2012RUN12



In 2012 I am running 12 half marathons, one a month in twelve different states to help raise awareness and money for NF(neurofibromatosis). Please click on the NF Midwest logo to the right to learn why am I doing this or to consider supporting the efforts to find a treatment and the cure for NF.  

Thanks to Train with Meghan, Running for Kicks and New Day Spa Salon for their support!

2012 Half Marathon Schedule

The Texas Half Marathon
January 28 - Dallas TX
Lost Dutchman Half Marathon
February 19 - Apache Junction AZ
Adventuremax Trail Half Marathon
March 3 - Innsbrook MO
Carmel Half Marathon
April 12 - Carmel IN
First Midwest Bank Southwest Half Marathon
May 6 - Palos Heights IL
Minneapolis Half Marathon
June 3 - Minneapolis MN
Douglas Island Half Marathon
July 28 - Juneau, AK
Tacoma Narrows Half Marathon
August 4 - Tacoma WA
Boston Half Marathon
September 16 - Boston MA
Halloween Half Marathon
October 27 - Clayton OH
Space Coast Half Marathon
November 25 - Cocoa FL
Rock Canyon Half Marathon
December 1 - Pueblo CO



  • December, Rock Canyon Half Marathon, Pueblo, CO


    The last half marathon of my Run 12 Half Marathons in 2012 brought us to Pueblo Colorado for the Rock Canyon Half Marathon. Here I was thinking that Colorado in December should be cool so this would be a opportunity for another PR. WRONG!! When I signed up for this half, there were four important facts that I was unaware of, one, this was considered a trail half marathon, two the elevation was 4700ft(Oak lawn is 600ft), three Pueblo is considered a "high desert" area, and four there was a hill(64ft elevation increase) at the 12.5 mile mark.



    The course started in Pueblo City Park, ran along the Arkansas River on on dirt roads and dirt trails with some short distances on concrete and asphalt, with a turn around at the base of the Pueblo Dam. A very scenic and enjoyable trail.

    The day before the race we went to Pikes Peak elevation 14,115 ft. I was thinking that doing some site seeing at the higher elevation might prepare me for running the half marathon at an elevation that is 4000ft higher that what I am accustomed to. Besides that, Pikes Peak was an incredible experience! And no, we did not hike or drive to the peak, we took the train. At the Summit of Pikes Peak it was 23degrees with 89mph winds! Between the elevation, the cold and the high winds, it definitely and literally takes your breath away!

    At race time it was 60 degrees, warmer than I anticipated but still a comfortable temp. The race started in Pueblo City Park, two laps around the park and then off to the trails to Pueblo Dam and back. Knowing that the elevation would have an impact, I just ran what I thought and felt was my typical half marathon pace between 7:30 and 8:00. But when I checked my Garmin my pace for the first few miles were more in the range of 7:50 to 8:30. I decided to not push it knowing that I had that hill at the 12.5 mile mark. So I just settled into a good race pace and enjoyed the great views.

    I finished in 1:50:25 with an average pace of 8:27. For me a respectable time and a great half marathon to cap off running 12 half marathons in 2012, and raising over $3000 for a great cause Neurofibromatoses!

    Detailed Results

  • Time:  1:50:25
    Average Pace: 8:27
    Overall Place: 153 out of 628
    Gender Place: 150 out of 315 Males
    Age Group Place: 15 out of 39





  • November, Space Coast Half Marathon, Cocoa, FL



    For the month of November we traveled to Cocoa, Florida for the Space Coast Half Marathon. We flew into Orlando and drove to Cocoa Beach along the coast by Cape Canaveral.




    We checked into our hotel Friday night. I woke up early Saturday morning to go for a run along the beach. I don't normally run the day before a half marathon but I couldn't pass up the opportunity to run on the beach! 6:30AM, 54 degrees, a beautiful sunrise and sounds of the waves hitting the shore made for an exhilarating four mile run.






