Seabrook Lucky Trails 1/2 Marathon

Saturday March 19th I ran the Seabrook Lucky Trails 1/2 marathon. This was not really a huge race in that there were only about 700 runners (on Saturday) but it was on narrow trails the entire race so it seemed pretty crowded. There was also a 2 person relay option, and they were having another 1/2 marathon and marathon on Sunday as well.
It started at 7:15am, so I got up a little before 5 and got dressed and had my go-to pre-race breakfast: very large coffee, peanut butter and banana sandwich. Seabrook is about 45 minutes away so I left about 5:30am and got there about 6:15 or 6:20ish. There was plenty of parking not far from the start so I didn't have to walk far, but I was kinda bored until the race started. It was actually a little chilly at the start. Not cold (in the 60's) but pretty breezy which made it nice. During the race though the breeze leaves, the temp rises, as does the humidity. YUCK.

This was a trail run which I didn't have any training on. The trails were narrow dirt/granite/rock trails and it was an out and back (2 times) course, so it was EXTREMELY crowded. For about the first .5 mile I was barely jogging it was so crowded but by about mile 1, 1 1/2 in thinned out some and I actually kept a pretty quick pace. But I do have to say that I really don't like courses were you have to make multiple loops. It is very mentally tough to pass the starting line and know you have to go back out and do it again. Then as you are going back out there are people coming the other direction that are almost done. Proud of those fast people, don't get me wrong, but it makes me feel uber slow.

Anyways, I brought 2 Gu's with me cause I usually take one at mile 5 and one at mile 10. I didn't end up taking the first one until I got back to the start (around 6.5 miles) and was starting the 2nd loop. This will come back and bite me because I should have taken the 2nd one at mile 11 but I didn't because my brain just kept saying you're almost done why take one now and I almost ran out of steam altogether at mile 12.5. I had to really gut it out and my legs felt like bricks the last .6 miles.

I did it though, and I finish in 2:13.45. Was hoping to beat 2:10 but I think I was just overly ambitious and didn't know what I was in for with the trails and stuff.

It was a cool race. Very well organized, cool medals, and good post race food but I don't know if I'll do it again. Trails really aren't my thing.

I hate race photos because I think I look like such a goob in them. Here are mine anyway. I am a goob after all!

This pic looks like I ran a marathon in 2:14. haha

And because I have to....every.single.time.