Grizz 'n' Dove: CASA Half Marathon

Friday, July 29, 2011

CASA Half Marathon

Last Friday, Grizz and I set out for Spearfish after he got off work. We met a few friends of ours at a LOVELY hotel... it was cheap and we had 6 people in there - perfect! I'll just say that their website doesn't exactly show what a "gem" this hotel was...

We woke up early on Saturday and headed to the city park. It was time to run a half-marathon! I ran this half last year by myself, so it was great to be with friends this year. Major plus? This road race is a fundraiser for a great charity - CASA of the Northern Hills. Here's the race website.

The race follows the scenic Spearfish Canyon road... curving around cliffs and following the stream. It's a beautiful race! Because last year all I wanted as I ran was a camera, I decided to carry a camera this year. I have a running "fanny pack" in a pretty, purple color that I bought so I can keep keys and phones in it as I'm running around towns. Well, perfect idea, why not wear it for the half so I can carry my camera with me?! To my dismay, this year wasn't as sunny, so I couldn't take a good scenery picture without blurrying. The camera was used on the bus as they drove us to the starting line, before the race, at mile 3 (when we found out the lighting would not work for pictures) and after we finished the race. Maybe I can blame my slower time on the fact that I was carrying a camera? Eh, maybe not... Last year I ran it in 1 hour and 32 minutes (2nd in my age group). This year Grizz and I ran it in 1 hour and 38 minutes (3rd in my age group). I'm proud of us - we've had a crazy summer, which isn't always conducive to "training." Before the race, his longest run was 8 miles, and that was two weeks before the race. I didn't run much more than him either - that 8 mile run was the longest run I had done in about a year...

Here are some pictures from the race!