Running Between the Vines 2023 Recap

On August 19th, 2023, I ran the RF Running Between the Vines Half Marathon. This was my first half marathon since returning to running from having knee surgery in 2019 and having a baby in 2020. This was by far the most trained I have ever been for a race.

Back track to 2022, I started training for a half and was signed up for a race in early December. I got to a 9 mile long run and the next day was diagnosed with Covid-19. Fortunately, I had a mile case and recovered in about a week. Unfortunately, anytime I get an illness that effect your lungs in wreaks havoc on my asthma and takes my lungs awhile to start feeling back to normal. So I had to bow out of that race and get a DNS.

Which brings us to January 1, 2023. I decided to start fresh for running and begin with a 5k program and increase my distance from there. I have been following the Lyss Method running programs and am absolutely obsessed. After I completed the 5k program, I worked my way through the 10k program and then the half marathon program. Ultimately finishing with a long run of 10 miles during training. And for anyone that has trained for a longer distance run, they know those last few miles are all mental.

The morning of the 19th, I woke up super excited knowing that I was ready for this race. I had done everything I could to prepare for this. I went about my normal routine and put my contacts in which I have been wearing for almost 20 years at this point. And... one of them decided to rip into 2 pieces while in my eye and getting stuck. This is very painful for those of you that don't wear contacts. After trying to get it out for about 10 mins, I decided to just wait it out and put my glasses on, hoping it would wiggle its way out on its own. At this point my mom and step dad were up because I was slightly panicking. My stepdad offered to drive me to the half marathon in order to let my eye relax and hopefully feel better. Fortunately, by the time we got to the half about 45 mins later, my eye was feeling better and I was able to put new contacts back in. What a relief, as I am extremely near sighted and my glasses would have been quite an experience to run in!

As I was getting myself ready to get out the car to pick up my bib, I realized my headphones were completely dead! Not what I needed after just having the contacts debacle. But I was determined to have a good race, because gosh darn it, it was my freaking 31st BIRTHDAY!!!

It was a very cool morning for middle of August in Michigan and I was ready, excited to just enjoy the race and turn it around! Around Mile 2, I realized how hilly this course was actually going to be and threw out the window the idea of a PR. No big deal, I don't run for time. I just want to run and enjoy the experience. Which brings us to meeting Janice. We started running together and chatting just after Mile 2. and soon enough we were passing mile markers quicker than we even realized. This was her 195th half marathon. She had ran one in each of the 50 states and was working on making it through a second time with different races. We ended up running the rest of the half marathon together and I can truly say, meeting her turned the entire race around for me!

I finished in 2:38:24, not my fasted but by far my favorite half I have ever run!