On Sunday, March 21, 2010, I ran my 2nd half marathon in Atlanta, Georgia. The weather was looking sketchy, but the rain held off and it only sprinkled during the race. I was expecting the race to be harder than it was because of the hills I kept hearing about. I made sure to constantly alter my incline on the treadmill back in flat Columbus, Ohio and I think that really helped. I felt strong the entire race. I helped a good friend, Ashley, finish under her goal time of 2:30. We did the half in 2:23 – which included stopping once for the rest room & to hug family & stretch. We also walked through the water stations, which was a first for me.

I learned & experienced things in this race that I never had or thought that I would enjoy. First one was running with no ipod. I always run with music, unless I am on a long run with friends, which I do 25 – 50% of my long runs. It was so exhilarating to run & hear all the excitement going on around me – to hear all the cheers of encouragement & experience all of the emotion. Truly amazing!

Next, walking through water stations. I had heard this was a great idea – but this was my first time putting the plan into action. Loved it. Plenty of water & hydration & I think this really helped conserve energy.

The volunteers were amazing! To stand out in the chilly weather & rain and cheer on all the runners – so selfless. Thank you to all those who were out there.

KT Tape. Runners if you have not tried this stuff, you are missing out. I stopped by the booth at the Expo yesterday and had them tape my right leg in the area of my IT Band. The difference was night & day. It wasn’t super painful or bothersome before, but just there. The support the tape gave me was unbelievable. I looked like a big dork, but who cares!! LOL! The roll of tape was worth it’s weight in gold at $13 for the roll. I would absolutely buy more. I followed these instructions when I had to re-tape my leg.

I had such a great time at the Expo yesterday. I got to meet Jeff Galloway – he was a member of the 1972 Olympic team. He has written many books on running – I have his half marathon book & read his book on women & fat burning, too. He was such a nice guy and so knowledgeable! Here is the pic I was able to get taken with him:

I still swear by my Zensah running sleeves – hands down best $40 I have ever spent. The really helped with the hills today. You can read more about them here.

And last, but certainly not least, the reason we ran today – to raise awareness for Micro Preemies. Micro Preemies are babies born way too early. My nephews, Wyatt & Jack were born at 25 weeks 3 days and sadly did not survive. You can read more about the March of Dimes & what they do here. Our team was called “Baby Steps”.