Team Chocolate Milk has been good to me and I'm so lucky I was also able to get my friends on the team as now whenever there is a race that is reachable by car we all make the journey to it. Y'all know I love me some chocolate milk as a recovery drink and also as a tasty treat but more on that later.
GoPRO Video: You can read my race report or watch my videos of the race. Enjoy
Part I
Race day
Woke up at 4 am and got ourselves ready to head over to the race. The Dallas RnR marathon like most RnR races is a point to point race so we had to park at the finish line and shuttle ourselves to the start line. We were rushed because we all had to meet our fellow Got Chocolate Milk Teammates at the start line for a photo before hand. But we made it just in time.
After the Team Chocolate milk photo we got together with all the locals and Golden Triangle Strutters running the race and took a team pic with all of us! Again it's so great to be running these races with friends!
So we get our countdown and we are off to start our 13.1 mile journey through Dallas, Texas. The only problem was my watch never found signal so I had no idea my pace. I've run a few races without a watch and I was running with my GoPro so I would be taking it easy to record my experience. The problem with the GoPro was that the record button was acting finicky. I had to stop multiple times to take out the battery to stop recording and then try just about anything to get it to start recording. Like blowing on it (nintendo cartridge style), pressing the button a million times until it recorded, and lastly pure luck. To say I was fed up with electronics that day would be an understatement. The first 4 miles did go by well and I felt strong running through downtown.
Miles 5 - 9
Although my watch isn't working I can see my pace as I pass each mile marker and I'm seeing that I'm running in the low 9's which is pretty good for me. Especially considering I'm stopping multiple times to record the funny signs and try to get my GoPro to work. We make our way through some really nice neighborhoods and the route is hilly but its really not too bad especially with all the cheering from the crowds. I also notice the wind which was suppose to be horrible that day really wasn't anything more than a light breeze. Perfect running temps in my opinion.
Miles 10 - 11
Still feeling great as I'm still doing the stop and go method of running to take pics and mess with the GoPro. At about mile 11 I catch up to my friend Tara and then to a 12 y/o kid named Julius. They are both struggling a little bit so I go into pacer mode to try to help them get to the finish line. Julius actually tells me that he's seen my past GoPro videos online so that was a pretty neat for me, knowing that people actually watch my running videos!! I told him that if he ran ahead of us, he could finish under 2 hours. He then sprints ahead and then tires out. When Tara and I catch up to him again, I tell him to stay with us.
Miles 12 - 13.1
Feeling it a little bit more as now I'm pacing my peeps to the finish line. We enter the fair grounds and I tell them that we have less than 9 minutes of running left. Right before the finish line the Dallas Cowboy Cheerleaders are there cheering. I wanted to get them in the video so I tell Tara to finish ahead of me so I can stop to record the cheerleaders. She finishes strong and after I get the cheerleaders on my GoPro I cross the finish line in 2:03:30!
Woah I almost broke 2 hours! Thats with me stopping 10 or more times during the race and doing a lot more interviews than I usually do. This was my best half marathon this year by about 10 minutes! I definitely found my running mojo during that race and especially after my last marathon.
So whats with the Team REFUEL gear in all my pics? Well I'm a Team Chocolate Milk member and I truly love the stuff not only for my recovery but also as my every day beverage of choice when I'm looking for a tasty drink. The benefits of it for your after is for hydration, it gets that perfect carb/protein ratio back in ya to rebuild your muscles, replenish your nutrients and electrolytes, and it taste great. Team Chocolate Milk is the perfect team for me because I believe in its benefits and with my experience I've recovered much better after drinking low-fat chocolate milk right after my workouts. Join me on the team and apply here: http://gotchocolatemilk.com/team-chocolate-milk/apply
Thanks for reading my race report.
Did you run the RnR Dallas Half marathon? How'ed you do? Write me a comment below telling me about your race.
Your reports are always so good, glad to get to see you once again this weekend! Nice race!
ReplyDeleteThanks Clay!! Could seeing ya too!!
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