Harpers Ferry Half Marathon race report, 2013

I ran this race last year and what a different experience it was this year!

Like last year, Hank ran the 4 mile option, though it was closer to 4.4 miles this year. He didn't want to do his own race report but just wanted to say he had a fun run, and he was glad it didn't rain too hard.

I'll just cut to the chase and tell you I had a darn good time with this race. It was hard work for sure, but my mental state throughout the race was excellent. 

My plan was to use this as a training run. So that meant I would start off slow and ease up from there. I was looking to run 11ish or slower miles and to happily walk the brutal hills. I lined up at the back, starting chatting with the folks around me and talked pretty much the whole race with anyone nearby.  I'm sure there were folks who either dropped off or sped up because I was so chatty!

 

As diabolical as the course is, it really is a nice mix of trail and roads, and you can't beat the scenery in this area. We've had a lot rain lately and both the Potomac and Shenendoah rivers have been at/near flood stage. Harpers Ferry is at the confluence of these rivers so flooding would have been an issue for the race organizers. Thankfully they didn't have to worry about it. 

 

The first major uphill is from lower old town to upper old town. The picture below doesn't really do it justice because it's about a mile from top to bottom. There was a woman on her porch cheering for us, "Keep going! The hill really does have an end!"

 

It was on this hill last year that my brain fizzled and popped. This year I ran about half way up and then walked the rest. Got to the top and started running again. Happy!

I happily plodded along for the remainder of the course and crossed the finish in 2:27 and change...about 6 minutes faster than last year. How funny is that! I have to say I also felt sooo much better after this race, no weird foot issues or leg cramps. yay!

Now if I can hang on to this mindset and just roll with whatever my runs bring me, I'll be golden!

My thoughts on
Price: It was $60 to register the day before (my bad) which I think is a bit steep, but they let kids under 18 run the 4 mile for free and kids always run the 1 mile for free.
Course: Very challenging hills, nice mix of trails and road. Well marked. Lots of enthusiastic course marshalls and volunteers
Food on the course: The stations later in the course seemed to be just water (though I may have missed a Gatorade stop somewhere). I'm not a big drinker (unless it's wine), but it was warm and very humid out so a shot of Gatorade would have been nice. They also had Hammer gels which make me sick so I didn't partake.Because of my stomach issues, I almost always carry my own fuel so it wasn't an issue for me.
Atmosphere: Party time. It's fun to run with folks who love to run for fun. [say that 3 times fast].  Mark Cucuzzella and his staff from Two Rivers Treads are enthusiastic to say the least. What I really love is that the races they're a part of are fun for the whole family. They cheer very loudly when kids cross the finish line, and every kid gets a medal...who doesn't love that!
Post Race: The post race food was pizza and beer, oh and some apples, oranges and Gatorade too. I'm grudgingly gluten free so I ate 2 apples and drank a bunch of Gatorade. I found a Lara bar in the bottom of my bag so I ate that too. But the rest of my family was gorging themselves. Bill had to go to work so he had to pass on the beer.
Swag: Since I didn't pre-register I had to stop by the reg table after I ran to see if any shirts were left. Men's medium was the smallest size left. Sadness, but again not a big deal to me. The medal is a replica of John Brown's armory in Harpers Ferry so the history geek in me thinks that's pretty cool.

Fun race. Fun atmosphere. I definitely recommend it as a nice change from a boring ol' flat road race. ;)

Freedom's Run Race Report

Looking back, nothing about my training seemed spectacular. I had some great runs, some ok ones and some really bad ones, but you'll have that with any training cycle.

I think being so incredibly busy really helped me not *completely* freak out - I had my moments, but for the most part I didn't have time to dwell on what I was preparing for. But I'm a little bit amazed that I did it. I ran a marathon.

I've been running for just 3 years, of those I missed nearly 1 year to injury. I have a crazy schedule between homeschool and volunteer work. I'm generally lazy and eat too many sweets - which contributes to me being 15 pounds overweight. But I did it. I don't say all that to make anyone feel bad. If anything it's to encourage anyone who doubts they can do it. Seriously, if I can do it, YOU can!

Alright, enough of that. Here's how it went...

The day started really early - 3am. The first buses were leaving Shepherd U at 5:30 and my friend, Eddy, was picking me up at 4:45. We walked up to the bus stop and our friend Larry from our running club was already there.

