Pasadena Half Marathon

Pasadena Half Marathon
Rose Bowl Stadium
January 22, 2017

What a race!! 

Days before the race we had extreme rain storms in Los Angeles County. While looking at the forecast, I noticed that it was supposed to rain on race day.

Running in the rain is one of my least favorite things to do. I've been running for eleven years and I always wait until the rain clears before running outside.

When I found out that I would have to do the second half marathon in the rain, I became very nervous. Before the rain, I was already nervous because the first time I ran with Nike in Pasadena, the run broke me down.

I have been training hard to beat my time this race and redeem myself from that Nike run. I started doubting my abilities, but I told myself...

“You have to do this and finish strong.”

When I arrived at the Rose Bowl Stadium, the mood of the participants was low. Everyone had on parkas and looked cold. I went to line up early so that I could get focused. 
It was raining, but it wasn't too bad when the race started.

The first 3 miles were the most challenging. They had gradual hills with steady inclines. I told myself that I would not walk on any hill.  That was another personal victory that I am glad to have achieved. 

After mile 3, the course flattened out and I ran at a steady pace. Like I normally do on my runs, I focused on my surroundings and taking in the ability to even run. 

I saw a few of my friends on the course, that made me feel better. I started to feel sluggish after mile 5 and my right foot began to cramp. Luckily the course provided Clif Bar gels so that gave me an extra boost and the Gatorade helped increase my sodium levels.