Coast to Coast Challenge = COMPLETE!

Nothing like the promise of a special "Coast to Coast" medal and some finish line booze to get a 9-week post-partum momma to the starting line of a half marathon! The Disney Wine & Dine Half Marathon is actually what started this every state quest several years ago...it just took us awhile to get ourselves organized and registered before the race sold out. I'd say it was a worthwhile endeavor. I know Seeseter has her own race report in draft form that she'll be publishing shortly, so I won't steal her thunder. What I will add are our mile splits AND a public proclamation that if she hadn't been running with me, there's no way I would have finished as fast as I did. Seester set the pace for the whole race, and as I dug for every ounce of "just keep going" strength I could find, I was so proud of her and how her hard work is so obviously paying off. It was the motivation I needed to really get back to running. (Turkey Trot, Yuletide 5k, and Christmas Run posts just might be forthcoming...)
Mile 1 - 12:43
Mile 2 - 11:23
Mile 3 - 11:49
Mile 4 - 13:50
Mile 5 - 12:53
Mile 6 - 13:10
Mile 7 - 11:25 (must not have been a water station to walk through!)
Mile 8 - 12:15
Mile 9 - 13:51
Mile 10 - 13:15
Mile 11 - 12:35
Mile 12 - 12:45
Mile 13 - 12:04
What I love is how disciplined we were about starting with a manageable pace, and really doing well at maintaining it - mile 1 and mile 12 were almost exactly the same. I think the actual jogging pace we kept was quite consistent throughout; what changed was how long our "water break" was each mile! With both of us doing more training in the upcoming months, I wouldn't be surprised at all if our pace at the next race (TX in the early months of 2013, right Seester?) is under 13 minutes every mile. Should I go so far as to put that in writing as a goal?? I think I just did!