Stats  |  Links  | Photos  |  Narrative Stats HRM Time 3:42 Official Time 3:41:41 (They have my entry screwed up and have me in the marathon.  I had it fixed once and they didn't finish fixing it, so I give up.) Weight: 236 (4 pounds heavier than last half-marathon) Average Heart Rate: TBD Photos Official photos here. A couple months before the half-marathon I walked the route on a beautiful day and took these pictures:   These pictures on the bridge are the only pictures I took the day of the race:   Links Event website and course map. My race report from last year. Narrative Taper:  I did a "three week" taper, but I actually crashed-and-burned psychologically about five weeks out.  There were some issues with having wanted to do the marathon and being disappointed that I was going to have to downgrade to the half, and also there was just general, total, burnout.  I have been training nonstop for more than two years.  Lesson learned: plan more variety in the training and event schedule.  Fortunately I just read The Triathlete's Training Bible, which has excellent information on training and event planning, even more the monosport athlete.  High recommend this book! Race day:  So I was walking and walking and walking and not feeling to great about myself because all these energetic and strong people were passing me.  In fact, some of them were running.  Very fast.  Then I got to the starting area.  I actually teared up!  The announcer was doing a good job, people were happy, it was a great spirit of camaraderie.  I wasn't hungry, which wasn't such a great sign, but I had eaten plenty the day before. Start - 2 miles:  I did not feel good!  I had no smoothness to my running, no feeling of starting line crowd energy.  My first mile was 14 minutes and painful... my first mile at Nashville was 12 minutes and flying.  I had caffeine Sports Beans that I planned to use at Mile 9, my usual low point, but I went ahead and ate them. Miles 3 - 4:  I was just working on not giving up.  I figured I was going to get cut off, since the race required a pace under 14 min/mile to continue and at one point I was down to 16 min/mile.  As I got closer to the bridge, I just wanted to be able to get across the bridge before I had to quit.  Just as I approached the bridge they closed the road lanes to runners.  The race instructions said you would be able to continue on the sidewalk, but there was a police officer standing right in the middle of the sidewalk.  Was he going to make me quit?  No, he let me continue by. Miles 4 - 10:  I knew I could at least finish by walking, so I just kept on going.  I didn't feel that motivated to push very hard, since I knew it was just all a mess.  I ran the down-hills and the flats and walked the uphills.  Including the uphill part of the bridge, which I had planned to run, sigh. Miles 10 - Finish:  At this point I knew I could continue on the sidewalk and I knew my way to the finish line.  I didn't know if the finish would be open, but at least I would complete the course.  As I crossed the finish my Dad and his girlfriend were there.  Yay for having peeps at the finish line!!  The photographer was still there too.  I didn't see anyone with medals and since I was 42 minutes over the cut-off I thought I wasn't going to get a medal.  But then I turned a corner in the finish shoot and there was a woman handing out medals! Lesson learned:  A two week taper is probably better for me.  There is no perfect answer (another lesson learned), but two weeks left me feeling much more energetic and on-the-ball, even though I still had some training sluggishness, than three (um.. five!) weeks that left me a total slug.