First and hopefully last DNF

So Sunday was the Alexandria half marathon.  Megan was excited it was her first half.  It was a nice small half.  The only thing I was not looking forward to was the three laps around the park.  Really?!  3 laps??  But oh well.  So 7:30ish we started. It was a pretty humid day.  I would say temps were 70 to 75 degrees during the race.  We turned the corner and up a hill we went..ugh.  And so it began my hatred of this race.  My legs felt heavy and I felt like I was pulling a truck behind me.  Finally it flattens out and still I am slow and sluggish.  Finally I reach 3 miles.  I see Sean and Megan coming back towards the park.  Sean told Megan I looked miserable...probably because I was miserable.  3 miles and I am walking and wanting to give up.  So I do the out and back towards the park.  Off I go to the first loop of the park.  Suddenly I see a mile marker 8..yeah you have to figure out and keep track the mile markers (something I am not good at) because they are marked for each mile in the 3 loops.  Then after the 8 mile I see a 4 mile...so confusing.  Some of the faster runners are passing me..yep we are all running a narrow track around a park.  I then decided I couldn't do 2 more loops.  So around the park I went and after I finish my first loop I turn right and start walking the 4 miles back...No real reason to quit except I just mentally couldn't do it.  If that it was an out and back I would have been fine, but I just couldn't keep going around in circles.  I also kept thinking about all the walking I was doing and figuring I would be forever in finishing the race and that was not looking fun.  So off I walked with a DNF.  I cried a bit on the walk back, but I was the one that chose to DNF.  I finally made it back and saw Becky (my first cheer squad and I don't finish the race)  I am talking to her and a girl behind me goes down 50 yards from the finish line...that poor girl didn't know where she was.  Then we were waiting for Megan and another girl needed medical attention..it was a very hot humid day for a run.  Megan finished and really rocked her first half. 


One of us finished, one DNF'd...can you tell which one I am??

 After I thought about my lovely DNF I realized that I felt very similar to my Philly half.  I am still going to  conquer the half.  I didn't train properly for this race and I guess I am ok with the DNF (well as ok as one can be I guess)  I will do another half...I have the Army 10 miler in October and throw in some 5 or 10ks here and there and that is my upcoming race schedule.  I am hoping on doing another half in the spring...we will see.