Recap 2...Determination Pasta Party and Race Day

Sorry this is so late everybody. Things have been crazy lately, and I have not been able to stop pretty much at all the past couple of weeks. I have been either working out everyday, helping to train some friends or myself or have been busy with school. 

Here goes, this recap will cover the Determination Pasta Party I went to with my sister-in-law Karen and her husband as well as the race day. So be prepared, this will be long, but with lots of pictures. 

If you missed my first Race Recap, check it out Here.

We met up with Karen and Jason at their hotel and then walked to the hotel where the Pasta party was at. 

This is a great cause for the run. The Mardi Gras half supported DetermiNation for those who have cancer or have fought against cancer or for people who are running for people who have passed away with cancer. 

Brian and I at the Determination Pasta party

Yummy Yummy Yummy pasta dinner. The food was so good!

After the Pasta party, we tried to go to Starbucks, but it was closed, which was crazy because it was around 8:30pm whenever we went. Oh well. 

Karen and Jason went back to their hotel and we went back to our car. We had to drive about 20 minutes back to our friends house that we stayed at. Once we got to their house I dug into my swag bag and looked at all my goodies as well as laid out my race day outfit and gear. 

 This was all my goodies that I got from the Expo.

My race day outfit. Things that I can not run without is...running skirt (usually only for races), Running shoes, Race Bib, Garmin Watch, GU's, ipod and so much more. I was also trying the compression socks for the 2nd time. I have ran with them for an 8 mile run, but not for 13.1, so I was a little nervous about that. More about that later though.

*******************THE NEXT MORNING***************

The next morning I woke up at 4a.m. and was ready by.....

Ready to go to the start line. It was freezing outside and my first mistake for this race was not getting a jacket to wear for the beginning of the race and then dumping it once I got hot. Oh well, I figured something out.

It was still dark whenever I got to the race start and I was walking around freezing, whenever I saw this sign. 

I thought it was too funny. However you couldn't use the restroom in these nice bathrooms unless you payed for that. Oh well, nasty port-a-potty it is.

Funny Tip: If you are freezing cold and you do not have a jacket, find a generator and stand behind it. You will get a little dirty, however you will warm up real quick. And....make friends with a fellow runner who has extra jackets and they will give it to you. haha 

Karen and I in my corral before the race started. She was in corral 10. 

See the pink jacket I have on, that was given to me from a fellow runner from New York. 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 These guys in the above picture ran the whole race this way. hahaI am not sure how comfortable that was. We waited to start for about 20 minutes, so in all my pictures if you see a time, I am about 20 minutes behind that time. Or it is 20 minutes ahead of me. I was in Corral 16. When I originally registered for this race I didn't have a time, but then I ran the Jazz Half in New Orleans and was able to put down a good time, so I pumped up in my corrals. YAY!!!!

There was thousands of runners running this race. As you can see from the picture, it looked like a bunch of little ants.... In that pile of ants I met a girl name Denise. This was her second half marathon and we both figured out we ran about the same speed. So we decided without talking about it that we were going to run together as long as we could. She was trying to PR for under 2:30. We are both in the education field so it was great to talk to somebody had something in common with.

We got up to the finish line and we were off. Before I knew it, I was at mile....

I didn't have to get any water until mile 6 because I have trained my body to not have any until then. I run where I don't always get water stops and do not like to carry bottled water with me whenever I run. At mile....

Denise and I decided to split. I needed water and she was going to keep going. I told her good luck and to run to get that PR. 

Denise and I at Mile 6. 

 

 

 

 

 

I couldn't get a good picture, but I thought this was really neat. He was running with his son at this race. His son is in the wheelchair. 

I loved all the signs that everybody held up. One of them said Almost there. I saw it at Mile 6 and then again at Mile 11. That was really good to see. 

At mile 8, I saw the Brooks guitar player. It was pretty cool getting to run under that. 

Almost there. 5 miles left to go. 

Whenever I saw all these cups, I felt pretty bad for the volunteers who had to pick it up. I usually tried to find a trash can close by to throw mine in. That is one cup that they will not have to pick up at least. 

WooooooooHoooooooooo! Mile 12. I am almost there. This is a picture I usually get somebody to take for me at each race. I have a feeling it will start to be a tradition with me. 

.1 miles left to go! I am so close. My time is 20 minutes off of that time. 

I found my husband Brian and he barley found me. I had to yell at him to get him to see me.

All smiles going across this finish line. Much better than last time whenever it was my first half marathon and I was crying going across the finish line. 

I finished. 2 hours and 40 minutes. It was 10 minutes slower than my first half marathon, but that does not matter, I still finished. 

Every half marathon is a challenge for me, through all the training, trials and everything. That bling and the joy you get for completing something you never thought you could in the end is worth it! 

 We found Karen at the DetermiNATION tent. She finished in a great time. I am very proud of her. 

My little support group! Karen's husband Jason, Karen, me, and my husband Brian! Love them all! 

For my next blog  is my professional race pictures.  I had a bunch of great pictures.

If you made it this far, thank you. I know it was very long!