I like half marathons. The distance is short enough to not be painstaking yet long enough to provide a bit of a challenge. This wasn't an "A" race this season, more like a chance to get out and do a Long Quick Workout with friends. My longest run (since the last half marathon) was 12 miles, but after a full race season what's another mile?

Weather was nearly perfect--cloudy, low 70s…nearly perfect. The weather forecast said 98% humidity which I didn't realize was a thing until I was standing around pre-race feeling weighed down by air. Then and there I was pretty sure I wouldn't break the evasive 2-hour mark and a PR (< 2:03) was doubtful too. But that's okay for a long quick workout with friends.

The course winds through wooded areas and remains fairly flat. Water stations and sprays from hoses were welcomed and needed more than my GUs and trusty Payday. Everyone looked like they'd just showered and their expressions were labored, even pained. I kept an even pace somewhere between PR and slowest-I'll-allow-myself.

Around mile nine the hamstring tightness reappeared, this time in the left knee. Great. I guess after a full race season I wasn't quite strong enough to maintain a good pace for that long. But at this point I only had a 5K to go and darn it if I wasn't going to get as close to that PR as I could.

I missed it by a little over a minute. I'll take it.