    This was the 41st Anniversary of the Space Coast Marathon. The course starts in Cocoa Village and runs along the Indian River in Cocoa and Rockridge Florida. It was a beautiful waterfront Out and back course with numerous“space” themed aid stations along the partially shaded mostly flat course.






    They offer a Saturday night pre-race space dining experience at the Kennedy Space Center Visitor Complex Apollo and the Saturn V Center. After picking up our race packet at the VISITOR Complex we took a shuttle bus the the Apollo and Saturn V Center where we enjoyed a pasta buffet dinner seated under a 363-foot-long Saturn V moon rocket, the most powerful rocket ever built, and one of only three in existence. The keynote speaker was Bart Yasso, the Chief Running Officer at Runner’s World magazine and author of the Book, My Life on the Run.


    After dinner we had to hurry back to our hotel to get plenty of rest, because we had to wake up a 4:30AM Eastern time in order to catch a shuttle from the hotel to the race start at 6:15AM. With the hour time distance from Chicago, this made for a very early and cool Florida morning!

    We got the the race start at about 5:30AM, dark and in the mid 40s. The race start was on a small narrow street about a block from the Riverfront Park where the race finishes. Even with the excitement and the the adrenalin flowing before the start of the race, I was cold. Once the countdown started the race started I was fine, perfect temps for a race.


    The first mile or so was in the dark but then the first signs of sunrise appeared, what a great running experience along the coast!





    Five of the first 6 miles were in the 7:30s with only mile two at 7:42, at this point I felt that a PR was a good possibility. Mile 7 was my fastest mile at 7:26. From mile 8 to the finish I was able maintain 7:30s and finished in 1:40:05 with an average pace of 7:39! A new PR!


    In addition to a long sleeve dry fit shirt, finishers also received a cool medal that  was in the shape of the space shuttle and a Space Coast Half Marathon beach towel!











    This was my 11th half marathon this year and my fifth PR, so I was feeling really good, but still only finished 13/108 for my age group. But that is the great thing about running, no matter where you place, overall, or in your age group, you are competing against yourself. For the average runner there will be people that finish ahead of you, and people that finish behind you, the real satisfaction and joy is in beating your previous personal best.Of course as a reward for my PR we just had to go to that special place.


    Detailed Results

  • Time:  1:40:05
    Average Pace: 7:36
    Overall Place: 106 out of 1995
    Gender Place: 86 out of 776 Males
    Age Group Place: 13 out of 108



  • October, Halloween Half Marathon, Clayton, OH


    The tenth Half Half Marathon of twelve in my 2012RUN12 campaign brought us to Clayton Ohio. A nice 4 1/2 hour drive to Ohio with the bonus of Jack in the Box in Indianapolis on the way there and the way back! The Halloween Half Marathon was on Saturday morning so we left Friday morning first stopping at Starbucks for our breakfast latte and then stopping at Jack in the Box for lunch.



    It rained pretty much all day Friday and they were calling for 30% chance of rain Saturday morning.










  • After arriving in Clayton we checked into our hotel and then proceeded to Miami Valley Career Technology Center(MVCTC) for packet pickup where we met Sheri, the Race Director.





    Next we went to Tony's Italian Kitchen for a pre-race pasta dinner based on a recommendation from a clerk from the hotel front desk. It turned out to be a great little restaurant with excellent food.



    The Halloween Half marathon was an out and back race that started and finished in the MVCTC parking lot. There were 113 half marathon runners that completed the race.


    It was a cool 41 degrees and a little misty at the start of the race. I started out way too fast(7:10 pace for first 3/4 mile) and then over compensated and slowed down too much. By mile six I settled in at my goal pace of 7:40s. As much as I always want a new PR I was trying not too push it too much because I was just finished recovery from the Chicago Marathon in early October.

