Probility Ann Arbor Half Marathon
October 24, 2021
2:34:56
Temp: high 30s
What I wore: hat, tank top, quarter zip, a Skirt Sports Lotta Breeze Skirt, compression socks, and Altra Rivera
Location: Ann Arbor, Michigan
When I decided that I wanted to visit my son at college this fall, it occurred to me that I could finally get back out for a live race! Conveniently, the Probility Ann Arbor race fell the same weekend as his fall break, so I jumped on the opportunity!
Because the race was about an hour away, I opted to do morning of packet pickup. I missed out on the expo, but honestly, I don’t need any more stuff from a race! Driving over race morning was easy (although foggy as all heck) and packet pickup went super smoothly. There was a ton of parking at the UM stadium, which was less than a half mile away, so I parked, picked up my bib and shirt, and then hung out in my car for a bit.
I had no time goal for this race. The global pandemic has trashed my speed and I was only barely trained for the race. I just planned to run comfortably until I couldn’t and then I’d do run/walk for the remainder. Despite tripping in the first mile (and running the entire rest of the race with blood down my leg), I was able to run almost the whole time.
The course is gorgeous and winds its way through the UM campus, complete with a trail section. That section also included nearly a mile of uphill, so there was quite a bit of walking during that point. After the hill, I was able to get back in a groove and I finished strong – meeting (barely) the goal of 2:35 that I set partway through the race. It’s definitely a race I would run again!
The good:
- The course was beautiful!
- Logistics were simple: plenty of portapotties and easy parking.
- The volunteers were all UM students and super excited to be out there. There was an awesome vibe to the whole race.
- There were so many water stops that I didn’t even carry my handheld, which is something I almost never run without.
- Real food at the end! Mac and cheese and pancakes and snacks!
- Free photos from multiple locations on the course.
The bad:
- There were some wicked hills during the race!
The ugly:
- I totally wiped out in the first mile. I got asked at every water stop if I needed a bandaid (yeah, it was that bad.)
Would I run this race again?
Absolutely! If it coincides with fall break again next year, I will run it again.
I’m not sure if I’m back to blogging, but I started this blog originally to chronicle my running. I’ll at least be including race reports as I start running live races again. It’s good to be back out on the roads with other runners!