Half Marathon or Swim-a-Thon

Last weekend, I completed my 8th half marathon.  The Dallas White Rock Marathon has never been my favorite.  It was my first, and I've done it every year since I began this game, but it's never a race I get really jazzed up to run.  It's a race that I sign up to do because...well...if you're a Dallas Runner, ya gotta Run the Rock, right?

I really wasn't expecting it to be a PR event.  I'm way too out of distance shape for that, between my shoulder healing slowly and needing to take time off because of an incident I had on Black Friday (Bro, it was so worth it!).  But I had been working a lot on strength and short speed in the gym, so I thought it would be interesting to assess if there was any improvement. 

And then...the weather began.  It hasn't rained in Texas all summer...all fall.  But the weekend it was to White Rock, the rain came, joined by cold weather and wind.  Because Pete Delkus was warning runners that the weather forecast was nothing more than the words: "Cold" and "Wet" Saturday night was a frenzy of "WTF do I have to wear to keep me dry and warm?"  Scrounging around, I was able to wrangle up some ponchos, old sweatshirts, gloves, and the like for myself and my runner friends.  We were really excited about our super hot outfits.  Surely we'd be shedding this crap as the rain stopped and we warmed up.

That...didn't happen.

Mile 1:  Okay, this rain's not so bad.
Mile 2:  Wow, it's not really raining.
Mile 3:  I'm hot, it's not raining, adios poncho.
Mile 4:  That was a bad move.  Downpour.
Mile 5:  Where'd this river in the middle of the road come from?
Mile 6:  Just HOW waterproof is my Garmin?  Will my ipod electrocute me?
Mile 7:  A kayak would be a good race accessory today.
Mile 8:  Oh yea, the wind picking up, this is nice.
Mile 9:  The good news is:  I can't possibly become any MORE wet
Mile 10:  The good news is:  I can't possibly become any COLDER
Mile 11:  Wow, mile 11, already?  Oh look, it's not really raining...that much.
Mile 12:  Why can't I run like THOSE guys (the last mile of the course is run with the marathoners)
Mile 13:  Done.  Oh wait....not REALLY
Mile 13.1:  Mylar, I love you.
Home:  Shoes, will you EVER be dry again?

The signs along the course were fantastic.  The spectators at White Rock are the best in the nation.  Some of the signs made me laugh so hard I may have wet my pants.  But they were already wet, so who knows.  The medal was pretty awesome this year, I like that it's unique! 

Great run, based on this experience, I expect to hit my goal time for RnR Dallas in March.  Come hell or high water....