Race Review: Medina Half Marathon

And there you go. Thanks for reading--see you next week!

Ok, I know that wasn’t enough. You probably remember my recap of the Rite Aid Cleveland Half Marathon two weeks ago. In a nutshell, I ran like a. . .well, a nut. I didn’t take the humidity into consideration, I didn’t have goals, yadda yadda yadda. As a result, I crashed and burned after the first 10k. I was determined to rectify these errors for the Medina Half Marathon, especially since the weather was worse than it was in Cleveland. 88% humidity and high temps, anyone? No takers?

Knowing that my biggest problems are the Voices in my head (sorry, Voices, you know I still love you), I came up with some strategies to run safely in this race.

1. DO NOT even think about a PR. Just don’t.

2. Set goals. My secret goal was 2:05. The goal I told everyone was 2:10 or less. The time I would take without complaining too much was 2:11, as long as it wasn’t because I was a zombie at the end.

3. Take all water stops. One cup down the throat and one over the head.

4. HOLD BACK. I was determined to keep my pace consistently between 9:30 and 9:45.

5. Enjoy the moment. Touch the power station signs. High-five little kids. Thank the volunteers. Wave to friends in the crowd.

The Medina Half is a special race for me because I teach at Medina High School. I love to look at the crowds and see students, former students, and colleagues cheering on the runners. This year was even more special because two of my friends chose Medina for their first half marathon. You always remember your first!

Want to see some great race pics? Want to hear about the race? Click here to read the full post.

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