Shipyard Maine Coast Half Marathon

As part of my life's goal of a half marathon in every state, I have taken to Google quite frequently to find my next race.  It was with Google that I found the cool medals from Shipyard featured in all their races in Maine, and discovered that the Maine Coast Half was the same weekend this year as the Connecticut race I wanted to run - the Mystic Half.  So, I put on my crazy pants and decided to run back-to-back halfs because "Why not?"  After I felt like I killed the Star Wars races in April, I was excited to try to get a PR (personal record).

My parents picked me up at the Manchester Airport (NH) and we drove to Biddeford, ME to the race expo at UNE, with a short pit-stop at UnderArmour at the Kittery Outlets to pick up a pair of BoxerJocks.  I left one of mine hanging on the drying rack at home.  The expo wasn't very crowded (see above) and the weather was kind of dismal and cool, which boded well for race day.  We had an early dinner and I prepped everything I needed for the next day.

Race morning, we were all up and in the car early and parked at pretty much the perfect time - the road into UNE was crazy.  I was slightly irked that the race started so late - 8am - because the sun was already well above the horizon, and come to find out, there wasn't much shade on the course.  So, despite it being around 60, it felt a lot hotter.  The course was pretty flat and I definitely enjoyed running so close to the ocean.  That was the most scenic part of the course.  I was very focused on getting a good time, staying hydrated and running.

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.

​When I finished - with an eventual PR (yay!) - I was super light-headed and HOT!  Even though it was still well under 70 degrees.  My parents were at the finish, I saw them right away, and I cruised in under the announcement of my name and Tampa, Florida.  Woo hoo!

It took my a while to recover after the race.  I drank about two bottles of water and I grabbed a bag of ice to put on my head and neck.  I sat down, I walked around, stood in the shade.  I did not feel the best.  I did not get the free slice of pizza (my friends will really understand how bad I felt!) and I let my parents have my two free beers (I'm a liquor guy).

I hobbled with my parents to the car, soaked in some cool water in the bathtub and by the time I took a shower, I felt a lot better.  Breakfast at a local joint was a lovely exclamation point to the day, and good preparation for our drive to Connecticut.