The Inside Out Sports Half Marathon ran roads and trails I was fairly familiar with, so I knew I would be comfortable with the course. The race ran roads through Cary before heading into Umstead State Park where it switched to sand packed trails. It was a low-key event, but I was happy to focus on running and not much else.
When I look back on the races I've run, I often realize the lessons I learned about running (or about myself) during the race. On this run, I learned about rolling hills. The course was an “out and back” course, and about the first four miles were rolling hills (which meant the last four were also rolling hills). Like a little kid, running downhill tempted me to “let go,” let gravity take over, and run as fast as I could. I knew there was a reason not to, and remembered it when I started up the next hill. I quickly learned that controlling myself on the downhill saved my legs for the next uphill.
Along with learning a little about rolling hills, I learned that I could do it. I finished my first half marathon and my foot felt great.
