2016 Novi Half Marathon Race Recap

Here’s what I’ve been up to lately in the racing department. Check out my recap of the 2016 Novi Half Marathon I completed this past weekend. It was my first half marathon in over three years!

About a month after Dan and I started dating we were working out together and I mentioned that someday I would love to run a marathon. Little did I know that he was more TYPE A than I realized and asked immediately ‘great, what race should we sign up for?’ Needless to say I was a bit surprised by his quick response, especially knowing that he did not have much prior running experience. On the other hand I was also thrilled to learn that I had met someone who would jump at the opportunity to challenge himself like I enjoyed doing.

This began our journey of racing, starting at half marathons and quickly jumping to triathlons of all distances and full marathons. We completed our first half marathon in 2008 in Virginia Beach and had a blast! One of many things we quickly learned is how easily you can get injured even when you’re trying to be smart with your training schedule. Unfortunately Dan has had reoccurring feet issues and couldn’t run this current race with me.

Since having children I have tried to keep up with running as much as possible but jobs and life in general got in the way which is why I haven’t run a half marathon in over three years. 

Th Novi half marathon was located in Southeast Michigan an was the perfect race to get back in the routine of racing again. Check out my highlights of the race below!

My Novi Half Marathon Experience

Time of Year

This race was at the end of April which makes it the perfect springtime race since it’s far enough away from winter weather but not too late in the spring to experience extreme heat. Although we’ve had extra cold weather this spring in Michigan, I didn’t have to run too many long runs in extra cold weather.

Size of Race

This race was on the smaller size which is nice for a change. This race included a half marathon, 10K and 5K. I loved that each race had it’s own start time, so there was no congestion at any point in the race.

My Training Plan

I used Hal Higdon’s half marathon training plan. The basic training plan is free online but you can also purchase a detailed plan as well. I have used both the Novice 2 and Intermediate 1 in the past and enjoyed both. This time I loosely followed the Novice 2 plan since I only had 2 1/2 months to train for the race and started with no running at the beginning due to my hernia surgery mid-January.

Race Route

Although the race was an “open course” meaning the roads we ran on would also be open to traffic, I barely noticed. The route included a lot of running in gorgeous neighborhoods surrounding a beautiful inland lake. And it was surprisingly a flat course given the area – yes, the website states a “flat and fast course” however, from my experience “flat” can be quite subjective and a few races I have completed that were labeled “flat” definitely had a decent amount of hills!

Food, Beverages & Gear

The course had adequate aid stations positioned properly throughout the course. The finish line had plenty of water, bananas and even Cinco de Mayo themed treats! I also received a long sleeve tech shirt with my race entry – and I believe you can never have enough tech shirts.  My workout gear mostly consists of racing shirts which are great reminders of all the work I’ve put in to get that far!

And to those wondering I completed the race in 2 hours 25 minutes. I was aiming for between 2:15 and 2:30 so I met my goal. My PR (personal best) was a 1:55 in 2012 which I’m definitely going to strive to beat soon!

This race was put on by the Kona Running Company which also includes several more fun-themed races throughout the year. I’m definitely checking out their Kona Chocolate Run in November!

Disclaimer: I received a free race entry in exchange for review of the race. 

This 2016 Novi Half Marathon Race Recap post first appeared on Chocolate Slopes.

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