Mel On...25th Annual Christmas Market Run

I have been wanting to do this run for a long time and seeing as this was my last chance to do it...dagnabit I was going to run it!  I didn't care my feet were still angry at me from the marathon, or that I was up until 2 a.m. being disappointed by Alabama football, or that I woke up with a sore throat and a stuffy head, or that we I misjudged our timing and we had to get dressed and leave our house in less than 15 minutes.  NO EXCUSES MEL! No excuses.

And let me tell you....IT WAS WORTH IT!

This run was so much fun!  It was a 7600m flat course which looped around the Christmas Market in Landstuhl. What made it even better was the great group of ladies we had out there representing, the awesome spectators clapping and cheering for us, the smell of bratwurst and gluhwein and Christmas in the air, having my husband and kids happily waving to me each time we looped through, seeing old friends and meeting new ones, and ending it all with a flammkuchen and a PR!  I'll take it!

My goal was to finish in 0:50:00 and I did it in 0:44:51, average pace 9:30...a lot better than my 14:04 pace at Athens!   This is only race (other that the Torch Run) that I was able to consecutively break under 10 min. miles....I'm getting there!!!

Here are some more photos from today.  I hope you enjoy!  I did!

Some of the madness at packet pick-up!

Pre-race pic!

Me and AMANDA !  LOVE this girl.

This dear friend, Jeannette, who talked me into running my first half-marathon....
and I have been hooked ever since!  Love her too!

Lining up...

...and we're off!

Starting Lap 1

(some of these are kinda blurry!)

My super supporters!

"Hurry Mom!"

Starting Lap 2

Gah, I love them!

Starting Lap 3

Heading for the finish!
(I was struggling at this point.  I wanted to stop and walk so bad!  Thankfully I paired up on the course with a great gal who helped me push through to the end! Thanks, Jodi!)

...to the finishing shoot!

The finish!

Love this group!

Now time to enjoy the Christmas Market!

And some flammkuchen!
(And yes, I ate this entire thing...minus the piece that fell on the ground when I was trying to take this photo. #flammkuchenphotofail).

Victory Dance!

The best way to enjoy your gluhwein at the end of your run is to drink it out of your runner's cup!

...now to pop me a Motrin cause these feet are ON FIRE...that and I have an Amanda workout tomorrow!