Raced in the North Face Bear Mountain Half Marathon today, what a treat.

After getting up while the crescent moon was still shining brightly, I headed to meet with a few other PPTCers to take the short drive up to the park. It brought back memories from the first half I did here 2 years ago with N & B, but that was a whole other ballgame as the course had dramatically gotten easier since the first annual. As my memories started returning, I knew that I needed to start slow & enjoy the course or I would get eaten alive by the hills & footing along the course.

With winds shivering us to the bone as we waiting for the half to start, H & I stayed calm & let the beautiful scenery around us dictate the day. As the race got started, you could feel the excitement enter the woods as we started our first series of uphills.

The course, in my mind, was broken up into three sections. Section one consisted of a steady few miles uphill. Section two, which must be considered the hardest, was extremely rocky/rooty terrain with two majorly challenging uphill climbs (almost not even runnable). Section three was rolling hills & the same trails in section one, just in reverse.

I was reminded, as I was pushing through the pain of falling twice & almost twisting my ankle, why I love to run. The course brought back memories of me running in my hometown growing up, where all I did was let loose until I tired. Just running to make it to the next tree or over the next hill. My mind was clear, my expectations didn't matter.

I finished in 2:24, which is more than an hour faster than I finished the first half course here. I felt strong all through the race, chatting it up & pushing strong where I could.

Distance: 13.1 miles
State of Mind: Grateful to be able to enjoy something as grueling as this.