It turns out Larry planned to run the same pace I did and he agreed to let me tag along. He is known for running an even pace - be it an 8 m/m or an 11 m/m, he can dial in and maintain his pace. I - on the other hand - am *not* known for running an even pace so running with him was a real Godsend.

We got to the start and met more folks from our running club, checked our bags and hung out until the start. With a "Ready, Set, Go!" we were on our way. I didn't carry my phone so I don't have any pictures but you'll have to trust me when I tell you that sunrise at Harpers Ferry is quite lovely.

Just after mile 4, we crossed the footbridge from Harpers Ferry, WV to the tow path in MD. The bridge was wet which made me wonder if it had rained. We got close to the spiral staircase where it was slippery and realized it was frost. Brrrr!

The temptation with this race is to hit the tow path and turn it on. That would be a really bad thing to do for someone like me because you get off the tow path at mile 15ish and begin the really steep climb to the battlefield. Thankfully I was running with Larry, a nice relaxed pace, and I felt great. We chatted with fellow runners, got a chuckle out of a really crabby older runner and generally enjoyed the ride.

We got to Millers Sawmill Rd and began the climb up. Still feeling good but I decided to walk the steeper parts of the hills in this section because I knew what was coming, and honestly my walk pace was about the same as my run pace on some of these!

The volunteers for this race are wonderful and cheered us on like rockstars. The aid stations were spaced well, and I was happy that I decided not to carry water. We walked through each aid station and walked for a bit past the one at mile 20ish.

Mentally I knew if I could make it to the elementary school, I was set because most of the course is downhill from there.  What I didn't count on was that my knees would start aching like crazy around mile 21 and my feet - oh my feet - they were talking by mile 22 and were done by 24.

not sure what that hill at mile 10ish is. the tow path is pretty flat

When I ran the Harpers Ferry Half in May, I got cramps in my feet. First time that had happened and I haven't had trouble like that since (that I can remember). Mile 24ish my feet started cramping hard. I would walk a bit, run a bit and pray.

I almost started to cry out of frustration and pain so I stopped, took a breath and said outloud "Pull yourself together. You can do this." So I did. Funny how that works.

I got to the bridge just after mile 25 and decided I was running to the finish come hell or high water. I heard some strange grunting sound and realized it was me! Each time my right foot hit the ground I made this awful sound, but I didn't slow down.

Because of road construction we had to wind through the campus a bit, and there was one last uphill. Really short, but steep and I got an awful cramp in the side of my right leg and my foot again. After that I couldn't feel my right foot (and it actually still hurts a little), but I kept my arms moving so my feet had no choice but to go.

I got to the top of the hill and couldn't figure out where to go. Thankfully someone was standing there, "follow the arrows!" Oh you mean those giant white arrows in the middle of the road?? doh!

The kids run was taking place next to the stadium entrance and there were people everywhere. My brain was addled so I was very grateful they had 2 lines of volunteers marking the way. Then I saw Bill and heard someone else yell name. At that point I couldn't feel my legs and ran as hard as I could focusing on my arms.

When I stopped my feet hurt so bad, I really did think I was going to cry. I wanted to wait for Larry who was just a couple of minutes behind me, but I had to keep moving or just melt into a puddle - and I had to pee.

I think I was in a state of shock...not physically...I was fine physically other than my feet. It just all seemed so surreal and a bit anticlimactic.

I hobbled around to find Bill and the kids, got something to drink, and we made our way to the Oktoberfest. On our way I saw Abbi and her husband. It was great finally meeting her in person after corresponding via email and blog for so long.

After hanging out with friends from the Steeplechasers for a bit, we headed home. I took a shower and went to bed and Bill took the kids to football. I guess he was right afterall.

Finish Time: 4:41:12.6

Pace: 10:44

Age Rank: 16/35 F-40 to 49

And I am nothing if not a good sport, particularly when it comes to unflattering photos. So I present to you....my unofficial finishline photo (at least I hope there was another photographer)

many thanks, I think, to Jacqueline of Charming and Quaint Photography

I realize she can only photograph what she sees so don't consider this picture a reflection of her skill as a photog. I like to think of it as a portrait of determination...yea, that's it, determination is all over my face. ;)

Hank's 4 Mile Race Report

While I was slogging through the half marathon, Bill was supervising the kids and making sure Hank made it to his starting line on time.

