Race Recap: That Dam Run Half Marathon

The course is really pretty too!

When did I become the type of person who celebrates their birthday by running a half marathon? Apparently in 2013, as I ran That Dam Run for the second time, specifically as a birthday present to myself. It was my second time running the course, and knocked about 20 minutes off my overall time, so it wound up being a pretty great gift to myself. Here's the details:

Course: Out and back, my friends. I love out and back courses because you park in one spot and don't have to worry about a shuttle either way and you can cheer yourself on when you recognize things on your way back. This course is special in that it is mostly downhill on the way out, so coming back is pretty challenging. One part of the course is described as "Boston's Heartbreak Hill on steroids". Ouchie.

Crowd: This is a race for runners. There's a crowd at the start/finish line and that's about it, save for some folks who wander out from their homes to watch the runners. They have a few volunteers to cheer you on, but, mostly, you're on your own.

Chow: Aid stations featured water, Gaterade and Sport Beans, which are unfortunately not vegan. Also, they are jelly beans and seem awkward to eat while running. I brought my own Clif Shot though, which powered me through. Post race, there were bagels (which I skipped because of gluten) and Food Should Taste Good chips, which were delicious. The race is pretty close to a Chipotle, which is where I got my post-race nosh.

Bling: Medal upgrade from last year! This one's shiny and nice and heavy. Also, I loved the shirt, which was a lovely shade of green.

Expo: Pretty sparse. Five Hour Energy was there giving out bottles, but that stuff kind of scares me, so I skipped it. I did win a month of Camp Gladiator training, which I'm excited to do after I run the Lincoln Marathon.

Overall, I enjoy doing this race once on the way out and post finish line, but the part in the middle gets a bit rough. Translation: looking forward to doing it next year!