Lake Merced Half Marathon

Did I seriously just run my 24th half marathon in less than 12 months? I indeed did! The Lake Merced Half Marathon was special for me because it took place in my back yard. I didn't mean this literally, because my back yard is quite small. If I were a snail, then it would probably be considered 13.1 miles to get from one end to the other. Lake Merced is a hop, skip, and jump away from my apartment, and I was excited to run three loops around the lake. I train here, so I know the course quite well.


This race was also special because my running club was the one who put it on. I joined Dolphin South End Runners last year, and it was the best thing I've ever done for my health. Sure, I run half and full marathons all over the United States, but it's all these DSE 10ks and 4 milers that get me prepared for those longer distances. It's also nice to have such a supportive and fun group of people whom I get so excited to see every weekend!


The Lake Merced Half Marathon was not an easy run for me. I have to admit, I got a little cocky this morning. I thought that I would not have any problems with this course and that I was easily going to PR. Boy was I wrong! I cramped up early on, so I had to do a lot of walking to get my legs back into the groove. I also got a little dehydrated, which, in the end, slowed me down further. Thank Goodness there were water stations near by! I struggled a bit, but the important thing is that I pulled through with a 2:45:36. When I cramped up at mile 2, I was only aiming for a 3 hour finish, so I was happy with the 2:45 finish! This gives me confidence going into next weekend's Lake Tahoe Marathon. Wow, two lakes in a row! I'm still scratching my head.


I have to ask this question again: Did I seriously just run my 24th half marathon? I sure did! WOO HOO!!