I had planned to register Hank for the 4 mile race in advance, but when I saw the price wasn't much more for race day reg, I decided to wait.

Very fortuitous for my checkbook because I got an email saying that youth could run for free. Woot! I did pay to get him a shirt though because I figured he deserved some swag for his hard work.

Hank's race report as dictated to mom:

We went to the starting line down the hill. I got in the middle and was cramped at the beginning of the race. The guy blew the horn and we took off.

We ran on the road for a little ways, and then we turned onto a trail. It was a long time before we got to a water station (mom's note: ~mile 2).

It was pretty hilly but I still passed some people. A woman told me to keep it up because we were almost to the fun part.

The fun part was going down a hill in the shade. I stopped to get water on the 2nd loop and walked a little.

I ran as hard as I could to the finish. I thought I was the first kid to finish but a 13 year old finished before me. My time was 43:47 which I thought was pretty cool.

And I think it's pretty cool, too!

One thing I really like about the races Two Rivers Treads helps out with is that there is always a kids fun run. And the fun run is FUN. The kids get bibs and either ribbons or medals. Lined up at the start, they do silly warm up exercises often led by Dr. Mark or TRT employees. And the emphasis is to run and enjoy.

The 1 mile fun run was set to begin at 11am giving the grownups plenty of time to finish their races. As my peeps lined up for their race, Bill confided he was a little worried they were all 3 going to end up barfing because they had done nothing but eat pizza and drink gatorade the whole time I was running.

I forgot to mention the post race munchies were endless pizza and kegs of micro-brews...along with water and gatorade of course.

The horn sounded and off they went. Originally I planned to run with Shane since he has a tendency to be distracted, but I was in no condition to run so Hank volunteered. Thank goodness!

The first kid crossed the finish right around 7 minutes...on a cross country course...which is crazy fast!

Finally I saw 3 blue shirts running together and laughing.  Other parents commented how they looked like they were on a team, and I said they are - they're siblings but they also run for a local track and cross country team.

Shane took off and finished ahead of E and H and headed straight for the pizza

I found out later why they were laughing. Ella was slightly ahead of Shane for most of the race, and Hank kept telling Shane he needed to beat her. This made Ella laugh (silly boys trying to outrun my girlie) which made the boys laugh.

And so they laughed and ran a mile together. A very nice way to spend the afternoon!

*I can't find the charger for my good camera so we're stuck with crappy phone pictures for now. :(

Harpers Ferry Half Race Report

Harpers Ferry Half Marathon by tracyrunning at Garmin Connect - Details

Disclaimer: this long race report is filled with tales of woe and pain. I write it more to remind myself in case I want to run this again next year. More training will definitely be in order if I do!

Today I ran a ridiculously tough half marathon. Sure the course description said it was one of most challenging in the area and it's very hilly. But until your feet are on the road, you don't really have an appreciation for what that means.

It was also a mixture of road, grass, trail and sand.

for some reason this picture cuts off around the 10 mile mark

I had A, B, and C goals, all of which promptly flew out the window. My FB friends know that I've had a head cold for over a week. While I feel better, I'm still coughing and even gagged on post nasal drip a couple of times. whoops sorry, didn't realize you were eating.

I also enjoyed the great pleasure of getting poison ivy from my littles who got it while fishing at the river. Just little spots here and there - I must have gotten it from their laundry - but itching at your waistband, inner knee, and under your bra band are not places you want to have to scratch while running... Body Glide really helped with the itching though.

Before the start,  race director Mark Cuccuzella, reminded us of the insane hills and suggested that we think of this as an 'event' not a race because only a crazy person would try to race this course. I was already ok with having a less than stellar race, but this really helped me as I was walking a whole lot more than I was running in the latter parts of the 'event.'

The first part of the race was a loop on road and grass around a battlefield. Then we headed back past the start and into the woods on a very steep downhill - which meant it would be a really steep UPhill for the return trip.

Through an RV park (crazy!), and then an out and back on a packed gravel trail through another battlefield. Both of these sections of the battlefield were really pretty and the weather couldn't have been nicer.

We did a mile or so on some pretty trails. Nothing too technical. Just nice and peaceful....getting us into the right frame of mind for the upcoming sufferfest??

We then headed down a looooong downhill towards Old Town Harpers Ferry followed by a brief stint in the woods again where we got to run through sand. But again, nice and peaceful.

