Kalamazoo Half Marathon...all smiles

I don't know where to start with this! I LOVE THE KALAMAZOO RACES!

1. They are a good # of people. Not so few that you feel alone on the course but not so many that you feel crowded. I loved that they had pacers for the half. It REALLLLY helped people line up properly. It can be really hard to figure out how far back to go if you are slower (and so mostly I just go all the way haha), so it was nice to have a pace group to line up with
2. Good prices. I paid $50 for my Half, and still got all the amazing things you get with more expensive races.
3. The volunteers are amazing. So sweet and helpful and encouraging.
4. Great communication from the race director and great organization.
and last but not least,
5. THE SPECTATORS AND KALAMAZOO COMMUNITY! This community loves and supports this race so much, and you can FEEL it through every mile. The stretches of race without crowds were few and far between. Along the half marathon route, I would say there were people along, maybe 11 of the 13 miles. Maybe not big crowds, but enthusiasctic spectators. You could feel the love for the whole race, it was amazing. There were boyscouts giving out popsicles at the top of a giant hill, neighbors handing out cold sponges around mile 11ish, and random jolly ranchers and gummy bears along the way (the marathon route last year had bacon and pancakes. I kid you not). Another cool thing was there are so many cow bells! I don't know if the race team somehow had them passed out before hand, but there were mini cowbells everywhere (I think they were passed out bc they looked exactly the same). It was amazing. SO MUCH COWBELL!!!

That picture (Shane took it at mile 7) sums up my whole race. Smiles. And Happy. And more Smiles. 

2:30 Pace group. Good peeps.

High Five for my mom at mile 7 

I ran the first 10 miles with the 2:30 pacers. They were awesome. They kept us laughing, and coached us up the crazy hills of Kzoo. And the miles just flew by. It was crazy. I have NEVER had a race go by so fast (Not literally, since this was by no means a PR, but you know what I mean). Example of the awesomeness: At 6.55 miles, our paces and our group started singing Bon Jovi, Half Way There. Love love love it. 

Right around mile 10, the song "It's Time" by Imagine Dragons came on my shuffle, and suddenly I was moving ahead of the pacers. And as the song went on and on, I had a small inner battle on wether I should keep pulling away and or hold back. But then I decided to listen to the other two Imagine Dragons songs on my shuffle and just go for it. I let Imagine Dragons carry me through the last three miles on repeat (It's Time, Radioactive and Demons). 

Another cool thing about this race? My mom was there (as I mentioned above ) :) She hasnt seen me run since the Detroit Half Marathon in 2011, and I loved high fiving  her at mile 7, and throwing my arms up in the finish chute and smiling at her. It was awesome. 

(My mom's hand photobombed Shane's picture hehe)

I finished in 2:28:34. Not my best time but not my worse. But physically, and emotionally, this race was my best ever (maybe other than my PR bc that race I was on crazy endorphin high because I knew I would PR haha). 

I love Kalamazoo. And I want to run it every freaking year. 

"Demons" - Imagine Dragons

They say it's what you make
I say it's up to fate
It's woven in my soul
I need to let you go

Your eyes, they shine so bright
I want to save their light
I can't escape this now
Unless you show me how

"It's Time" - Imagine Dragons

So this is where you fell
And I am left to sell
The path to heaven runs through miles of clouded hell
Right to the top
Don't look back
Turning the rags and giving the commodities a rain check

I don't ever wanna let you down
I don't ever wanna leave this town
'Cause after all
This city never sleeps at night

It's time to begin, isn't it?
I get a little bit bigger but then I'll admit
I'm just the same as I was
Now don't you understand
That I'm never changing who I am

"Radioactive" - Imagine Dragons

All systems go, the sun hasn't died
Deep in my bones, straight from inside

I'm waking up, I feel it in my bones
Enough to make my systems blow
Welcome to the new age, to the new age
whoa, whoa, I'm radioactive, radioactive