Last weekend I traveled to Napa, California with three girlfriends for the 2018 Napa Half Marathon. I’ll cut to the chase; I had a terrible run. More on why I sucked, a course review and the sweet swag!
Why I Sucked
My official time was 2:34:06, almost 30 minutes longer than my half marathon PR. Woof. The race was on Sunday and on Friday I got a really sore throat. By Sunday it had moved into my head and clogged up my nose. I stuck it out the first 5 or so miles and then felt like I couldn’t breathe. Try running while only breathing through your mouth. Not easy. Pretty much the opposite feeling than I had during the Hudy 14K only a week earlier.
Luckily, I didn’t set myself up to PR or anything; I just wanted to finish and have fun with my friends. And that we did! Beforehand we all purchased the same tank top sharing our intentions for the trip. 😛
The Napa Half Course
The course started and finished in the Skyline Park. It did one small loop and one larger loop, so there was some stretches that you repeated but nothing major.
I did not like that the start/finish was on a dirt/grass area. The roads were not closed either, but there was very little traffic and police as well as race volunteers directing cars. There were several rolling hills, including the exit/entrance to the park for a total elevation gain of 824ft.
The views from the course were great! We stopped so I could catch my breath and snap a few pictures of the view. Another good reason not to try to PR this race.
Growing up in Minnesota and now living in Cincinnati, mountain views always captivate me.
The Swag
In addition to the nice medal, t-shirt, ‘I Love Napa’ bag, breakfast burrito and 5-minute massage, we got a bottle of wine! So even though I dogged the race, I crushed the swag picture. 😛
Omg I can’t believe you did a half while sick! That’s crazy! Good on you. And yep, crushed the finish photo.