Race Recap: 2014 Rock and Roll Half Marathon

There is really one word that sums up the Rock and Roll race this year: WEATHER! The whole time we were running, my buddy Lindsey and I could not stop raving about how beautiful it was out and how lucky all the tourists running the race were able to see Mt. Rainier while running down Rainier Ave, a peek of the Cascade mountains while running down to Lake Washington Boulevard, the Olympic mountains, the Puget Sound and of course the entire Seattle skyline!  I don't think the temperatures reached above 60 while we were running so it was just perfectly cool and sunny the entire race. Spectators were out in masses, the bands were really pretty great, and Lindsey and I enjoyed a nice little 2 hour and 15 minute conversation with each other!

Thanks Nuun and Ragnar for all your support!!

There were no goals for this race other than to take it slow and treat it like a Ragnar training run.  Could I have run faster and harder? Absolutely! But did I want to be sore and tired for days after preventing me from running again? Not right now...Ragnar is less than 4 weeks away and these legs have to run 35+ miles in about 24 hours <---that is terrifying to me right now BTW.  Honestly, in the past couple of years running has really just been about having fun with friends for me.  I do think about trying to set a new marathon PR someday but for now I'm happy running for fun and at a nice comfortable pace (10:00 miles thank you!).

Oh and guess what? Lindsey didn't ditch me this year ;)!

I don't really think it's necessary to do a mile by mile recap or anything because all I would tell you was Lindsey and I ran a pretty consistent 10:00 pace the entire time and just chatted the race away.  I felt pretty strong most of the way…my hips started feeling achy and tired around mile 10 but nothing I couldn't push through! Instead I'll let you enjoy my race in picture form.  Oh, and I'm not apologizing for stealing the photos from the web this time around…I'm sick of them being so ridiculously expensive that even if it was the best running picture ever I couldn't afford it! ENJOY!

Pre-race with Lindsey and her mother in law, Leslee.  Leslee is one cool MIL and runs half marathons for breakfast pretty much everyday…and is always stylish while doing it!

Somewhere in the first few miles I think!

Proof that we were just chatting away the whole time (somewhere around miles 6-9)

See, having too much fun! (mile 7-ish)

Selfie with the Great Wheel (mile 11)

Ok, now we are looking tired (mile 12-ish)

We did it! And we ran into Andrea at the finish! I actually spotted her Oiselle butt around mile 8 on the course and gave it a nice slap before continuing on.  

Post race was spent soaking in the sun and watching Leslee finish.  After I met up with Andrea, Stacie, and Zoe for some pre-race breakfast and chatting at Buckley's….followed shortly after by a shower and looonnnngggg nap!! 

So happy I was able to run this race after all, I really do love it and it's probably worth the ridiculous entry fee even though I'll still complain about it ;). 

Check out my past Rock and Roll recaps on my Race Recaps page.