The Franklin Half Marathon…A Great Race

“Earned, Not Given”

Have you ever had one of those days that just seems to start out wrong? First I woke up later than I wanted to for the race. I like to give myself extra time to get dressed and be sure I have my things together. Then I realized I set out the wrong socks. I thought they were the Feetures I like to wear in the summer then I realized they were the wool ones!! (No way did I need those!) It’s hard to look through a sock drawer in the dark. (I was trying to be courteous to a sleeping husband.) Then I went outside to meet my two friends that were riding with me. On the way I realized I had NO gas! Then to make it worse I realized I left my purse at home! So I had no money, no license, and the medicine I wanted for the stomach cramps I was having was conveniently located in my purse as well! Thankfully Dawn loaned me ten bucks and we got enough gas to get there and back.

We made it there in time and there was no traffic jam getting into the race like last year. There were a little under 700 runners. This year the course was reversed. It was the same route we just ran it backwards. So last year it was ridiculously hot and sunny. This year it was overcast which was great! However either the reversed course was much hillier or I was so drained from the sun last year that I forgot about running the hills. This year…those hills kicked my butt. There was a hill for the last portion of mile 5 that made me want to cry and stomp my feet like a toddler when I saw it. It was like looking up a mountain and wondering how you were going to get there. (Surely that can’t be where we are going I thought…..but yep it was!) Obviously that slowed me down but I recovered after a few minutes!

I never expected this to be close to one of my best half marathon times. My best is a 1:32 and I ran this one 9 minutes slower than that. I was not thrilled with my time but coming off Boston I hadn’t really put a lot of training in yet. I still won first in my age group and was the 8th female to finish out of almost 350 so I was okay with that! It lets me know that it may not be a personal best half for a lot of people. I scored a water bottle, a bag, sunglasses, a free pizza, and a winner’s certificate so that was a plus.

One very cool thing that I had not ever seen in a race was the use of water bags at the water stations. The company that makes these is Water-Bag Corporation, based out of Tennessee. They make small water sachets for races. It is a little portable, plastic pouch full of cold water that you just bite open when you’re ready for a drink. It is also very cool that the company is local.

Now let’s talk post race snacks. I am going to give this race a big thumbs up for that! They had the most amazing peaches! They also had bagels, cookies, snack bars, Snickers (the real deal Snickers not the healthier ones!), Gatorade, Hershey’s chocolate milk, and VERY cold water bottles which was fabulous. We all were so sweaty we looked like we had jumped in a pool. Even though it was overcast, it was very humid.

They even had a cute photo area with props where you could get some fun pictures taken with your friends! We had to get one before we left of course!! Overall the race was very well run and I will definitely be doing it again. (Probably will do a little more hill training before though!)

I was a little concerned because my Body Glide was also in my purse that I left at home. With humid weather and heavy sweating you are putting yourself at risk for some bad chaffing! I am happy to say that my Nike Tempos and my Nike tank saved me! I had not one single spot of chaffing even with no Body Glide! I was very glad I chose my Saucony Triumphs but I can definitely tell it is time to get new ones. I have had them for 3 months now and with the high mileage I put in, 3 months is about my limit. I am looking forward to checking out the new Saucony Ride 7. They just hit the store last week.

On the certificate I received for winning first in my age group there is a quote at the bottom that says, “Earned, Not Given”. I love that. I think it is a reminder that hard work pays off. That is something my parents instilled in me and it applies to everything in life. It is also something we try to teach our kids. Whether it is in sports, academics, building relationships, or anything else for that matter….it is a great thing to remember.

All in all, I would say the Franklin Half Marathon is a great race. It is challenging yet a beautiful scenic course that is very well run. I will look forward to the next one!