Harvest Half

I've been trying to run 12-13 miles every 3-4 weeks just to keep myself in shape. But, I am so tired of running alone on the same routes, so when I saw a posting on the Maine Running Company's Facebook page about the Harvest Half, I pounced and signed up. Nothing like signing up Saturday for a Sunday race.

After a few rainy, yucky days, Sunday dawned clear and cool. The race was held on the Eastern Trail starting in Biddeford and running through Arudel and Kennebunk. I LOVE small races. I got there 30 minutes before the 9am start and was able to park right by the start. No bathroom lines either! At 9 sharp we were off. It was chip timing, but it didn't really matter, since with less than 200 participants, it only took seconds to cross the line.

I planned to just run easy. I had set my watch for a 4min run, 30 sec walk interval ratio. Unfortunately, I forgot to start the interval workout. I wondered why that first 4 minutes felt so long. When I passed the first mile marker, I finally figured it out, and reset my watch.

The course was and out and back (with 2 little tangents) on a  flat,  all dirt trail. I loved it. The foliage was spectacular and the temperature perfect. I was actually having to hold myself back in the first half. Once we reached mile 7 I just went it go. I actually was racing instead of just surviving. I picked a person ahead of me and slowly reeled them in. In the last 2 miles I was really cruising. I passed 12 people. With 1/2 left to go I gave it everything I had, passing 2 woman, and then digging in to chick a guy right at the finish.

I finished in 2:05, good for 3rd place in my age. I got a sweet 13.1 Harvest Half beer glass as a prize. I feel pretty darn good, placing in a race that I didn't really train for. More importantly, I felt strong and happy out on the course. So often I run because I feel like I have to, mostly for the calorie burn. But today I loved it. Run on!