What do you get when you take a girl who has been running in oppressive Florida heat and magically transport her to Portland, Maine, to run a half marathon?

Pure running perfection.

On Sunday, I ran my 11^th half marathon and first race in New England at the Maine Half Marathon as part of the 2015 Rise.Run.Retreat. It was a magical weekend and a wonderful race.

Going into this race, my expectations were low. I’ve been running easy for most of the year with no specific racing or training goals (you can see my 2015 goals here). My mileage has been low (between 20 to 25 miles per week most weeks), and speed work has been limited. Additionally, given the extremely hot and humid temperatures (still) in Tampa, my easy pace has gotten slower and slower.

With all this in mind, my hope was to run as close to 1:45 as possible (my current PR is 1:38:27).

While all of the above factors are true, I realized I was trying to give myself a way out – saying and thinking things that would soften the blow of disappointment if I ran terribly. I’ve been running so slow. The heat has been intense in Florida. I’ve just been running for fun. I’m not sure what I can do. I probably won’t even be able to keep up a xx:xx pace.

I’m known to be extremely positive when it comes to other people’s running, but quite negative when it comes to my own. This weekend, I was guilty as charged.

Elite runner and Rise.Run.Retreat. attendee Tina Muir had heard enough and suggested I don’t look at my watch during the race. This is the same advice I recently suggested to two of my coaching clients who often struggle with allowing the mile splits on their watch to dictate how they feel – inciting panic or guilt when the number is too high or too low. I’ve never run a race without looking at my Garmin when it vibrates to let me know another mile is complete. I knew seeing a pace I thought was too fast would worry me about how long I could hold it, and I knew seeing a pace that I deemed too slow would deflate me.

So, with a temperature of 45 degrees at the start (hello perfect weather!), I tucked my Garmin under my arm warmer and never looked at it during the race. This meant I would not be able to judge myself harshly based on pace alone.

I ran by feel. During the first few miles, it felt like everyone was passing me. I was trying to start conservatively but I was wondering if I was getting left behind. I didn’t feel wonderful, but I felt comfortable. By the end of the race, I felt like I was passing everyone nearby. There were three clocks on the course (mile 1, 6 and 10), so I had a rough idea that I was running well based on my goal for the race. When I crossed the finish line, I was pretty sure I negative split the race, and when I finally looked at my watch it was clear I had.

Here are what my mile splits – and thoughts in my head each mile – looked like:

Mile 1 (8:06)
This is the best weather in the world. I feel so alive. Why did we decide to move to Florida again?

Mile 2: (7:55)
It seems like everyone is passing me. Is everyone passing me? Am I falling behind the crowd? *Buzz* I wonder what my mile split just was. I want to look at my Garmin.

Mile 3 (7:57)
Wow this is a beautiful course. Maine is such a special state. I need to come here more often.

Mile 4 (7:56)
I wish I hadn’t worn arm warmers. I need to take them off.

Mile 5 (8:00)
I hope I don’t have to stop and go poop. I shouldn’t have eaten all that food yesterday. Seriously, even if I’m just racing for fun, why did I think it was OK to eat a burger and fries, pizza and cake the day before a race!?! I hope my stomach holds up ok. Gurgle. I need to take a GU but I’m going to wait. Hey look, it’s Allie and Tina who have made it around the turn-around point. Go Allie!

Mile 6 (8:03)
So, I knew there were rolling hills, but this is NOT a rolling hill. This is a 90-degree angle for God’s sake. I am so glad I’m not running a full marathon right now. Embrace the hill!!!

Wheeeee! Yay for coming back down this hill.

Mile 7 (7:47)
That is the best race costume ever. I think I like out and back races. Looking at all the people running in the opposite direction is making me forget about everything else.

Mile 8 (7:59)
Oh, there’s Sarah. Thank God I can get rid of these arm warmers and gloves.

Mile 9 (7:35)
Wow, I’m starting to pass people. I wonder if I can catch that girl up ahead.

Mile 10 (7:49)
I didn’t think I was going to catch her. Maybe I’ll try to get those next two girls up ahead. There’s a race clock. I’m on pace to hit my goal for the race and I must be running a bit faster than I thought I would/could.

Mile 11 (7:49)
I can do anything for two more miles. I can feel my lack of higher mileage catching up with me. What a beautiful view running back into Portland. This is such a stunning course.

Mile 12 (7:45)
I’m starting to get a little uncomfortable. I’m ready to be done. I wonder if I’m chafing anywhere.

Mile 13 (7:42)
I can’t believe this song came on right now. I thought I deleted this from my playlist. This is the mile that will never end. Where the f#%&ck is the finish line???

Last 0.22 (7:00):
The finish line has to be just ahead. Sprint in strong. There’s the clock! I exceeded my goal for today. I’m so glad I never looked at my Garmin. Yay for negative splits.