I had a wonderful surprise when I looked up and saw the son of some friends. I asked him what he was doing here, "I'm here to cheer for you!" So sweet! He took off yelling to his parents that I was almost to them.

It was super seeing friends and having them cheer for me, but this is also where the pain began. The first huge uphill. Just under a mile long and nearly everyone walked all of it. I saw a few people run/walk it, but the majority were leaning way forward and trudging uphill. This is where the wheels fell off for me.

I reached the top, ran a little but then stopped, leaned against a tree and just prayed for the strength and courage to keep going. I don't know that I've ever felt that defeated in a race before. It was weird especially since I was ok with whatever time I finished with.

But I was trashed. My calves hurt like heck and I had a side cramp that I couldn't shake. I walked every uphill from that point on.

We did a couple of miles around town and then headed DOWN that mother of a hill. My friends were still at the bottom of the hill and were expecting me to zip by, but I stopped to chat. Told them I was fried and in pain so they walked with me for quite a ways which was really nice.

I began the death march up the next long hill. Reached the top and enjoyed a brief respite through the peaceful woods - only this time the turns felt sharper and the step up across the wooden bridge taller. I practically crawled up the hill out of the woods onto the road.

By now, I was less than 2 miles from the finish, but it may as well have been 100. Back through the RV park and into the last bit of woods. Downhill for a little ways and then essentially straight up.

Bill, Hank and running mom friend who had already finished were waiting for me near the top. I was so happy to see them but so done that I started feeling sick to my stomach. I stopped a couple of times and put my head down because I wanted to throw up. My legs felt like granite pillars as I walked up that hill.

Thankfully. Blessedly. Wonderfully, it was downhill to the finish where I crossed at 2:33:12.

Considering that's 6 minutes slower than my last official Half which was almost 2 years and 15 pounds ago, I should be disappointed. BUT I'm really not.

This course was exponentially more challenging than Freedom's Run - which is no lightweight itself, and I ran an unofficial half a few weeks ago with an excellent time so I know I can go faster on a 'normal' course.

If I lose my head and decide to run this next year, I'll read this report and know that I need to spend most of my time training on hilly trails to minimize my pain and suffering.

Thanks for reading along! I'll add photos once they're loaded onto the race site.

Once the times for the 4 mile race are posted, I'll tell you about Hank's race.

Half a Half

Half a Half with L by tracyrunning at Garmin Connect - Details

I mentioned last week that I was going to run with a friend of mine at a local half marathon. Not as a pacer but more as an encourager or moral support. She has a knee injury and missed the injury deferral date. This race - like many - doesn't let you sell your bib [Though I really don't understand why. Who the heck cares who is wearing the bib as long as it's paid for???] - so she figured she'd rather run/walk it if she had to rather than lose the money altogether.

We read the fine print on the website and the last minute instructions they emailed to runners and nothing mentioned pacers. We figured if they don't say anything specifically, they must not care too much about it.

Of course I brought my own water and fuel. I didn't even use their porta potties. And still I felt slightly criminal....well I did throw my home made arm warmers into a trashcan at a water stop. gulp.

As much as I'd like to think I'm a rebel, I guess I'm just a goody-two-shoes at heart.

I hopped onto the course just after mile 6.

Hanging out on someone's front steps waiting for the mass of runners

The weather people were calling for warmer temps and no rain. It was lightly misting and probably in the mid 50's at the start. Perfect!

My friend L is typically crazy fast and she wanted to stay in the 10 - 10:30 range if possible.  It was clear that she was in pain, a lot of pain, but she is also very strong and was able to run without limping even with just a few quick stops to stretch.

I had planned to peel off around mile 11.5 or 12 - to make for an easier walk to my car, but she was beginning to struggle so I wanted to stay with her as long as I could. Her husband who is also super  fast was at the top of the hill at mile 12.5 cheering so I asked if he'd like to run in with her. He stepped in and I stepped out cheering my lungs out as she made her way to the finish line.

I was really proud of L and the courage she showed by sticking with it and staying strong. It was a great run and I was so happy I could help out.

Now I'm counting down the days till my half. I'm still sick so I'm trying to stay positive and just be happy with whatever the day brings.

