We all woke up super early (as in 4am-ish) and met up at the parking lot to board the buses. I had to say a temporary goodbye to my friends since the full marathon and half marathon had different starting points. The bus dropped me and other half marathoners at a point where we would need to hike about 1.5 miles to the course. It was a beautiful short hike, a great warm up for the race. Temperature that morning was a very comfortable 50-60s. I watched the half marathoners take off at 6:30am and I patiently waited for the marathoners to reach the half way point. The leaders were flying, they reached the halfway mark in about 1 hour 22 minutes. I enjoyed cheering on the runners as they passed the 13.1 mark. I also saw Jerry pacing very comfortably for his 3:30 group, he is a fantastic runner.
Carolyn came in at the right pace, with Leo and CC2 only steps behind. She paced the first half flawlessly. She looked very focused. I jumped right in and talked to her as calmly as I felt I should. I've never paced anyone before, luckily Carolyn and I have run many miles (and watched many Cowboys games) together, so have a great friendly chemistry. I guess we were both excited to see each other, our first mile was about 30 seconds faster than Carolyn's goal pace. Thereafter, we focused on our pacing and enjoyed the beautiful Northbend forest.
In short, Carolyn ran a fantastic race, it led to a phenomenal Personal Best. She focused on running her own race and completing the 26.2 with a strong finish. Mission accomplished. We were all very happy for her breakthrough performance. Jerry, CC2, and Leo also ran a great marathon.
We celebrated with a Mediterranean lunch before showering and trying to enjoy the rest of the beautiful day on sore legs.
Knowing that she was returning home the next morning, we wanted to take Carolyn to Seattle's downtown. We went to Pikes Place and had Ellenos yogurt. It was delicious, thanks Susan for the recommendation!
We also visited Kerry's Park and the Space Needle Center.
Naturally, we visited Starbucks Roastery for my second affogato (which we called Sharknado Avocado). This one was my favorite. It was vanilla ice-cream with espresso poured over and a touch of mint syrup.
One of the unplanned surprise visits was our impromptu trip to Bainbridge Island. Thanks Karin for the tip! It was a beautiful and calm island. We walked the boardwalk trail and had a nice dinner at the Harbour Public House. Our ferry ride back to Seattle allowed us to see the city's night skyline.
1 comment:
I had such a fun time touring the city with you. Thanks for everything. You are an amazing friend. You were a great pacer!!!
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