Rockin in at Rock n Roll Dallas Half Marathon

This past weekend I ran the Rock n Roll Half Marathon in Dallas. All weekend was very busy.

 I got into Dallas very late on Thursday night and checked into the
 Omni Hotel in Downtown Dallas. This was a very a beautiful hotel and I would recommend it to anyone considering this race in the future. The start line was literally out my window.

The next day I helped my friend Doug at the Big Sur booth at the Expo. The Convention Center where the expo was held was attached to the hotel so that was very convenient. After working all day we attended a dinner at a local BBQ place for RRCA members. The next day I was back to working the booth all day again at the Expo. That evening we attended a silent auction for the RRCA members. This was pretty cool. There were many items you could bid on such as wine baskets, race entries, running gear, and even autographed books from elites. I won a medal hanger. It said "Running Princess" so I thought it would be perfect to put all my Disney Princess medals on. After the auction, there was a catered dinner, followed by a few speakers.

All weekend it was chilly, which I didn’t mind because I wasn’t outside anyway. But I was hoping it was going to be nice on race day. The news kept saying there was a cold front coming in the area. After hearing that, I had to rethink my outfit decision. I didn’t think a tank top and shorts would be suitable. It was either spend money on another race shirt at the expo that I didn’t need or wear the race shirt.

The race shirt it was! Besides, I didn’t have any more room in my bag to pack more clothes. I only brought a personal item, not even a carry on.  There were so many other people wearing it as well that said the same thing. I know some people frown upon this, but I didn’t really care and I was more comfortable wearing that than I would have been in a tank top.

The next morning since the start was right out my window, I didn’t have to get up super early. I met my friend down in the lobby and we walked out about 7:45am, dropped off  a bag at bag check, and walked to the start for an 8:00am start.

Borrowing this photo from Marathon foto.

Doug was trying to pace me to a PR and promised he would stay with me regardless of what happens. Of course in the back of my mind, I was hopeful for a PR. But really, what does it matter? It’s not like I am going to win the race, I'm just competing with myself. We went out pretty conservative, feeling good. Then about mile 5 there was a big hill. We had to run up the interstate ramp and onto the bridge. In addition to the massive incline, once we got on the bridge, it was pretty windy. I was so happy that I decided to wear my shirt and arm sleeves, instead of the tank I had brought. It route flattened out a bit before a few more rolling hills. It was nice seeing the downtown area of Dallas, since I have never been there. But the terrain was challenging at times, because it was so uneven and there were cracks in the road where we were running.

 Despite all this, I was still making good time. Ten miles into it, I was feeling good so I wanted push myself a little more, and that is just what I did. This time I was the one that left him behind (after he left me behind a few years ago at Virginia Beach Rock n Roll). He eventually caught up with me the last half mile and continued to push me to the finish.

Borrowing this photo from Marathon foto.

Finishing with a four minute PR! Woo hoo! After the race, it was still pretty cold and windy.

Luckily the VIP area was not outside in a tent, but in the Westin across the street. In addition to the spread of food and drinks, they were also offering massages. After enjoying my brunch and massage, I headed back to my hotel to get ready for my flight.

Overall, it was a great weekend. I was happy to have experienced another Rock n Roll Race in a different city.  Have you ever visited Dallas or raced there? ~L

*Sorry for the poor picture quality.