Grateful for 1/2

Last Saturday was the Chesebro 1/2 Marathon.  Also known as the Great Race, this is a fun regional event that has a bunch of different races from a 1-mile fun run to a crazy, up in the mountains 1/2 marathon.  You can guess which I opted for.  What I did not realize when I signed up (simply because I did not read thoroughly) was that the course I signed on to do went up into the Santa Monica mountains for about 7.5 miles, including a change in altitude of about 850 feet.  Seriously.  Here is the course outline.  Perhaps I ought to do a bit more homework before I just blindly sign on for a run!

Aside from needing to crack out some mountain climbing equipment (or at minimum a trusty goat) for a few portions,  it was a great course, a beautiful day and I saw a bunch of people that I know.  Some were on the course cheering on friends and some passed me (or did another course), but it was a regular reunion there at the finish line when I came loping in 2 hours and 40 minutes after starting (remember, I have never boasted speed, just consistency).

I was telling the story of the course and describing a few of the narrow dirt paths that we were on, when Holly busted out the truest phrase I could have uttered all day, "I'll bet that you were grateful that you were only doing a 1/2 marathon."

So very true young Schnoogs, so very true!