Heart Breaker PR!

We did the first-annual Heart Breaker run last year and had a blast, so we knew we wanted to do it again this year for sure.
This time, Brad tackled the very hilly half-marathon, his first real half because he stayed with me during September's Disney run. And I went for the 10K with a plan to smash my old PR.
It was a chilly 40 degrees or so as Brad lined up for his 7:30 a.m. start on Salmon Street at the World Trade Center.
Must ditch the puffy jacket.
I love when he wears that yellow hat - I can spot him easily in the crowd:
And he's off!
After heading north on Naito, the half course reverses and goes south and then up Terwilliger. My race wasn't until 8:40 a.m., so I hung around to see him zoom past again:
When I finished my race, I immediately asked how he did. "I killed it. And then I mutilated its corpse" was the response.

Wow - I guess all that worrying about the huge hill was for nothing.

He finished in 1:49, a 8:18-minute-mile average. Excellent!!
Since he finished a few minutes ahead of me, he was waiting on the corner with the camera ready:
I heard him call my name as I sprinted across the finish line:
Still sucking wind as he snapped this beauty:
I wouldn't say that I mutilated my race's corpse, but I killed my PR! My previous personal record for a 10K course was a 9:39-minute-mile. I finished the Heart Breaker at a 9:15, taking more than 2 minutes off my total time.
I was very pleased with my race. I had a plan to run around a 9:30 for the first few miles and then turn it up as I was able in the last few. My goal was simply to come in below my previous record.

I held steady at a comfortable 9:25 until about Mile 4 when I turned it up a notch. Then in the last mile I kicked it into gear and started running harder. I sprinted the final yards across the finish line.

It was so affirming to know that my hard work over the past months was paying off with stronger, faster races!

One thing we loved about last year's race was the food - and this year was just as good!

Fruit, snack mix, bread, PBJ and strawberry shortcake. We missed the amazing homemade soup from last year, but they offered a hot oatmeal bar with all the fixings instead. Yum!
Happy racers :)
We headed home to shower, ice and stretch before refueling at our new favorite restaurant, Native Foods Cafe in Bridgeport Village. We each ordered the Sunday special, the vegan Chicken Run Ranch Burger. White bean soup for me and sweet potato fries for Brad:
Of course we donned our matching race shirts!! We're just cool like that.

The sandwiches were so yummy, and then we topped it off with the Reese's Peanut Butter Heart Mom gave me for Valentine's Day. I'd been saving it to eat after my race:
The Heart Breaker was excellent again, and we've already put next year's race on the calendar... join us!! :)