    As it turned out I finished 16th overall with a time of 1:43:38. I was hoping to place in my age group so we stuck around for the awards ceremony. After all of the results for the men's half marathon were announced we decided to head out thinking that I did not place in my age group. The funny thing is that when we checked the final results online after arriving home we found out that I did finish 1st in my age group as well as first for 50 and over. They have special awards for best time Master(40-50) and best time Grand Master(50 and above) that they hand out as the last awards after men and women.






    So as it turns out if I stayed around I would have received the Grand Master Trophy! Fortunately we contacted Sheri the Race Director and she will be sending me the trophy.







    A fun road trip half marathon!


    Detailed Results

    Time:  1:43:38
    Average Pace: 7:55
    Overall Place: 16 out of 113
    Gender Place: 14 out of 52 Males
    Age Group Place: 1 out of 8 Males



  • September, Boston Half Marathon, Boston, MA





    We flew to Boston Massachusetts for the ninth Half Marathon of twelve in my 2012RUN12 campaign.







    The Allstate Boston Half marathon was an out and back race that started and finished in the Suffolk Downs, thoroughbred race track in East Boston. The course takes runners up and down the coast along Revere Beach Blvd where there were several bands, a DJ and bagpipes along the way. There were about 1200 runners that completed the race.




    The Starting line featured the thoroughbred starting gate and the "Call to the post" trumphet to kick off the race after the National Anthem. It was a pefect morning for running, sunny and 58 degrees.


  • After nursing my aggravated lower abdoman injury for several weeks and going weekly physical thearapy sessions I was unsure of how well I would do this half marathon. I maintained a consisent pace between 7:28 and 7:58 throughout the race finishing the last mile with a 7:28 pace. My final time was 1:41:39 missing a PR by 48 seconds but finishing with by second best half marathon time! Another great trip and half marathon!


    Detailed Results

    Time:  1:41:39
    Average Pace: 7:45
    Overall Place: 139 out of 1202
    Gender Place: 105 out of 474 Males
    Age Group Place: 10 out of 35 Males



  • August, Tacoma Narrows Half Marathon, Tacoma, WA


    For the month of August we did back to back weekends for half marathons in Juneau Alaska the last weekend in July followed by a half marathon in Tacoma Washington.

    The Tacoma Half Marathon is a point to point course starts at the Tacoma Narrows Airport, crosses over the majestic Tacoma Narrows Bridge, runs on the warning track at Cheney Stadium (where you see yourself on the jumbo tron), and finishes in beautiful downtown Tacoma. There were 712 half marathon runners.



    Since this was a point to point race, it was logistically difficult for my wife to be there for both the start and finish of the race. So we drove to downtown Tacoma, parked, and I took the shuttle bus to the Tacoma Narrows Airport for the start of the race while my wife patiently waited for me to finish.


    For the Tacoma/Seattle area the weather was unseasonal by warm and part of a stretch of several sunny days which we heard from the locals was not very common. Race day was 82° and sunny. The course did include several hills and was quite challenging.

    Crossing the 1 1/2 mile Tacoma Narrows Bridge was exile rating and running through Cheney Stadium and seeing yourself on the jumbo tron was a cool experience.

    We finished in the beautiful downtown Tacoma where they announced your name as you crossed the finish line! No PR but decent time of 1:44:06 with a pace just under 8:00.





    It was a fun race and a great experience!


    Detailed Results

    Time:  1:44:04
    Average Pace: 8:01
    Overall Place: 88 out of 712
    Gender Place: 70 out of 319 Males
    Age Group Place: 12 out of 75 Males



  • July, The Douglas Island Half Marathon, Juneau, AK

    For the month of July we traveled 2300 miles to Juneau Alaska for the Douglas Island Half Marathon. We flew from Chicago to Seattle/Tacoma and then took a connecting flight to Juneau. The view from the plane as we flew into Juneau was spectacular. The lush green mountains and waterways are a testament as to why Juneau is known as a rain forest.


