Half-Marathon Flashbacks

This Saturday's Cannonball Run half marathon will be the fifth half marathon I've participated in. With just two days to go before the run, I've been reflecting back on my previous halfs and what stands out to me about them.

2002 Country Music Half Marathon, Nashville, Tenn. Time: 2:20:17, Pace: 11:09. The one that started it all. My friend Scott helped me shed about 20 pounds and then encouraged me to train for a distance race with him. He did the marathon, and I did the half. Going from a non-runner to a half-marathon finisher gave me a tremendous sense of accomplishment and sent me on my way to participating in future events.

2004 Country Music Half Marathon, Nashville, Tenn. Time: 1:57:47, Pace: 8:59. Moving from Atlanta to North Carolina kept me from participating in the 2003 Country Music Half Marathon, but I came back with a vengeance in 2004. I mixed intervals and some speed work into my training and crossed the line in just under two hours. Going into the race, I thought I could finish around the two hour mark, but prior to the race Scott told me he thought I could break two hours. Again, his encouragement sent me on my way. I felt like I was in a groove the whole race. Sometimes, I still wonder how I was able to finish in 1:57, even with the mile-long hill at the end of the course. This is easily my most memorable run, and I've never come close to registering similar times in training or an event since then.

2004 DARE Fun Run, Reidsville, N.C.Time: 2:20 Just a few months after my best run, I experienced one of my most gruelling. Figuring I'd have some carryover from the Country Music Marathon, I didn't really train consistently for this local half marathon in my home county. But the fact that I didn't train as much for this one wasn't as much of a factor as was the fact that this event was more taxing mentally than physically. In stark contrast to the larger events I had run in Nashville, there were only about 20 other runners compared with thousands and only a handful of spectators along the course. (And those were my parents, nieces and cousins because the course ran right in front of my parents' house.) I found myself running much of this race by myself and discovered just how encouraging a pack of fellow runners and people cheering from the sidelines could be.

2005 Country Music Half Marathon, Nashville, Tenn. Time: 2:31:06, Pace: 11:32. My goal in 2005 was to graduate from the half to the full marathon, but some knee problems relegated me to the half marathon once again. Honestly, I took this event lightly because I knew I'd done the distance three times already. I didn't train regularly or consistently, only just enough to get by. I probably had the most enjoyable run in this event because I took a disposable camera with me during the run and interacted with the spectators more. However, I had the worst finishing time of any of the races I had participated in previously. This is when I began to suspect I really do need a new challenge and make a go at the full marathon.