Feeding off the excitement of the Asheville Half-Marathon I decided to sign up for a local event, the Rise & Shine Half-Marathon. There was only two weeks in between the two events, so I figured I might as well use my training to participate in another race.
The night before the run my husband and I were chatting about my goal time. Given the drastically flatter terrain, I hoped to shave a least some time off the Asheville race. I threw out the idea of cutting off five minutes, but that seemed a little too ambitious. I settled on dropping one minute.
The starting line was just a 10-minute drive away, so we pulled into the parking lot around 6:30 a.m. I had just the perfect amount of time to do some dynamic warm-ups.
This was the first half marathon that Kyler has been able to attend (it helps when it’s not a nine-hour drive away). Before I took my spot at the starting line, he told me to make sure I placed myself in a strategic position as the course started with a 90° turn.
The gun went off and thanks to Kyler’s advice, I avoided getting stuck in the congestion. The runners spread out quickly, but for the majority of the race, I was accompanied by a 9-year-old all-star.
The route took us through a neighborhood and The University of Southern Mississippi’s campus. Just after mile two, we ran by the president’s house. Dr. Bennett and his wife were out in their front yard cheering and giving high-fives. And that was just the beginning of the cheer squad! There was a water/motivation station at every single mile. At first, I dreaded this thinking it was going to make each mile drag by, but it did just the opposite. Although I only sipped (more like splashed and choked) water once, the little motivational boosts at every mile were the perfect fuel.
Given the half marathon was local, many participants were from Hattiesburg. I loved seeing so many friendly faces and hearing the occasional, “Go, Hanna!”
I set a goal of hitting mile six at 45 minutes. When I glanced at my Fitbit and saw 44 minutes, I was shocked. This is going much better than I thought!
I told Kyler to hang out at mile 10 because I knew I would need an extra mental boost to help push the last 5K. Mile nine was a serious struggle, but knowing I’d see him soon helped drive me forward. At mile 11, my foot was graced with a painful blister.
I charged through the finish line to score a PR and first overall female! Not only did I meet my goal of dropping one minute, I also came in four minutes faster than my Asheville time. Whohoo!
The whole event was a blur! Hattiesburg Clinic did a phenomenal job hosting the race that benefitted The Arc of Southeast Mississippi, a local nonprofit that supports the inclusion and participation of individuals with intellectual and developmental disabilities in the community. My favorite post-race perk was a massage provided by Manny Abreu of The Lotus Spa.
Even though I was running by myself, I know my time and spirit would have suffered without the positive energy radiating from the aid stations, the other runners, the Arc running crews, and my husband. I have the drive to push myself, but the mental support provided by others is not to be underestimated.