    After checking into our hotel and doing some sightseeing we went to pick up the race packet where we met Brian the race director. Surprisingly this was the cheapest half marathon of the twelve half marathons that I am running this year, and actually, the cheapest for any race(any distance) that I have run but it was the most expensive one to travel to.

    The population of Juneau is 33,000 which is small considering it is the capital of Alaska, compared to the population of Oak Lawn which is 56,000. We found all of the people from Juneau to be very friendly and proud of their city.





    The half marathon takes place on Douglas Island which is a large island across from downtown Juneau. Both the Half marathon and marathon courses are an out and back course that starts and finishes in Robert Savikko Park.



    Both the full and half marathons run along North Douglas Highway with views of Gastineau Channel that separate Douglas Island and Juneau. Unfortunately for the half mart hon runners only the full marathons runners got a glimpse of the Mendenhall Glacier. The course was relatively flat with just a few minor hills. There was about 170 half marathon runners.




    This was not a chipped race but they do a great job timing the race. The time on my Garmin was within
    one second of the official time so they obviously have got the timing system down!







    On race day the temperature was a perfect 58°and the skies were overcast, great running conditions! The race started off without any issues with a decent pace of 7:53 which was my slowest and I finished the last mile with my fastest pace of 7:21. For me a perfect race, a relatively consistent pace with my faster miles towards the end, which resulted in a new PR 1:40:51! I finished twelfth overall all, fourth in my age group!
    The post race celebration included a fresh barbecued salmon and burgers(why anyone would want a burger is beyond me) and a full assortment of side dishes. This is addition to the water, chocolate milk and traditional post race food and drink. During our stay in Juneau we had salmon numerous times, but the salmon served during the post-race celebration was the best salmon we have ever had, incredible!

    Setting a new PR, and enjoying the tremendous sites of Juneau made this the best trip this year!

    Detailed Results

    Time:  1:40:51
    Average Pace: 7:42
    Overall Place: 12 out of 175
    Age Group Place: 4 out of 12 Males



  • June, The Minneapolis Half Marathon, Minnesota


    Half Marathon number six of twelve in my 2012RUN12 campaign was in Minneapolis Minnesota. We arrived in town on Saturday June 2nd the day before the Half.








    Best hotel yet, we could see the Start Line from our room! We were staying at the Marriot Depot Renaissance Minneapolis Hotel. This was the historic Milwaukee Road Depot which has the architecture of the 19th century train depot. It was a déjà vu moment for me, in 1982 my first programming job was with the Milwaukee Road. All of the pictures and all of the Milwaukee Road memorabilia brought back fond memories of working for the railroad.




    The Packet pick up and the pre-race pasta buffet was also at the hotel, a real convenience!






    The Minneapolis Half Marathon course takes you through downtown Minneapolis along the Mississippi River, through tree-lined parkways and back. The race finishes along the Mississippi River at the Bohemian Flats Park. The event consisted of a full marathon, a marathon team relay event and the half marathon. There were 889 marathon runners and 2778 half marathon runners.


    Half marathon Race start time was 7:30. Temperature was about 70 degrees and was some what humid. Annamarie was at mile 5 to give me a full water bottle, which worked out great, I didn't have to stop at any water stations during the race.

    I started out a little too fast with a 7:07 first mile and then settled into my goal 7:50s pace for the six miles. Mile 8 was really tough, coming off of the mile 7 hill, and it really hit me. Mile 8 was 8:23 my slowest split for the half. At mile 9, I recovered somewhat and completed the remaining 4 miles with an average pace of 8:04. Finished at 1:44:56, a tough half, not a PR but still a respectable finish.

    Best things about the Minneapolis Half Marathon: Your name on the bib, Very cool Finisher's Medal, Great Post Race Party with free BEER and live music, Flyers for each State represented and a beautiful scenic course!