** she had the ok from her dr and chiro to run as long as she took it easy, and 10:30-11 is practically walking for her so she followed their orders. ;)

Friday Five

1. With the crazy high pollen levels I've had chronic post nasal drip. Fun! Not. This has caused what feels like the beginning of a sinus infection. My throat hurts. My eyes are marshmallows. My ears hurt. No fever so maybe it's just all pollen. Maybe I'm dying. Who knows.

What I do know is this

2. I offered to run with a friend on Sunday. She's running the Frederick Half Marathon and she's injured so I offered to tag along and keep her company for about 6 or so miles. Of course her injured pace is darn near my race pace which makes me nervous because of #1.

3. I'm hoping the nose thing clears up because the Harpers Ferry Half is next week. I may have mentioned a thousand times that it's hilly so being able to breathe will be important. I've doubled up on my Vitamin D. I hope it helps.

4 and 5 since it's so long - I won a race entry to the North Face Endurance Challenge - DC in a giveaway hosted by Tonia at RacingWithBabes. The race is actually in northern VA and not too far from where I live. This is all very cool.

The distances that are still available are the marathon (never ran one before), the 50k (never ran one of these either) and the 50 miles (nope, have never run this far). Oh, and the race weekend is June 2-3. That's about a month from now.

You may be wondering why the heck I entered the giveaway if I can't cover the distance. Well, when I entered, the 5k, 10k and half marathon were all open and I was banking on running whichever of those was available.

The good thing is it looks like they'll let me run the half. I'm waiting to hear back from the 'special entries' person who is currently working at the Bear Mountain, NY race.

I wasn't even aware of this race series, but I am super excited for the opportunity. It looks really fun and exciting, and I can't wait!

Let the taper begin!

Last Long Run b4 Harpers Ferry Half by tracyrunning at Garmin Connect - Details

You may have surmised that our schedule is a little crazy so fitting in my long runs is a bit of a juggling act. This weekend was my last long run before my half on May 12, and I could fit it in at 5am Saturday - or - Saturday afternoon from 2ish to 5ish. I opted for the 2ish time slot hoping it would be warmer than 35 degrees, and it was!

I got some cool stuff for my birthday so I wanted to test drive some of it to see if it would work for my race.

Option A if it's still cool weather

Mid-day runs are always tough for me because I never know what my stomach will do. I made the
mistake of eating a ham and cheese wrap and some trail mix for lunch. My system prefers a gluten-free diet, but I can usually eat a little bit of gluten - especially soaked grains - and be ok. I must have crossed the threshold because my tummy was most unhappy.

This was my only window so it was now or never. Being the rungeek that I am, I decided to go for it and hope for the best.

The first 6 or so miles weren't too bad. I dodged groups of hikers walking 4 abreast ignoring my "passing!" calls, and cyclists riding 2 abreast blowing by me and forcing me off the trail.

I saw a pileated woodpecker.

Very cool.

I paused so I wouldn't get between a mama groundhog and her babies.

I didn't know if she'd turn Grizzly Bear and try to gnaw my ankles off

A handful of runners were out there running the CAT 100 - 2 50 mile loops on the tow path is an exercise in mental strength. Flat as a pancake and miles of trees that look the same. I tip my hat to those hardy souls!

I was also experimenting with a new Gu flavor - Jet Blackberry. Around mile 6.5/7, my stomach was killing me so I walked for a bit. I had to walk a couple of more times after that. I'm not sure if the Gu added to the problem so I'll try it on a couple of more runs before making the final call.

Option B if it's a scorcher

Thankfully my issues were only pain and not potty.

I wore both pictured shirts and didn't have any chafing which makes me happy. So in spite of my tummy, I consider the run a success finishing 10 miles in 1:42.

I'm getting nervous about my race and trying to keep things in perspective. A PR on killer course would be super cool, but it's not the end of the world if it doesn't happen. The most important thing is that I'm running. Happy! Pain free! Skipping through a meadow of daisies! Ok, that's a bit much, but you get the idea.

Wilderness Wednesday [on Thurs]

Yesterday was Wellness Wednesday at Shepherd so we headed over for some pool time after lunch. The boys were in a funk and Ella forgot her swim bottoms so we stayed for just a couple of hours before spending the rest of the day running errands. Not very exciting.

Today however, Shane woke up early [for him] and wanted to 'go climb the mountain.' It's the end of the schoolyear, and frankly we'd all rather be doing anything but school right now so being the diligent and responsible mom that I am, I said, "You got it, baby!" And off we went.

