The First Hartford Half

Hartford, Connecticut.  Home to the infamous Hartford Marathon series of races.  Which also happens to be the city of my first endurance race: the half marathon.

Keep in mind, I decided to start "this running thing" after finding that I needed something in my life to fulfil a void.  I asked mom friend, Chandra, if she would be game.  No problem!  She was the morale committee + her husband and kids.  

Chandra's kept saying if you can run 8 miles, then you can run a half marathon.  So that is what I did.  Well, maybe half of that distance.  Chandra's husband met us at a few crowd points during the race.  She collected GU gel from him, as well as swapping out layers and sporting a fun princess race tank.  This was a nice first endurance race - not too hilly, plenty of electrolyte replacement, and great crowd support.  To top that off: you get to run under the arch at Bushnell Park.

Chandra and her eldest held hands and crossed the finish line together.  Super sweet!!! 

Now, trying to recall specifics from 2017 when writing this in 2021 is a beast!  There will be another post on the 2019 Hartford Marathon. 

Curious about the gear, pros and cons? Here is a readers digest synopsis of my experience with this race:

Shoes: New Balance - Not sure which line, though!

Compression: KT tape

Pros: Local, great running support + volunteers, race crowds, after party

Cons: Weather is hit or miss.  We were lucky this year!  Post race food is meh, start of the race is crowded

Race injuries: The usual shin splints, blisters

Rating: 4 out of 5 running shoes because you never know what kind of weather you are going to get!  Post race food is okay, but the beer makes up for that.