    Detailed Results

    Time:  1:44:56
    Average Pace: 8:01
    Overall Place: 274 out of 2778
    Gender Place: 190 out of 1004 Males
    Age Group Place: 12 out of 75 Males



  • May, First Midwest Bank Southwest Half Marathon, Illinois

    First Midwest Bank Southwest Half Marathon
    Half Marathon number 5 of 12 of my 2012Run12 campaign was in my home state of Illinois, in Palos Heights.
    This was the fifth annual First Midwest Bank Southwest Half Marathon. This race received the “Runners Choice” Circuit Race and “Race of the Year” honors from the Chicago Area Runners Association in 2011 and a 2010 Governor’s Hometown Award. It was a field of almost 2000 runners.

    The 13.1 mile out and back course was flat, and fast, taking runners down Route 83 through Palos Heights, Palos Park and the Cook County Forest Preserves. Temperatures were in the low 60s and overcast at the start of the race.

    First Midwest Bank Southwest Half Marathon
    A portion of the assembly line.
    For this event we got a glimpse of what it takes to put together a first class race event. We volunteered to help stuff the goody bogs for the event. The volunteers included all of the adults and high school students that would be manning the water stations and the Start/Finish lines. It is amazing to participate in the teamwork that it takes to stuff over 2000 goody bags. It was a real treat for the high school students that learned that they had to be on site at 5:30AM to be prepared for the 7:30AM race start.

    First Midwest Bank Southwest Half Marathon
    Andy and I ready to rumble!
    Andy, my daughter Dawn and I(I abandoned my wife, and left her alone to spend her Sunday morning with a Religious Education class of 20 seventh grade students, geez, she must love me!) arrived about 6:30, earlier enough to get a decent parking spot, check out the Start/Finish lines and make the obligatory stop at the porta-potties. After a few races runners develop their own pre-race routine, including a check list of what to bring, a pre-race breakfast, as well as planned visits to the porta-potties. Yes, I mentioned porta-potties several times, the last thing you want during a race is an unplanned need to make a pit stop.

    First Midwest Bank Southwest Half Marathon
    Rare pic of me running with a smile,
    obviously early in the race!
    The race started promptly at 7:30AM after the national anthem. My first 10 miles were very consistent with a pace of 7:31 to 7:49.  I felt good and thought that I had a good chance of getting a PR considering that my last PR of 1:42:34 with an average pace of 7:50. But once we made the turn-around at the half way point, the sun was starting to break through and it was getting warmer. I slowed down a bit to 7:52 on mile 11 as we approached the Route 45 La Grange road overpass which is a slight incline(some call it a hill) which took it's toll on me on miles 12 and 13 which were at a pace of 7:54.

    First Midwest Bank Southwest Half Marathon
    I finished at 1:43:04 with a pace of  7:53. Bottom line is that I missed a PR by 30 seconds, which is a lot over 13.1 miles and over 1 hour and forty plus minutes of running, but more proof that every second counts, and it leads to thoughts of: if I would have just ....... Good news is that I have at least 7 half marathons this year to try it again! Maybe, just maybe I will break the 1:40 mark this year . That plus a great cause like Running for NF is what drives us runners! Stay motivated, be grateful that you can run. Don't Just RUN, run for a Reason!

    Pictures of Maria and Andy, two of my great running friends from our Saturday morning running group! Prior to running with our Saturday morning group over 2 years ago, I never thought that I would be able to run a half marathon or a full marathon. Great friends help you do great things!

    First Midwest Bank Southwest Half Marathon
    Andy at the Finish line!
    First Midwest Bank Southwest Half Marathon
    Maria at the Finish Line!
    First Midwest Bank Southwest Half Marathon
    The Thrill of Victory!


    First Midwest Bank Southwest Half Marathon
    Runner's Bling!

    Detailed Results

    Time:  1:43:04
    Average Pace: 7:53
    Overall Place: 207 out of 1638
    Gender Place: 167 out of 745 Males
    Age Group Place: 16 out of 79



  • April, Carmel Half Marathon, Carmel, Indiana

    My 4th Half Marathon of my 2012Run12 campaign took us to Carmel Indiana for the 2nd Annual Carmel Half Marathon on April 21st.

