Ever run a race that just makes you say "wow!" from start to finish? I did, today. I ran the North Olympic Discovery Half Marathon in Washington State, and it's totally my new favorite half marathon. The first four miles are through a rural area, with fields of wildflowers and towering snow-capped mountains in the near distance. The next 4 miles wander through the forest and across bridges over streams and rivers. And the last 5 miles are along the waterfront, with the sea breeze blowing in from the Pacific Ocean. All 13.1 miles are along a winding trail, and the half marathon is capped at 1200 runners.
I have to admit that I was skeptical. We run with a charity (the Arthritis Foundation) every year, and the last two years they've chosen the Rock n Roll Seattle marathon/half. I'd only ever run large races (20 000+ runners) and I know that I prefer to run in the city than on the trail... when the AF chose the NODM for their 2011 event, I was afraid that I would be bored out of my skull during this half marathon and that there wouldn't be enough along the route to keep me interested. Definitely not the case. There were tons of volunteers out on the route, tons of spectators in the areas where spectators were possible (when the trail was adjacent to a road or when we passed by homes that backed on to the trail), and the route itself just felt... perfect.
The only challenge for the event was the weather. We've only had one day over 70 degrees since last August in the Pacific NW... and today it was 78 and not a cloud in the sky. It made the race feel VERY hot (even though you runners in warmer climates would laugh at us!) because we were just not used to the warmer weather. There was plenty of water (and snacks!) on the course, and spectators set up their own water stations and sprinklers to run through. Still, there was no shade at all for the first 5 miles, and I was really feeling the heat by that point. The race is point-to-point, and shuttles were excellent, and the staging and finishing areas were all really good. The race also boasts that every finisher gets a "finish line buddy" who gets you your medal and your drink, and makes sure you get aid if you need it.
Great snacks (including popsicles!) at the end of the race!
My goal was a 2:45 race... my last few halfs have not gone well (RnR Seattle last year at 3:48 at 8 months pregnant, and then WDW half in January at 2:58, with major lower back pain from mile 7 on) and I mostly just wanted to run a clean race with my pain or problems. The heat slowed me down, but I still felt good all the way through... even though I had to walk through the hot sunny patches for the last couple miles.
I finished in 2:45:58, and I'm very happy with how I felt at the end.
Anyway, if you're looking for a fantastic west coast race, this one cannot be beat. It was so well run, and the course was just fabulous.
Here are a few pictures from the race.
Coming up to the finish line along the waterfront:
My 10 month old, Callum, spectating:
The finisher medal. I LOVE the medal design... the image is a good representation of the path the trail takes you.
Hope everyone else had a great weekend with their own races!
GO! WISH Team GO! 
