This was my first international race. I´m hooked. I can now say I´ve run in 27 states and 2 countries. I´m already looking ahead at next yearś vacation spots to see where I might be able to race.
This race was memorable for many reasons. There were lots of unexpected elements- two huge hills, sandstorm like conditions during the last half, a stretch of unpaved, rocky desert sand, and almost no spectators. Thank God for Danielle and her family, because seeing them at about mile 11 was exactly the boost I needed to finish. The wind and terrain made it a pretty rough race- my legs felt more sore after this run than they have after any other half- almost comparable to how they have felt after a full marathon. There were some pleasant surprises too- I anticipated pollution and heat, but neither were a problem. The slight smell of camel poo in the air was not as bad as anticipated, and was actually motivation to run a little faster. The photo finish at the end was pretty unbeatable. Baggage claim and the shuttles back to the hotel were both hot messes, but we got through it just fine, and we have learned to roll with things like this! I learned how to say ¨Good job" in Arabic and can´t wait to yell it to all the runners on the corniche the next time I´m out.
