Last time on this blog I left you with a recap of my fun-filled Labor Day weekend. After enjoying a brunch in South Lake Union last Sunday, it was time to head over to Super Jock ‘n’ Jill in Green Lake for race packet pickup.

Check out the crazy bright yellow technical long-sleeved race shirt. I actually really liked the fit and color for nighttime runs, supplemented by my blinking armband, of course. Safety first.

While at SJJ, I was excited to see Oiselle apparel! As mentioned in a recent post here, they make amazing women’s running apparel. Their Roga shorts are the perfect fit and I had no complaints during the recent 20 mile long run. Since the weather is still summer-ish in Seattle, I’ve been longing for more light-weight sleeveless run tops. Couldn’t resist getting the Oiselle Mesh Tank in violet. Super light-weight, mesh panel in the upper back (sexy), and best of all I was excited to try it out for the race. In addition, I picked up a few other goodies for fueling on upcoming runs from Road Runner Sports store nearby.

The rest of Sunday afternoon we spent relaxing and hitting up the dog park at Magnuson Park. If you have a dog and you live in Seattle, I highly recommend you take your pup there! They even have a small dog section which is fenced, perfect for pups like Lola to run crazy in and socialize with other pups. Doesn’t she look super happy? Love.

Later that night I was really looking forward to dinner, not just because of pre-race carbo-loading, but because Joe and I were going to one of our favorite sushi places in town, Umi Sake House!! Umi is hands down one of my favorite restaurants, in general. I hadn’t ever tried sushi for a pre-race dinner but, after consulting Twitter friends and online articles, I learned that many people opt to go the sushi route over pasta. Don’t get me wrong, I am a pasta fan, but I just needed to fulfill the intense sushi craving.

We started with their delicious Crispy Calamari, and enjoyed several rolls including the Moonraker (spicy yellowtail, cucumber & cilantro, topped w/ seared spicy snow crab mix, black tobiko, green onions, jalapeño-citrus sauce & truffle oil… OUR FAVORITE!), Legend of the Roll, Belltown Barbie, and Crunchy Seattle. Oh so, so good.

Race day morning came on Monday and I’m happy to report that I woke up feeling well-rested and refreshed. For breakfast, I opted to go with my recent combo of oatmeal with chopped peaches, honey, and chia seeds. It worked well for the 8 miler a few days prior to this half, so I tested this out for the half to see if it’d give me enough fuel and energy. It’s always a good idea to test our different fueling options prior to your big race day (mine being the upcoming Portland Marathon).

I’m so lucky that Joe is always super sweet and supportive of my racing. He always comes to all of my races and usually transports me to and from the race. This time he brought the pup as an additional cheerleader. In addition to my cute little cheerleader, check out my Oiselle mesh tank and Roga shorts, Spibelt, and Zensah leg compression sleeves. Overall, I loved the way my outfit looked but also how I felt during the race wearing these clothes.

The course itself (official map located here) was a refreshing change! I’ve never run in Marymoor Park in Redmond, nor the Eastside, so having new scenery was definitely exciting. It was also a fairly flat course, so there were some speedy runners out there.

At about mile 4 or so, my legs started feeling a little fatigued. It may have been due to running 8 miles just a couple days before, but it could also be that during races I tend to start out waaaay too fast. My first mile was a 7:36 min/mile. As soon as I saw how fast I went out, I adjusted the rest of the race right around 8:05-8:15 min/mile. Especially as a training long run, for 13 miles, I knew my legs would get really fatigued for the remainder of the race.

At the finish line I sprinted my little heart out and finished the remaining nubbin mileage in 7:16 min/mile. I guess there was still some life hiding in those legs! It also helped that I spotted Joe and the pup and surprise visitors, Joe’s parents, cheering me on in the crowd!! Seeing them unexpectedly made me so happy. My heart was full from all of the support. 🙂

Despite tired legs, I managed to bust things out and complete the race in 1:47:14, 8:11 min/mile pace. It wasn’t a PR, but it was a minute faster than the See Jane Run Half Marathon in July, so that was positive!

Here are remaining pictures from post-race:

Rebecca and I (congrats on your new PR!) photo credit: Rebecca and Lauren – need a pic of us! Next time.

Once I got home I added the new medal to the overflowing medal rack. 😉

Here’s also the post-race goodies from the event. I’ve tried the Orchard Bar so far and it’s very good!

Note: if you live in Seattle and would like some race goodies (tons of bars, fuel, etc) let me know! I am happy to share the bounty from the seven races I have done this year.

All in all, this year’s Labor Day weekend turned out to be very fun and active. In an upcoming blog post I look forward to sharing the recap of today’s Iron Girl 10K in Seattle. Lots of speed!

Happy running and fitness to you this week!

Any fun plans from this weekend? Did you sign up for any new races?