…but anywho, glad you enjoyed the race! Carlsbad is a beautiful city…I wish I could afford to live right in the village!
Again, great race!!!
Love the pictures lady! Way to pick it up during the ending half. That course is stunning and I love people watching during a race. Makes me run faster / time go by faster
Im so amazed by your running!! Pace 7:20!!! That was you goofing off??? I can’t run a 7:20 mile if it’s the only one I’m running!!!
As usual, you rock! I can only dream of a 7:20 pace!
Beautiful course…I am jealous!
Great outfit!
Love the Cupid costumes: too funny. 
Wow, what a gorgeous course! This is my kind of race, wish my marathon had been more like this. I realize you are way way faster than me but I’m not gonna lie, it kind of hurts my feelings when you talk about “really running” at the end instead of “farting around” when your farting around pace is my going super speedy fast pace
Don’t worry, I can’t wait until I can call my super speedy fast pace “farting around”
That’s an amazing pace!!!!!!!!!!! Congrats!
Congrats on your race!
As much as you like the numbers, I’m surprised you don’t have your Garmin set to auto-lap so you can look back at your mile splits when you’re done.
People wear some strange outfits to race in.
As I sit here after the trek to work in 6 degree weather I feel just a little bit bitter when looking at those palm trees and sunshine
But great job to you for running a great race and looking just as good at the finish as the start!
Great pictures! I’m jealous of the shorts too..it’s -6 here today, I’ll be in the gym.
you’re seriously the fastest bitch I know. Or pretend to know.
Hi I love your pink running shorts too they’re a pretty pink!
And in the picture I like the sign above you, but what does the rest say besides welcome? Geez I’m nosy huh? lol
I ran my first half marathon in 2 hours & 31 mins so you’re my hero lol I’m training for my second May 1st…I was hoping to do 2 hours 15 mins-ish in this one all tho now I’m a total slow poke, you’re my hero. Haha but I agree it is all your own personal goals, my goal was to not stop in the 13 miles and slow down when needed but do not stop, I am still proud, ha.
Love your blog & the frequnecy of posts
I wish I looked like that after a run much less a half marathon! Geeze. Go girl!
You are a strong runner. I am sure you are inspiring loads of runners! Keep up the amazing work.
Carlsbad 1/2 last Sunday was my first half since having ACL replacement surgery. I entered to do it after I first discovered your blog last Summer. At that time I was only 4 months out of surgery and couldn’t even run yet but I was so inspired by you and I continue to be. I wish I would have seen you I would have come and said HI! Thanks for your inspiration!
{ 1 trackback }