It's about time, it's about pace, it's about

Bammy management. I had feared a bammy rebellion going into this race. A week or two ago I was actively debating, what's worse, a DNS, or a DNF? I was having cranky shoulders, muscle spasms in my back such that sneezing was an ordeal, low back stiffness, and sore everything below the hips.

(For the non runners, the bammy is that muscle between the butt and the hamstrings. Or both.)

It was gradually getting better and I decided to run, especially since I had been assured I'd get the best support EVER! And I did. BRBE is awesome like that. The idea was to take it easy, treat it like a long training run.

So first things first. These three photos, what do they have in common?

Look more carefully. Think like a runner. They already know. This is evidence that I sometimes get both feet off the ground at the same time! Yay me! I've been doing this run thing almost 10 years now, and this is the first actual evidence of it happening. Yes yes, I know, it's only ever so fractionally. I don't care. It totally counts. This was about a half hour after the start, so probably about the 4.5 K mark. It didn't last much longer.

Some photos, just because.

This is the last good photo during the race. Shortly after this was a gravel road hill that had the bammies and the hip flexors complaining. I slowed down a little, and never managed to speed up again. I was thinking very carefully about my stride.

Here I am, out on the great long flat bit I scoped out during a photo tour a couple weeks ago. I'm just glad it wasn't hot.

The return of T Rex! I am in serious plod mode here, having gone from just over 7 minutes per K, to just over 8 minutes per K. It was all I could do to reel in some walkers. Linda giggled hard when she saw this on.

My buddy Radar! That was a surprise. It's not every half marathon you see a person in armour, on a horse.

The end is in sight.

And there I am, right about where I thought I'd be. Back in January I'd hoped that number would be under 2 hours.

Buddies Susan and Kevin.

And Linda waiting for me. There are gluten free chocolate chip cookies in that bag.

What's missing from all these photos is Sherpa Michelle. She picked me up early, drove me to the race start, got on her bike to leapfrog me throughout the race to capture many photos of me, and talk me through some of the tough bits. Thank you so very much.

Next race? No idea. I'll be doing photos at the Wild Rose Triathlon, and doing Sherpa and photos for Michelle at the 70.3.