The half marathon distance is probably my favorite distance. I find that I never quite enjoy a run until I reach about mile 6. I'm always amazed at what might have felt like a difficult first 6 miles suddenly becomes an enjoyable and easy run when I see that mile 7 marker. It probably helps that come mile 7, I'm slowly and steadily passing people rather than struggling to keep up with those around me. The miles start to feel like they're just flying by and I feel much more relaxed. Barry said that running a half marathon always convinces him that he does not want to ever run a marathon. For me, running the half marathon is what convinces me that I may want to run a marathon.
I ran the Fort Atkinson Half Marathon Saturday. This is a small local race technically in its 4th year with a field of only about 350 runners. I say technically because according to Barry, this used to be a 10k event for many years until they recently upgraded it to a half marathon distance. There's also a 5k event that's new this year with only about 150 runners. The half marathon started at 7am, and the 5k started 10 minutes later. The fairly flat course took us through and around Fort Atkinson. There were small bunny hills throughout, but I hardly noticed them. It kept the course interesting without adding any real difficulty though I heard others disagreeing.
