Happy Weekend everyone!

Remember yesterday when I said how excited I was to sleep in and not wake up in the 6am hour for, well, anything?

Well, that was a lie.

I did indeed wake up in the 6am hour, and it was indeed to run… a half-marathon.

In which, I PR-ed with a time of 1:58 and some change. (!!!!!)

Around 4 yesterday when I was leaving work, feeling like a zombie, with big plans of a cat-nap and a pedicure in my future, I got a message from the lovely Aron asking if I still wanted to run the Giant Race because she had come across an extra bib at the 11th hour.

Hell yes I did!

A half-marathon that starts and ends at AT&T Park (finish line was on the field) and includes a medal, t-shirt, and Tim Lincecum bobblehead? Twist my arm.

The run was sold out, and when registration opened, I was in no position to be signing up for half-marathons.

4 weeks into my marathon training I had a change of heart apparently. My long run this weekend was set for 11 miles. . . so I figured what’s an extra 2.1?

I met up with Aron and Courtney early this morning at the ballpark, and we set off running together down the Embarcadero, through Fisherman’s Wharf, and out towards the bridge.

About half-way through, we had a nice little surprise cheerleader in Giants closer Brian Wilson high-fiving people along the route. It took me about 10 seconds of “ohmygod” to realize who had just given me a high-five, and it was a welcome burst of adrenaline.

I was SO pumped up. (Not pumped up enough to risk my sub-2 hour 1/2 and ask for a picture, but pumped up nonetheless).

I can honestly say it was the best 1/2 marathon (or any long run) experience I’ve ever had. Chatting the entire time made the miles (and the time) fly by!

Before I knew it we were on the last mile, weaving in between walkers and trying to get onto the field as fast as possible. Once we saw that people had actually stopped a good 20 feet from the finish line to walk through, I started throwing some elbows (the sub 2-hour 1/2 was within reach, c’mon now!) to step across the finish line in 1:58.

My previous PR was at the Nike Women’s Half last year when I finished in 2:12.

14 minute difference. Cloud 9 would be an understatement.

Thank you, thank you, thank you Aron for the extra bib! I had SO MUCH FUN running with you and Courtney and can’t wait to run again together soon!

The finish line from (thankfully!) far away…. there were SO many people, in a pretty small space!

The medal was HUGE (yes, that excites me) and the t-shirts were Nike Dri-Fit Cotton and really cute! (Although just me or were they cut TINY?)

And of course, the Timmy bobblehead.

With that, boyfriend and I are off to celebrate a friend getting her Masters. . . and eat and drink the day away in the sun!

Hope you have a wonderful Saturday!