* I drank the night before the race. Hey...the hotel was offering free drinks at a manager's reception. Free party. Free drinks. Free snackies. Just try and keep me away.

* I stayed up too late watching cable TV. Cable is a novelty for me -- I could get it, but I don't (because I'd be up late every night watching some train wreck/reality TV show).

* I didn't sleep well - mostly because our room/bed was on just the other side of the elevators.

* I didn't carbo-load or even eat well the night before the race. I had a spicy cajun shrimp wrap sandwich for dinner. Spicy. Cajun. Seafood. All things most runners would avoid the night before big race.

* We walked all over town the night before. We had time to kill and nothing to do, so we walked all over Cleveland...from one end of town to the other looking for something to do and somewhere good to eat. (Funny thing is...we ended up eating at our hotel's restaurant).

* I wore old shoes. I have toe holes in the tops of both pairs of my shoes. It's time for new ones, but I didn't have time to break in new ones before the race...so...old, worn-out shoes it is.

* I brought the wrong clothes. I've been running in long-sleeve cotton shirts from Target all winter. Cotton is a no-no for most runners, but it's fine for me in the cold winter here. However, it's a very, very bad choice for a rainy day -- which is what we woke up to on race day morning. I had no choice, but to wear my long-sleeve cotton shirt and, yes, I was soaked and shivering by the time we took off. I should have worn something moisture-wicking and quick-drying.

* I didn't stretch. (Don't tell my P.T. this...she'll ask me today & I will lie through my teeth).

* I ran with a nagging feeling. I stood at the start line with a sore leg/thigh/hip knowing I wasn't at my best, physically. I thought I was going to do more damage than good by running the race. And, I ran it anyway.

I did everything "wrong," but things still went right.

Why?

Probably because the one thing I did right -- without even realizing it -- was relax.

I had signed up for the Cleveland half intending to run a 1:45 -- 2 minutes less than my P.R. -- a good goal to shoot for, I thought.

When winter weather, a few injuries and various other stuff happened to prevent me from training for that goal -- I abandoned it quick and set the simple goal of finishing the race and enjoying it this year.

With no more pressure on myself than completing the race (OK...OK...I had an achievable goal in mind of 1:50 or less), I was able to relax.....and, that was the key for me.

I had a great time and I came out with a P.R. Woohoo.

The hotel was wonderful and came with lots of great amenities...like a manager's reception every evening (did I mention the free drinks?) and a free cooked-to-order breakfast. (I HIGHLY recommend the Embassy Suites if you're ever staying in Cleveland).

Doing just the 1/2 meant I could enjoy the race, the spectators and the scenery. I was slapping little kids' hands and smiling at all the people cheering -- I was still in great spirits (and pretty good form) by the time I finished so I could finish strong, look around and soak up the crowd.

A much different experience than what I had at the marathon last year where I couldn't bear to make eye contact with any spectators. I wanted to scream obscenities at the people at mile 24 who say "you're doing great...you're almost there..don't give up now!" I kept my head down while I drug myself over the finish line feeling defeated and beaten up.

What a difference 13 miles makes, eh?

After that...I can say I don't feel much desire to ever do 26.2 again -- I'm liking the 13.1 gig.

I will say, though, that I kinda hope the husband gets hooked...cause the whole marathon experience is a blast. I love being in a city full of thousands of like-minded folks. It's a unique experience and a really good excuse for us to have a weekend vacation together without feeling guilty for not taking the kids.

Here I am at lunch after the race when Dan & I indulged in a little post-race carbo-loading.
Cheers.