I registered for this race in February the day it opened. Don’t even remember how I found it, but decided we “needed” a trip to California so I could run! It didn’t take much to convince John.
This was a costume race, my first. I was a little hesitant to wear a costume but finally decided about a month prior that I would give it a try. The most annoying part were the gloves, only because I got warm!
Here I am headed to the finish line!
I had already trained for one half marathon so I just built on what I had already. I was running twice a week for 5 miles and just increased my weekend miles every week. I’m hoping they just get easier to train for with each one.
The day we arrived we drove the route, it was from Geyserville to Healdsburg. The route went past many vineyards and wineries, up and down and around. The elevation wasn’t too bad at first, those hills were small. The last 2 miles, if I recall correctly, were the hardest. I think one of the hills was almost a mile long, it sure seemed like it!
I paid attention to my pace, I didn’t try to outrun the people around me. I knew I needed to keep it in 9-10 minute mile in order to finish in my goal time and not get injured. I ended up with a 9:38 per mile pace, official time 2:06:20. My goal was 2:10. I’m definitely pleased with that. Of course, now all I can think is 30 seconds faster per mile and I’ll get under 2 hours!
I stopped only once during the race, at mile 8, to stretch and eat some energy beans.
My training for this race was easier than the first. I trained at close to a 10 minute mile, took short breaks on my long runs and ran with a group.
The after party was fun. My entry included a wine glass, I added one for John. They had a lot of wineries offering tastings. One brewery was there and several food options. Unfortunately, none of the wine tasted good to me after running. I did have a very good pizza!
Here’s the website http://www.runhealdsburg.com/
I’d definitely do this race again!
Disclosure of Material Connection: I have not received any compensation for writing this post. I have no material connection to the brands, products, or services that I have mentioned. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission’s 16 CFR, Part 255: “Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising.”
