Jail Break Run Half Marathon Race Recap - 2017

I recently ran in the Jail Break Run Half Marathon.  I signed up for this race just days prior... with the hubs out of town, the weather being gorgeous, and the race on the weekend, I couldn't resist.

Friday evening my pre-race dinner consisted of a veggie burger with sweet potato fries.  I also had a glass of wine and some chocolate cake for dessert.   Once home, I laid out my clothes and got everything ready to go.  Saturday morning came early... my alarm went off at 4:00.  I ate my pre-race breakfast of toast with almond butter and a banana and drank some warm water with lemon.  I quickly showered and headed out the door with a cup of yerba mate... realized I forgot my motivate wraps and ran back inside for those... then realized I forgot my headband and ran inside for that... then the neighbor came over to see if I had a couple beers he could have (seriously... who drinks beer at 5:15 am).  I finally got on the road at 5:30, a bit later than I had hoped (let's just say I made a PR getting to Baytown).



When I got there the line to pick up race packets was long.  I had about 30 minutes before the race started, I was just a little concerned.  Thankfully, the line moved rather quickly and I got my stuff and headed to bag drop to drop it off along with my other stuff. I was able to hit the port-a-cans and get to the starting line with a few minutes to spare.

At this race they say a prayer and sing the national anthem.  Promptly at 7:00 am a rifle shot signaled the beginning of the race.  I kept my pace in check as we ran through downtown Baytown.  During parts of the first mile roads were a mess, it appeared that they were in the process of resurfacing them and had just taken off the top layer... I spent that mile looking down, watching where my feet were going so that I wouldn't fall. 

The route was fairy scenic ... it goes through some city parts of Baytown, past a golf course, along the waterfront, through a park... it is relatively flat, up to mile 7.  Right after mile 7 you start heading towards the Fred Hartman bridge.  You go up one side and then turn and go back down the same side, so there is only one major hill.  At the end of the bridge you hit the 10 mile marker.

The bridge is really the highlight of the race.  Personally, the weather was the highlight for me... it was 50 at the start, only climbing into the low 60's by race end... and the humidity... there was none!  Just simply gorgeous weather.

Running down the bridge I had some strange pain going on in my ankles and up through my calves.  I was hoping that it was from the incline/decline and would go away once I hit flat ground.  Once off the bridge, and heading in for the last 3 miles... the pain I was feeling went away (whew)!

During the last mile or so, there was some spectator support ... and some good signs. A few that I remembered - "touch here for power", "stop! - ain't nobody got time for that", "run like you stole something", and "free high fives".  As I turned into the final stretch I was cheered on by some of the race volunteers.

I ended with an official time of 2:11:14.... 11 minutes faster than a year prior.



At the finish, I was given my finishers medal and a 13.1 sticker.  I grabbed my bag and changed into my Oofos and drank my recovery drink.  From there, I grabbed some food... they had all sorts of junk food that I knew the hubs would love (What-a-Burger cookies, Rice Krispy Treats, Fritos).  They also had Chik-fil-a sandwiches for those that eat that sort of thing... I stuck with a banana and orange.

I really enjoyed this race, and I would definitely run it again (3-peat!). It was small race about 650 people finished.  It was very well organized, the volunteers are enthusiastic and the course support  was stellar!

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Today I'm linking up with MCM Mama Runs, Marcia’s Healthy Slice, and My no-guilt life for Tuesdays on the Run.