OC Half Marathon

So today I completed the OC Half Marathon. We went down to Newport Beach yesterday afternoon and headed straight to the Expo to pick up my bib and packet for the race. It was so much nicer this time. When we went to the Surf City Marathon Expo, it was pouring!!! Not very enjoyable... but, this time the sun was shining, the kids were happy, and Javier and I had no time restraints. It was great!

Since this was my first Half Marathon alone, Javier suggested that I get headphones for my iphone so that I can listen to music during my run. He also programmed my phone for the RunKeeperPro app so that I can set my settings so that my pace, distance, and time will be recorded and update me every 4 minutes while playing my ipod playlist! What a great hubby!

We spent yesterday afternoon enjoying Newport Beach with the kids! We played at the beach, layed out in the sun, and had a picnic. It was a great afternoon. After we were tired from the sun we headed to the hotel to check in shower, and then headed to Chilis for dinner. Javier got his comp card from work and so it is a nice treat to be able to visit other Chilis and see how they do things while enjoying yummy food. :)

This morning we headed out early to get me to the start line. I did not feel that it was necessary to get to the shuttle at 4:45 a.m. when the race didn't start until 6:30, so we packed up the kids in their pjs and headed out. I made it just in time to get to the start line!

I was really nervous about running the race on my own since the first one was so much fun with Carrie, Andy, Javier, Greg, and Tiffany. I really enjoyed this run. The iphone app that Javier set up for me was AWESOME! It kept me motivated and on track to keep moving. The scenery was BEAUTIFUL! We ran by the beach, by spectacular houses, supportive residents, and I had time to really take in the fresh air and the beauty of the location. How lucky am I to have this opportunity?!

To top it all off, I finished the half marathon in 2:41:20! Almost an hour off of my Surf City time!!! It was such a great feeling. The best feeling, however was when I got to the finish line my hubby and kiddos were there cheering me on! Granted once they saw my after run snacks, they grabbed them and started eating them, it was still so nice to have thier support! I love my family. :)