Day 178.

Officially half way to my marathon goal!  This morning I ran the route that I will be doing for the Pocatello 1/2 Marathon on September 4th.  I woke up at 5am, drank about a half of a glass of almond milk and took two Excedrin (CAFFEINE!!), then did 20 minutes of Pilates and Yoga to gear up for my run.  Then I woke up my husband, who drove me to within about 1/4 mile of the starting point, where I walked until reaching the start.  Then off I went, heading to Pocatello, with some very ominous storm clouds looming ahead of me.  After about 2 or 3 miles, the sun started to come up over the mountains behind me, creating a double, full rainbow!  It was so beautiful, and I ran towards the rainbows for probably another 4 miles, before "reaching" them, and then they disappeared and the rain started.  I was rained on for about an hour of my run, but there wasn't any lightening, so I didn't mind it too much.  Around mile 7 I ate 3 Clif Shot Bloks ~ my first time trying them, and they are awesome!  They actually taste good, are easy to chew and swallow, and I could feel the energy sustaining me for the remainder of my run.  Next week I plan to try GU, and compare the effects to determine which I prefer.  Anyway, I made it all the way to (what will be on race day) the finish line, where my husband and kids were waiting to pick me up.  I didn't feel winded, but my legs were definitely tired!  As the above picture shows, I did the 13.1 miles in 2 hours and 36 minutes, which worked out to an average pace of 11:58 min/mile, with my fastest pace being 6.5 mph.  So, not record breaking, but I did it without walking or stopping....or dying! ;)  And, I LOVE my new handheld water carrier!  Those of you who have never tried the handheld may look at that and think it would be annoying to carry that in your hand for all those miles, but it really isn't.  It feels fine, and is much better than having a pack around your waist.  It fit my Shot Bloks and gum, and was easy to slip on and off so I could switch hands every few miles.  After my run, the family and I went to eat breakfast at a local restaurant, where the kids wolfed down pancakes and bacon, but I have been unfortunately having stomach issues since my run.  I think it's my body's way of saying, "What the crap are you doing to me??" ;)