I got to run onto the Dallas Cowboy field at the America's Run!

From America's Run

I ran my last race before I go off to Bikram Yoga Teacher Training, the America's Run in Arlington, Texas. It a nice course, even with the hills and the weather was absolutely perfect. I know it is a good run when sweat runs off my shorts into my socks, which happened today!

It started off a little rocky with trying to find where to park. After I learned the parking game the attendants had and after going to three entrances, I finally found how to get in the parking area. There didn't seem to be a lot of people around, I guess because it was the inaugural year, there weren't that many people. Also, the Big D Marathon and Half Marathon were going on and that always has a good crowd.

My ankles started to hurt just as soon as I started running, not a good sign. After the first half mile or so though the pain seemed to go away. I was feeling pretty good after that and decided to try and run the first three miles without stopping. I made it to mile 2 at 21:25 and 3 miles at 33 minutes. Doing pretty good I thought. I ran most of miles 4 - 6 but did have to walk in between the miles, but at least I ran about a mile before stopping. At mile 6 I had been running 1 hour 8 minutes, pretty good for me. At that rate I could have finished one of my best times....but that pace didn't last.

At one point there was a hill and I had decided I would walk up it only to find when I got close to the top there was ANOTHER hill, a larger one, right after. So I had to run up that hill since I had just walked up the OTHER hill. UGH! I made it but it wasn't pretty. lol

At mile 10 my time was 1:59. At my best speed I would have finished at 1:33 or 1:34 but I was losing steam and my knees started to hurt. I decided somewhere in mile 10 there was no need to push myself to get "my best time." I am not trying to the be best at running and I have to be careful since I'm going to teacher training, I don't need to mess up my new career path over a silly race. So I decided to just take it easy and just do the best I could, I would get there when I got there.

And I did. I made it to mile 12 at 2:24 and ran into the Cowboy stadium at 2:39.  It was pretty cool, we got to run down into the stadium where "regular" people don't get to go and we ran right onto the field! So cool!

The only odd part about it was nothing was really on the field. You got your medal and then they made you walk up the stairs where the seats are then into the hall, then up more stairs. It was very strange. Why would you make people that just ran 13.1 miles walk up a bunch of stairs? I felt like an old lady. I had to hold the railing and walked up the steps VERY slowly. Maybe other people didn't have an issue with the steps. I was just glad I had only run 13.1 and not a full marathon!

Troy Aikman was there too, it was his first half marathon. I am sure he was in the "elite" running group up front. I looked up his time, 1:45. I am sure he was gone by the time I crossed the field, too bad too. I would have loved to have seen him! Maybe next year!

From America's Run