Due to the out-and-back nature of the course after mile 7, I knew that mile 12 was just ahead.  I walked up the last enormous hill, and started running again.  With my music on, I crushed the last mile, caught up and passed my Beth, and ran into the finish area essentially alone.  My parents were there cheering and I had the same amazing feeling when I crossed the finish.  And still felt great!!!

​I couldn't even eat anything after the Maine half, and at this post-race party, I did not hold back.  I had some coffee biscotti ice cream from The Farmer's Cow and I had a fresh ciabatta roll with PB&J. The finish line was right by the Mystic Aquarium, and the post-race party was all set in the Olde Mistick Village, right where the start was.

All in all, this was one of my favorite half marathons, out of the 14 I've run so far.  The weather certainly helped, but the route was very scenic, there were quite a few spectators, the post-race party was impressive for such a small town feel, and the tech shirt and medal were really nice.

The last three miles was the hardest I've had to fight mentally to keep running in a race.  Disney races I stop for characters, and other races, I hadn't been as well trained.  I knew if I started walking, a PR would be out of reach.  That's all I kept telling myself.  I changed my iPod playlist from my normal running mix to the one I made for my 5K - all fast songs and for the last 3 miles, that's what I listened to.  I have it arranged, so that my favorite song of the moment, and my "power" song played into the finish.  "Confident" by Demi Lovato...just something about the brass line and the drums, makes me feel like a fighter.  When I knew the finish was close, it was the best feeling.

People often ask why I do this - run half marathons.  And it's for the feeling I get before and while and right after I finish.  I guess some call it a "Runner's High."  It's more of a "Finisher's High."  It's not the running that makes me feel like that, it's finishing after I've run all that.

So, at the beginning of 2016, a wonderful lady that I've met through work and running simultaneously - I believe because of the Busch Gardens Run for Wildlife 5K - asked me about joining this Run The Year 2016 challenge, where one runs 2,016 miles in 2016.  Now, that was a bit of a stretch for one person, but our team of four is going strong and just surpassed 1,000 miles.

My part of that is 200.  Which I passed a few days ago.  :)

I'm excited to add to it this weekend, when I run back-to-back half marathons on successive days.  I am feeling good and am pretty confident I can get a PR if all goes smoothly.  I won't blow it out of the water, but I've been pretty close before, and I've been lucky lately.  Fingers crossed.