Mapleton Moonlight Half Marathon (really long post)

I ran a half marathon last Friday. It was the hardest thing I've ever done physically. But it was awesome. Like really awesome. I would recommend it to anyone.

It was at night, under the almost full moon. I started at about 9:45pm and crossed the finish line at 11:59pm (not a very impressive time I know but it was my first one and I DID run the whole time, and with a bad knee, ok? Yes, I'm making excuses). The first prize went to the person who crossed right at midnight. (I was so close!)

Here are a couple embarrassing pictures of me. The second one is particularly awful. I look like I'm breathing my last breath. Enjoy.

View Photos from Mapleton Moonlight Half Marathon (that's me in my pink shorts and my new shoes!)

The whole race was in the dark. Everyone was wearing glow sticks and all sorts of light up things. We started up Hobble Creek Canyon, ran even further up Hobble Creek Canyon and then ran down and through Mapleton, ending in a park. The starting line area was full of people and they were playing fun music. I was nervous all day for the race but as soon as we got there I was so pumped and not nervous at all. My family was there to see me off which made it the perfect start to a race. I was running with two friends, Krystle and Kim, so it couldn't have been any better.

This race was different than most races. The idea was to have everyone cross the finish line at 12:00 am (midnight), so you could start whenever you wanted. They had a clock running at the starting line and people were randomly taking off at their predetermined time. Ours was 9:45 and a pretty big group started at that same time.

There was a huge thunderstorm right before the race started so there was a lot of lightning in the distance and the trail through the canyon was misty and it looked awesome under a head lamp. It rained for about 5-10 minutes during the first few miles but it was clear skies after that.

My knee started to hurt at about mile 5, but that was to be expected because I didn't wear my brace, and it always hurts when I run more than 3 miles. What I didn't expect was how much worse it would hurt as the race went on. I ran by myself the whole race, which was a little lonely, but nice because I didn't feel any pressure to keep pace with anyone else. I ended up with a group at about mile 8 or 9. They all knew each other and they stuck together at a good pace so I decided to keep up with them for the rest of the race. I'm really glad I did because my knee was determined to ruin the whole race for me and I was not about to let it slow me down.

The last 2 miles of the race were the hardest. The finish line was so close but so far away. It was fun to come through the neighborhoods though because there were a lot of people outside cheering for us and I still felt strong, even after 10 and 11 and 12 miles. As soon as I turned the corner and saw the finish line, I picked it up and kicked it all the way to the finish line. A few other friends were there to cheer us on at the finish line and I heard one of them yell my name right as I turned the corner. That gave me the last boost I needed to push it to the end.

I crossed the finish line at 11:59, right on target. They handed me a medal (everyone got one) and then I wandered around in my post-run daze trying to recognize anyone. My friends came and found me and I was so excited to see them! Krystle and Kim found us eventually and then we began the feast. They had watermelon, orange slices, bananas, chocolate cake, pizza, ice cream sandwiches, all sorts of goodness. After resting for a while and finally deciding that I wasn't going to pass out (it took a lot of standing and squatting to finally regulate my system) we bundled up, grabbed some food, and crashed next to a fire pit to keep us warm.

Overall, it was a great night. One I'll always remember.

Next up: 10k Dirty Dash (mud run) on September 25th.