Bridge Street Half Marathon and ENERGYbits

Ok, yes we are crazy. My husband and I ran a half marathon 2 weeks after our first marathon! It was the first year for the Bridge Street Half Marathon, so it was only $40 and it was in Huntsville where my sister lives. I love getting to go see her and the race was cheap! I couldn't pass it up :) We went up late in the day Saturday and went to dinner with my sister and her husband at their favorite local place. It was weird to go to bed so early at my sister's house because she and I usually stay up late talking when I visit, but I knew I needed rest! I had been sent a sample of ENERGYbits to try so I took them before we left the house the next morning. They are small tablets that are supposed to deliver natural energy without the use of caffeine or harmful chemicals. I'm not one to try new things the morning of a race but since the Knoxville Marathon was only 2 weeks ago I figured I needed all the help I could get! The recommended "serving" is 30 tablets of ENERGYbits. It seemed strange to swallow 30 little tablets, but chewing them is not recommended. Down the hatch they went and we were out the door and headed to the race.  Our friend Chris drove up the morning of the race so we met up with him at the start line. I was so happy my sister had told me where to find the restrooms at the mall! I didn't have to wait in the porta-potty line :) The race was relatively small which was smart since it was their first year. The course had some rolling hills, but for the most part it was flat. The biggest problem was the heat! It was so hot! I got a mental boost when my personal cheering section showed up at 2 different points of the race! My sister, her husband and my little girl cheering for me was great motivation! I even stopped for a quick hug from my little girl both times :) My favorite portion of the race ran through a double helix. Behind the HudsonAlpha Institute for Biotechnology there is a park that is a mile long double helix. It was a neat feature of the course. I took water or powerade at every stop and had about 1/2 a GU around mile 6. I don't think I needed the GU with my ENERGYbits on board though (plus GU in the heat was difficult to swallow)! The farther I got in the race I started to see runners struggling in the heat. I saw one couple seated on the side of the road. The lady was struggling and her friend had stayed with her. I also heard rescue trucks at least twice. I found out later that several runners had needed medical help because of the heat. I have to say with my ENERGYbits and hydration I felt fine at the end of the race! I finished in 2:13 which is typical for me (I am usually sub 2:15). I was surprised with my time because I had not pushed myself and I had run 26.2 just 2 weeks before. Was it the ENERGYbits? I definitely think they helped! I will be incorporating ENERGYbits into my long runs from now on. I finished 34th out of 118 in my age group, pretty respectable for 2 weeks post-marathon I think! We had some snacks after the race including my favorite post race drink CHOCOLATE MILK! We went back to my sister's house, got cleaned up and packed, then went to Moe's Barbecue for lunch and headed home. All in all it was a nice race with cool swag (cups and koozies) and an awesome shirt and huge medal. We will be back next year!