Garmin Totals: 1:44:03, 13.22 miles, 7:52 average per mile

Actual: 1:44:03, 13.1 miles, 7:58 average per mile (darn those tangents)

It was a powerful feeling to run a strong race on a hilly course with a faster second half given my relaxed training the past few months. My overall pace for this race is my goal marathon pace for my next full marathon, which I hope to run sometime in the next year or so. Had I been running higher mileage and specific workouts, that feels like it is attainable.

13.1 Things to Know about the Maine Half Marathon

I really loved this race. Here are 13.1 things you should know about it if you are considering running it.

1. The course is beautiful and scenic. The first three miles have gorgeous views of Portland and the water. The first two and last two miles are along a pretty flat stretch along the water. The rest of the course weaves through neighborhoods and streets with a mix of shade.

2. The weather is darn near perfect. At the race start this year, the temperature was +/- 45 degrees F with winds up to 10 miles per hour. Although it was a tad bit windier than I would have liked, the cool temps made for perfect race day weather. There were a lot of people who were overdressed. Remember that you should dress for conditions about 15 degrees warmer than the actual air temperature given how your body heats up after the first mile. I wore a tank top and shorts with ear warmers, gloves and arm warmers. I took my arm warmers and gloves off at the end of mile 4, and lifted my ear warmers around mile 8 or 9.

3. It’s hilly but you can still run a fast time on the course. The course is described as having rolling hills. This is pretty much true except for a massive hill at the turn-around point during mile 6 that is quite steep. I would say that the course was hillier than I was expecting, but completely manageable, even for someone like me who tends to seek out flat races. The downhill sections gave a nice break to my lungs.

4. The race is a logistical breeze. If you enjoy a race that doesn’t require a strategic plan to get to the start, then you will love this race. We easily found parking in a free parking garage just 400 meters from the starting area. A local gymnasium is open for people to stay warm and use bathrooms. They also have packet pick-up on race morning for people who were unable to get their bibs the day before. There are plenty of places to warm up near the starting area. Getting from the finish line to our car and out on the road was simple, as if no race was happening at all.

5. The medal is worthy of the miles. There is a rotating medallion in the center of the medal, and it is quite large. The ribbon the medal is on is also cool and has the Portland city skyline on it. It will make an excellent addition to my medal tree.

6. The race swag bag is randomly awesome. I don’t think I have ever run a race of any distance and got more in a race bag. It was an incredibly random mix of goodies, but fun to look through that provided lots of laughs. The race shirt was great, and I loved the sturdy reusable bag everything came in. Some of the kooky things inside included full-size packages of band-aids, congestion medication, sinus medication, vitamins for women over 50, beef seasoning, canned baked beans (what the what???), corn thins, two bags of chips and the list goes on. The items below reflect only what I actually kept. Ha!

7. It’s an out and back course. Mentally, an out-and-back course can sometimes feel challenging, but for a half marathon I really enjoyed it. You get to look at runners behind you for miles once you make the turn, which is really fun if you have other friends running the race and you can look for them. I find that often takes my mind off any struggling I may be feeling.

8. There was very little crowd support. Don’t expect many spectators on this course. There were some around mile 7 and then at the end coming into the finish line, but otherwise there were just a few people outside their homes watching on the course. Don’t count on crowds to keep you motivated in this race.

9. The race is the perfect size. This is a smaller race in terms of participants, but you never feel alone. There were 1,766 half marathon finishers and 471 marathon finishers … the perfect size to be uncrowded yet still feel like a big race.

10. The Maine Half Marathon is the perfect race for a girls weekend or getaway. If you’re looking to choose a race to run with friends as a getaway or running reunion, this is the perfect race. Not only is it easy logistically, but there are so many wonderful things to do in the surrounding towns. There are tons of coastal little towns to explore, shop and relax. The beach is also nearby which makes for the perfect retreat.

11. Portland rocks. Before and after the race, spending time in Portland is pure awesomeness. We ate at Evolution Burger which I loved, and I would also highly recommend Portland Lobster Company and Even Tide. There are many boating trips, breweries and other things to fill your days. You can read more about things to do in Portland here.

12. Free photos! Through mainerunningphotos.com, the race uploads hundreds of free photos of runners at various points on the course. It is so awesome to see photos quickly after the race and have the chance to download them for free. They also post several videos as well. I wish more races did this.

13. The volunteers and staff are incredibly friendly. Have I mentioned how much I love Maine? Even the people are awesome!

Last 0.1 You won’t be disappointed. I promise you that this race will not disappoint. If you’re looking for a fall race in New England, be sure to add this to your list.

Have you ever run the Maine Half Marathon or a race in New England? If so, what are your thoughts and what other races would you recommend? If not, do you have a desire to run in Maine? What’s the coolest costume you’ve ever seen someone running in during a race?