Race Report

The anticipated half marathon is over. After all that training, it's a done deal. It was so far away and then all of a sudden we were at the starting line with over a thousand other 'runners' (or posers like me). Very weird!

I learned a few things about distance running on this race as it's the first race I have ever done over a 5k.

First, when your DH tells you that running downhill is harder than you think, it's smart to believe him.

Second, you will have consequences if you have only worn your shoes a couple of times.

Third, you will get tired and contemplate walking a little.

Fourth, practice anything you are going to try BEFORE the race.

Fifth, people in front of you might walk and beat you.

Sixth, driving home right after might not be the best idea.

DH and I dropped the kiddos at his parents' cabin and left to go get dinner. I hadn't eaten that much and managed more than my share of a Subway ham with a bunch of junk including jalapenos and banana peppers sandwich. It might not have been the smarted prerace meal but it sure was delicious.

DH and I went back to our hotel. I put my stuff out and tried on my clothes. I had to figure out where the best place for my number was. I put my fuel (popcorn Jelly Belly jelly beans and some raisins) in my pouch. I felt like I was pretty ready. Then we went to bed around 9:15.

I couldn't sleep for almost an hour. I was just too dang nervous. I worried over and over that I would be last. I told DH that it would kind of serve me right if I were because I most likely needed a slice of humble pie.

4 am came and so did the alarm. We jumped up and started getting ready. We caught our shuttle and headed to the race start. It took us a while to find my SIL and BIL who were running it. My SIL was over the top excited. I think BIL was still half asleep.

When it got close to race time DH moved up a bunch. SIL moved up some. BIL and I moved back. I saw a lady with these really muscly calves. I pointed it out to BIL. I also noticed the lady in front of us that looked to be about 5-6 months pregnant. I noticed the ladies with the green grandma tee shirts. Then the gun went off and people started moving along. Eventually went made our way across the chip timed pads and started to move.

(Two weeks later after forgetting much of what I wanted to write.)

So we started the race. Pregnant cute lady with the belly supporter was ahead of me. I just started moving along feeling all fabulous because I was actually doing this race. We went up and rounded a corner and there was a slow incline. Bummer! But slow and steady was my goal so that's what I kept doing. I was shocked that I wasn't in last place. It's amazing how quickly the crowd thins out. (Now maybe this only happens in the back. Who knows?) So my BIL and I were cruising (okay... or not cruising... moving) along and he needs the first bathroom stop. I ran ahead and told him I was slow enough that I was sure he would catch up to me. Then within maybe 2 minutes I was thinking I should have stopped. But there was no way I was going backwards. I may be slow but I didn't want to look like I didn't even know which way to run. BIL caught back up to me. The line was too long for his liking.

We we kept going and the downhill started. The pace picked up from super slow to slightly less than super slow (upper 9 and lower 10 minute mile range) and I got horrible side stitches. But they were in my side but right in the center where my ribs meet. It was so bad that I was pushing on them trying to make it go away. We kept running until the bathroom because what else can you do. Then we had a long wait for a port o potty. As much as I hated to waste the time I was grateful to have the short break because it made the pain go away. We started right back up and the pain was back. BIL decided to run ahead and go faster so I decided to slow down and the pain went away. I guess my body isn't used to going that fast for long.

Somewhere in this time there was the first photographer. I didn't know what to do as I passed. Do you suck in your gut? Do you just keep running? Do you make a grand spectacle of yourself? The latter is surely not my style so I just looked forward and ran. As a result I look a little or a lot too serious in the pic. I ended up hitting one more bathroom along the route.

The nice thing about being a slower runner is that the fast people don't pass you much. There aren't so many fast people left. So from my second bathroom break until the last mile or so I had no one pass me. I would just pick someone in the distance and then work on taking him/her out. This usually worked. There were, however, a few people that worked me a little harder.

The first person was Drumstick. Remember the lady I said had awesome calves. I ended up running behind her for quite some time. I just couldn't catch her. In my mind I called her Drumstick due to the shape of her strong calves and tiny ankles. It was my goal to catch her for at least 20 minutes. Then when I finally caught her I felt kind of sad because the chase was over. Drumstick wasn't one of the slackers. She was a strong but slow penguin runner.

I also worked hard at passing Mr. and Mrs. Walker. They were speed walking like crazy. They had that hip action that sort of makes it look like their hips are out of joint or something. When I got closer to them early on in the race I heard her tell him, "11:54 right on pace." They were SERIOUS speed walkers. They got ahead of me when I had those dang bathroom breaks. So when I saw them I knew I had to get past them. They took a little work because I was getting tired by then.

Then I came up on the pregnant lady. She was a little tricky to pass too. How can you run that pregnant and still move that quickly. Heck, I would have a hard time getting up from my chair after eating bon bons.

Lastly, there was the yellow shirt lady. This lady proved to be much trickier. She would walk and then run much faster. I kept thinking, "Hello lady. I am a , um, runner... see I am NOT walking and you just keep beating me." It took me quite some time to beat her. By the time I beat her my calves were tired and I kept feeling like I had a rock in my shoe.

So I stopped one last time and stretched my calves for 30 seconds leaning on a speed limit pole. My calves were so tight. We were getting closer to the end.

So I kept on going. No one was still passing me. It was hot and there was no shade from the mountains. In the distance there was a hill. Oh how I didn't want to do that hill. I started up it and then realized that when you got to what seemed kind of like the top it curved and kept going up.

That hill killed me. I contemplated walking. I didn't really want to run anymore. But the race was just about over and I so didn't want to say I walked it.

I just shuffled along. I couldn't find the rock in my shoe. I just kept moving. And then it happened.

FOUR people passed me. Mr. Walker ditched Mrs. Walker and walked on past me. Yellow Shirt zoomed ahead as well as two other people. I spent so much of the race passing people and in the final mile four people got me!

I could see the finish in sight. Some family was parking its car along that road and I was trying to get around them as they hogged much of the road. You can't all walk shoulder to shoulder pushing strollers when people are supposed to be finishing a race.

I saw the finish and just shlepped forward. When I went across the finish I did a big no no. I looked at my watch. So my picture (which I most likely won't be buying) has me looking at the time. Then, I forgot to stop it. I didn't realize for maybe 15 minutes that I forgot to stop the watch.

I found the family and we took a couple of pictures and then I told them I needed to go back and watch Drumstick finish. She actually ended up quite a bit behind me. I was really happy for her when she crossed the finish line.

I took my shoes off. There were no rocks but two little bloody worn off parts. I guess that is what was irritating me.

I started getting sore quickly. Dh was so very right about that.

We went back to our hotel and got ready to leave. We picked up the kids from DH's parents' cabin and drove home.

I felt great having accomplished my goal. It's not often that I manage to follow through with something that takes a long period of tenacity.

Within hours I could barely walk. I hurt so much. Going downstairs was painful. I'm not talking a little tender. I'm talking groan with every step pain.

90% of the people beat me. I was so worried about being last and over 110 people finished behind me (or something like that). It made me feel like I could do it again.

I have my race picked out. It's another half in the fall. Hopefully it'll keep me motivated to run some more.