    The Carmel Half Marathon was a fairly flat course with a few minor inclines, through Hamilton County Indiana, Carmel Clay Parks trails, and surrounding neighborhoods. For a runner, the weather conditions were perfect, 43 and overcast.





    We drove down from Chicago on Friday, did some sightseeing and headed to the Expo. Everything was well organized and the packet pick was quick and easy. We took advantage of the pasta buffet at the Renaissance North Hotel in Carmel and hit the sack early. There is an hour time difference between Chicago and Carmel so our 5:00AM alarm was equivalent to 4:00AM Chicago time. After having my usual banana and bagel pre-race breakfast, I was ready to go.

    The race started at 7:30 so we wanted to get there by at least 6:30 to insure a relatively close parking spot. When we arrived at the gravel parking lot at 6:15 it was still dark and there were only 2 or 3 other cars in the lot. After waiting in the warm car for about 30 minutes we ventured towards the Start/Finish line to check everything out. The Carmel Half Marathon personnel did a great job setting everything up, the Start and Finish line, the starting corrals with Pace signs for runners, and finisher corrals with medals and post race food and pictures.

    The race started off with the usual pre-race announcements, presentation of the colors and the Star Spangled Banner which always gets the Adrenaline going.


    I started off at a good pace of 7.33, 7:43 and 7:32 for the first three miles and felt strong, slowed down a slight bit for the next four miles in the 7:50s and hit 7:36 and 7:39 for miles 8 and 9. At that point I thinking that I had a good chance of getting a PR with 4 miles to go if I could just be consistent and think positive, because at that point there was nothing physically that was holding me back. My pace for the last 4 miles only varied by 4 seconds between 7:47 and 7:51, and I finished with a new PR at 1:42:34!







    As far as running this was the best half marathon for me, I was confident, felt strong and had perfect weather! A big plus was the post race celebration which included Chocolate Milk, my favorite recovery drink.







    After heading back to the Renaissance North Hotel for a shower, we headed out for another one of my favorites, Jack in the Box tacos. My wife had learned that Jack in the Box just opened its first restaurant in January 2012, followed by 2 more in April. We arrived at 11:00AM and it was already packed, with police directing traffic for the drive-thru. This particular Jack in the Box just opened the prior Monday. After our gourmet lunch we headed back home with the satisfaction of the finishing my 4th half marathon in my 2012Run12 for NF quest. Next month is my home state half marathon in Palos Heights, the Illinois the First Midwest Bank Southwest Half Marathon.

    Details
    Sat, April 21, 2012
    Time:  1:42:34 (hh:mm:ss)
    Pace:  7:50 minutes/mile
    Temperature:  43°



  • March, AdventureMax Half Trail Marathon, Innsbrook, Missouri


    The AdventureMax Half Trail Marathon event is run at the Innsbrook Resort @ The Stables in Innsbrook, Missouri.

    The half marathon course is a loop that covers back gravel roads and an off-road hilly trail system inside the incredibly beautiful 8,000-acre Innsbrook Resort. I love running trails, so when I saw that there was a Trail half marathon, I could not pass it up.

    The Innsbrook Resort is a gated resort out in the country. After you pass through the gates, you drive along a winding hilly road passing by several A-frame summer homes until you arrive at the stables. As always we arrived early to check out the lay of the land and to get a good parking spot.


    Once the starting gun went off, I got a fast start, the first few miles were flat, I was feeling very confident. Then we came to the first hill, again no problem, but then there were more and more hills. After about the fourth or fifth hill I was gasping for air. Several runners tripped, fell or stumbled, including myself, two times. This was like no other trail run that I have experienced. Now my thoughts turned to, just try to finish without stopping.



