Review of Baltimore Half Marathon

Friday- Night before the Half Marathon

I did a 30 minute leisure walk on the treadmill and did a fabulous hour of yoga. I even managed to do my first handstand (headstand) since cheerleading! I felt really good after yoga. I went home, showered and got all dolled up for a pre-race dinner with my fabulous parents. We ended up going to the Cheesecake Factory where I consumed some of their delicious brown bread, half a turkey burger (no mayo because mayo is super gross) and half of my sweet potato fries. I'm not one to eat pasta or pizza because red sauce= no bueno with my tummy.

After dinner we swung by one of my favorite places in the universe, TARGET! We had to pick up food for mom's breakfast because I purposely don't keep a lot of food at my apartment. We also picked up bagels and a pack of peanut butter m & m's for post race :) Once we got home I updated my I-pod, got things ready and got to bed. 

Morning of the Half-Marathon

I set my alarm for 7:30, as I was meeting a friend from law school in front of school at 8:30 a.m. I woke up my parents, got dressed. I checked the weather and switched my race outfit from my pink lululemon run skirt to the lululemon inspire crop. I really hate running in weather under 70 degrees. So when its sub 70 I run in crops and a long sleeved shirt.  The crops were a great choice! Not once did they move. Lululemon really makes great products.

The really cool thing about the Baltimore Running Festival is the race day coverage. As we were getting ready we had on a local news stations that was providing day-of coverage. So we were able to watch the start of the full marathon and all the crazy elite runners. On our way to the law school, Dad stopped by Starbucks to pick up his coffee. Living next to a Starbucks is extremely convenient (and expensive).  

Me before the start with my fabulous Phi Sigma Sigma inspired hat

We walked over to the Inner Harbor where the Half Marathon was scheduled to start around 9:45 a.m. This was a bit confusing and chaotic because everyone was trying to figure out the corral system and where the race was supposed to start. Around 9:30 a race director started directing people and the chaos ended. Right about that time is when the pre-race jitters started. I stretched out and focused on the marathon participants making their way through their mile 12 or so. The full marathon and half marathon don't cross paths until mile 3 for half marathoners. As I heard the first corral getting ready to start, I started my i-pod and just waited for our turn...

The Baltimore Half

The Baltimore Half Marathon was pretty cool. It's really nice running through a city that I've lived in for almost three years. We ran through downtown Baltimore, Fell's Point, Patterson Park, and the not-so-touristy areas of Baltimore. Around mile 5, the lovely streets of Baltimore welcomed me by causing me to roll out my ankle. For those that may not be familiar with Baltimore, Baltimore has tons of pot holes. Unfortunately for me, my foot met one of those potholes. Regardless of this minor set back, I managed to make it through the next 8 miles.  I smiled and had a great time throughout the entire race. The people of Baltimore are extremely friendly. So many people were cheering us on and had fabulous signs. Big pro- A lot of people bought out their puppies and dogs. I love seeing dogs :) I truly understand why Baltimore is known as the "Charm City." 


As I approached Mile 11, we were getting back to the Downtown area of Baltimore. Mile 11 through Mile 13 was mostly down hill. The fun part was that around Mile 12.3, we passed right in front of the apartment building and the Hippodrome. The finish line of the Baltimore Half and Full Marathon is in between Camden Yards (where the Orioles play) and Raven's Stadium. As I was getting close to the finish line I heard my parents screaming "Fifi, Fifi, Fifi." (Fifi is my nickname) My eyes got watery because I know how proud my parents are, and I felt so blessed to have them there. I have the world's best parents. 

Finish Line/ Post-Race

On to the next topic, I will admit that the finish line was a bit disorganized. As soon as I crossed the finish line, I retried my lovely medal (with a crab on it!!!). Then the chaos began. I had to hunt down the line for the water and they weren't giving away bottles of Gatorade? Then there was a completely separate line for snacks. Just trying to get out of the area was a 10 minute ordeal. Other than the finish line woes, the Baltimore Half Marathon was a great experience. I am so happy that I was able to run through the city of Baltimore without having to wait for stop lights :)

Mr. Crab- My Half Marathon Medal

 So, what is Anais doing now? Well I've spent the last couple days nursing this evil ankle and I have an orthopedic doctor's appointment on Friday. Hopefully, *fingers and toes crossed* the doctor will say that its only a minor strain and I'm being a big fat baby, and then I can start training for the Goofy!