MOUNTAIN PULSE: I got to run the 2013 ZOMBIE half marathon yesterday!

I was SO bummed out last year when I couldn't run the Zombie with Miles due to my ITBS injury. But this year-injury free, albeit a bit undertrained-I ran it with my hunny, various and sundry friends, and Willa ran the kid's 2k! Since we have not properly trained, Miles and I once again did the one minute Run/Walk split to keep the impact lower. We came in approx. 2 minutes faster then the Big Wild Life half where we employed the same race method, and only 15-ish minutes slower than our very first half where we ran the whole thing. We had a great time making our bloody ripped shirts and zombifying our faces.

Water dowsing zombie?

At the start we were joined by many other variations of zombies as well as the random, "OO! a Race! I have to look sexy" jerk-offs in their very UN-zombie sexy kitty, sexy bunny, sexy fairy, sexy whatever costumes. I don't get it. It's a ZOMBIE run. Zombies run after people to try to eat them, therefore when you have a race of runners dressed as zombies running through the woods, it looks like something out of a freaky zombie movie!!! Why the ra-oh, never mind. There will always be those who MUST take every opportunity to dress up in a "sexy" costume. Jesus, at LEAST be a sexy ZOMBIE? Zombie run 101 lesson OVER.

Well played, my friend!

A girl and her zombie dog with lunch

Happy runners ready to start!

The weather was warm for this time of year and the trail filled with wet colorfull leaves. Cool fresh air and the deep loamy smell of autumn. An enjoyable run along the coastal trail opening up into beautiful vistas and then into the woods of Kincade Park. Awaiting us was a long winding bitch of a hill leading us the last 3/4s of a mile to the finish. Miles and I were pretty much side by side, but about 100 meters before the finish line I suddenly got tingly and light headed. Logic trumped ego and I slowed to a walk until it passed. It seemed like a minute went by before I resumed running and crossed the finish, but apparently it was only 10 seconds because Miles crossed at 2:15:15 and my time was 2:15:25. I'm bummed he finally beat me in a race but glad I listened to what my body was saying!
We found Willa and her friend who had just finished their 2k. 2 cute zombie girls with their hard earned bag of loot and proudly displaying their race medals. It wasn't until we where seeking food inside the park's chalet that I realized the medals Miles and I where wearing were from some other race TWO years ago!!! I looked around and saw a few people with the cool Halloween inspired ribbons sporting 2013 Zombie Half Marathon medals...but MANY with the 2011 ones!!! There was a hailstorm of complaints on the Anchorage Running Club's FaceBook page, let me tell you! Mine included. Along with much bitching about the fact that the aide stations ran out of water soon into the race! What shit-ass planning! All these people of all ages, shapes, sizes, and athletic levels who trained long and hard, and got out there and BUSTED ASS to RUN 13.1 miles...and they are greeted at the end with a 2 year old medal from another race?!?!? SLAP in the face! You just don't DO that! Most might say, so what, it's a hunk of medal, but to us runners it's an important symbol and keepsake. Idiots. Finally they responded to the complaints and hopefully we will be able to add the appropriate medals to our collection sometime soon.
Anyhoo....I'm proud, I'm happy, I'm in love with my family and I'm looking forward to more...
I felt great the rest of the day. Peaceful and calm but still had energy and no major stiffness like in the past. Today, however, my legs are pretty sore. Planning on making it a snuggle and watch movies day.