    A better description of this half marathon course would be HILLY Trail Marathon! All of the HILLS made for a very tough course, along with the muddy grassy trails.  Nevertheless, I finished second for my age group! Good thing, because there was no Finisher's Medal, just a cool etched class, except for the runners that placed who received a cool medal! As we were registering for all of these half marathons, I did realize that not half marathons hand out Finisher's Medals. I love running trails, but this Trail Run really humbles you!

    2nd Pl medal, etched glass finishers award, and a Bud Light in honor of the Anheuser-Busch Brewery Tour!

    Half Marathon number three for 2012 was definitely the toughest but still a fun challenging 13.1 mile TRAIL run! Each of the first three Half Marathons were unique and challenging in their own way. Each one of the three was a blast! 9 to go!

    Details
    Sat, March 3, 2012
    Time:  1:54:00 (hh:mm:ss)
    Pace:  8:42 minutes/mile
    Temperature:  39°



  • February, Lost Dutchman Half Marathon, Apache Junction, AZ


    Number 2 of 12 Half Marathons for 2012, brought me to Apache Junction, Arizona for the 12th Annual Lost Dutchman Half Marathon. The half marathon is an out and back course that starts and ends in Apache Junction’s Prospector Park near the rumored site of the legendary Lost Dutchman Mine. The view of the Superstition Mountains is spectacular as you run approach them and run along side them! There were over 1100 runners in the half marathon event.




    The race start time was 7:15 am. We arrived at Prospector park at 5:00AM(we were not the first ones there). It was cold and dark.







    Being from out of town and being a first timer for this event, we wanted to get there in plenty of time to avoid any parking or transportation issues. We spent time checking out the starting and finishing gates and finding the bathrooms. We walked laps around the park to stay warm and limber.



    A very tough run mentally, I was keeping an eye on my pace each mile, but misread mile 7 thinking it was 8:40 and just decided to not look anymore and it felt like I struggled the rest of the way, but as it turned out mile 8 was one of my fastest and I finished with a time that shocked me.









    Surprisingly I finished with a New PR, finishing 115 / 1121 overall and 8 / 70 for my age group!










    So it turned out to be a great run and a fun weekend taking in the sights in Arizona!











    Details
    Sun, Feb 19, 2012
    Time:  1:43:01 (hh:mm:ss)
    Pace:  7:52 minutes/mile
    Temperature:  43°








  • January, The Texas Half Marathon, Dallas Texas


    My first of twelve half marathons for 2012 brought me to Dallas Texas for the 10th Annual Texas Half Marathon. The half marathon course takes runners around White Rock Lake and the park surrounding the lake. White Rock Lake  is a 1,015-acre lake that sits just a few miles from the downtown Dallas. The race is relatively flat for the 13.1 mile loop, which starts and finishes at Winfrey Point.


    The locals(from Dallas) thought it was cold, but coming from the midwest the weather(mid 40s) was fine! The weather was cool, overcast and windy. Overall it was a nice run around White Rock Lake. It sure beats the 15 degree, snowy and icy trails around Chicago. It was a nice turnout of 1138 runners.






    At the eight mile mark coming down the bridge I was still feeling strong.










    I was glad to set a new PR for a half marathon. This was my third ever half marathon. One half marathon for 2012 down, 11 to go, this is going to be fun! Next stop, for the month of February is Apache Junction, AZ, the Lost Dutchman Half Marathon!




















    Details
    Texas Half Marathon, Dallas, TX Sat, Jan 28, 2012
    Time: 1:44:27 (hh:mm:ss)
    Pace: 7:57 minutes/mile
    Temperature: 43°




  • 2 comments:

    1. Hi- I met your daughter at the Palos heights Marathan this weekend. She took some pictures for me and told me she would send them to me if I emailed. My husbands bib # is 1424. Please let me know how I can contact her.
      Thanks! Coleen

      ReplyDelete
    2. Coleen, I have four pictures of your husband. Can you provide an email address so I can send them to you? You can email me at oaklawnmdb@juno.com. regards, Michael

      ReplyDelete