Half marathon #3..derby festival!

Equipped with my fluorescent green/yellow running shorts, new blue iPod shuffle (this is my favorite new running accessory...I used to think I never wanted a shuffle but this is far superior to any other music device I have ever run with). The other day on my run, I had flashbacks to jogging in high school, big headphones on, holding my Walkman, having to switch hands every couple of minutes because my arm would get tired from the weight of it! So yes, if you like to run outside, and don't already have one, spend the $55 and get a new shuffle!

With that said, Grant and I ran the Louisville Derby half marathon for the second time yesterday! Unfortunately we didn't have a lot of time to train with our crazy schedules this semester, but this run has been a good motivation to get me out of the nursing building and off my butt at least a couple days of week. And...I'm happy to say, I still beat my time by 2 minutes :) Not shabby. Didn't want to crush my record since there wouldn't be room for improvement next time ;)

We woke up at 3:50 a.m. to drive to Louisville (after having gotten back from Louisville at 10:30 the night before, because we had to pick up our packets, and couldn't go until late on Friday since I had a 30 page paper to turn in before I could think about anything else!) Here we are, getting ready to catch the bus to the starting line.

HCH, me and Jenny. We missed you Karrie! (But I guess being 30 weeks pregnant wtih triplets is a good enough reason to not run this year :) But don't think you're off the hook for next April!

Overall, the race was good. The beginning is through a park with a lot of up and down, which I have realized I really like. Just when you think you're getting tired, you get a nice stretch of down hill. When it's flat and you get tired, there's no relief, it just keeps staying flat. I like the variety of the hills. The race goes through Churchill Downs (home of the Kentucky Derby-next weekend) and we saw some horses running around the track, so that was sort of fun. Finally, it ends at the river with a pretty view.

We did it!

(even though I ended up with a crazy blister on the bottom of my foot!)-sorry if feet gross you out! But yes, this was quite painful, but luckily didn't start hurting until about mile 10, so I only had to suffer through it for about 3 miles.

Around mile 9, I always ask myself why I don't just sign up for 10K's instead...but there is satisfaction in doing 13.1 instead of only 6.2, and I feel justified in eating whatever I want for the rest of the weekend :) We treated ourselves to Cheesecake Factory and a quick walk around the mall all sweaty and gross :)

Grant and I have decided we really need to do a race at least once a year, just to keep us active and running (and not fat). I love and hate it, but in the end I'm always glad we decided to do it!

See you next year mini marathon!