It became a science field trip because we had to stop and look at every bug and leaf as well as look for every bird we heard.  We made it to the top and found that someone was tent camping. Hardy souls, I tell you. There isn't much rock-free ground up there so I can't imagine they slept well...which might explain why they were still asleep at 8:30.

I felt bad because I know we were kinda loud. Shane kept meandering closer to the edge, which makes me nervous and crazy so I kept fussing at him to scoot back. We took some pictures, pointed out different friends' houses and headed back.

After that I figured since we were half way to Harpers Ferry, we might as well walk around down there so I could check out the elevation on a couple of hills for my half next month. Ella wanted to go home and do school - read - the princess had enough of the outdoors and wanted to be inside. I dropped off her and Jake, got the stroller and off we went for our next adventure.

Some of the hills I get to run in a couple of weeks. No biggie, eh?

We parked outside of old town and walked the .2 miles to the historic area. As we were walking a fleet of school busses went by. Thankfully where we were going was beyond old town so we didn't have to contend with the hoards of spring-crazed kids who have been cooped up all year.

Hank wants to run the 4 mile option of the half I'm doing, but he was definitely nervous about the hills. I don't think the shorter course covers the same hills, but we'll have to double check that.  I pushed my 50 pound 6 year old up and down each of those puppies.

We survived the roller coaster hills and headed home just in time for lunch and a nap. Wait, I didn't get a nap....next time, I suppose.

8 Flat Miles

FSRC 8 mile training run by tracyrunning at Garmin Connect - Details

On Sunday my local running club hosted an 8 mile training run for the Frederick Half Marathon. I worked it out so that I could run, hustle to a friend's house for a shower and make it to church with time to spare.

I knew only a handful of people, and they were all running faster than I planned to go so I just started out by myself. I could hear two speedy friends coming up behind me, and when they caught me I ran with them for a bit and then let them go on. 

Around mile 4 or 5, we got to a part where there were a handful of turns. I had kept my friends in sight enough to know where to turn, but I must have spaced at some point because I lost them. Dug the directions out of my pocket, figured out where I was in the myriad of turns and soldiered on.

I missed a turn somewhere but my path intersected with my friends again. Since I needed to get to my friend's house by a certain time so I wouldn't be late for church, I was determined not to get lost again.  That meant I had to run a little faster than I was planning to.

Surprisingly and happily, I was able to do it. I'm sure it's mainly because the course was almost as flat as a slice of cheese, but I'll take it.

Of course with just 9 weeks left before I run up Mt Everest the Harpers Ferry Half with its paltry 1000ft elevation climb this was probably my last flat run.  I'm going to have to stay out here in the country with my hills to do the rest of my training.

I'm hoping to make it to Harpers Ferry on Saturday mornings to run/walk the hillier parts of the course so my legs don't completely freak come race day. It's going to be fun...at least that's what I keep telling myself. :-D

Making Lemonade

Being a grown up sometimes means making choices I'd rather not make, sacrificing for someone else's benefit or just sucking it up and dealing. Making lemonade out of life's lemons.

My goal last year was the Frederick Half Marathon - it's local, flat and was relatively inexpensive. My IT band had other ideas so I was a spectator instead of a runner.

This year I again set the Frederick Half as one of my goals. Late last week Bill and I were talking about the races I'd like to do when it became clear that financially I need to make some adjustments to my plans.

Goodbye to the Frederick Half Marathon.
Hello to the Harpers Ferry Half a week later.

Goodbye to flat, fast and running with a dozen or so friends.
Hello to 1000 ft elevation gain, trails and running with none of my friends.

It stinks. I'm disappointed. I'm very tired of this 'season of life' we're in. We have specific financial goals that we're working towards and are making progess which is good. I'm just feeling impatient for the day we have a little more wiggle room in our budget.

I am renewing my running club membership. I was on the fence because I wasn't sure I'd reap any benefit from it, but I've made some connections on a couple of the group runs I've been on and realize that I miss the sense of community a club offers.

I'm also beginning to see the Harpers Ferry race as a challenge to met and conquered. Their website warns  that you shouldn't expect a PR
BUT
I'm 10-12 pounds lighter, stronger and running with better form.
SO
I've decided that yes, I'd like a PR please.

My half PR is 2:27:29, Freedoms Run, in Oct 2010. I have until May 12th to train, and it's time to get busy.