Looking at the starting line for London's Run... bright and early at 8 in the morning! The Race was January 29th, 2011.
I ran a Half Marathon. Wow. Still seems a little surreal to me. I had been training for the Ragnar Relay coming up in February and thought that since my miles in training were fairly high that I should do the half marathon for London's Run. Afterall it's a local event, and is for a great cause. (Children suffering from Cancer) So I didn't sign up. What? No, I didn't sign up I went the morning of and paid a whole. lot. more. to run the race than I would have if I'd signed up earlier, but oh well, it's all going to a good cause! I didn't decide to run until a week or so before, (when my friend Caitlin said she'd run with me). So I wasn't nervous until I made the decision. The last week before I ran my kids were sick, but I still managed to get some miles in, but I did take it easy since this was a "race". I think it's kind of funny though, I knew I wouldn't finish first.... not even almost! I just knew what I wanted my goal to be. I knew I could finish under 2 hours and 30 minutes, but I wanted to beat 2 hours and 15 minutes. So morning before the race I woke up feeling off. Yep. My sickies got me sick. I didn't feel too terrible and just took some IBprofen and took it easy Friday. Saturday I felt a little worse, but I still felt I could pull it off. I've run with colds before, and I was fine.
Saturday morning, up at 5:30 am to eat and start my day so I wouldn't have tummy problems... left for Schnepf Farms @ 7 am. Feeling pretty nervous! It's hard when you don't feel, I don't know... Leggit? I don't really know how to run, what to do, I still feel like a newbie, and the doubt kept eating at me. Self Doubt is great isn't it? No. Ok, so I went and registered, got my bib # of 550, found Caitlin and her hubby and started to warm up. We did a few laps and stretched a bit. My usual routine is to start running, go .5-1 mile, then stretch. That obviously wouldn't work for this race, so I did a warmup, visited the port-o-potties, and changed my shirt twice! Decisions aren't always my strong suit! Haha! That's an understatement... but I digress. It was GO time! C and I went and got in the line, still feeling intimidated since everwhere I look I see people who have "runners bodies" which I DO NOT. I also saw people who looked not so much like runners, and I just tried to focus on the task at hand, not that everyone seemed like a pro exept for me!
Gun time... and we were off! Start the Garmin and Zoom we were outa there! No really, we were, Zoomin'! My easy pace is usually around a 10 min. mile, easy as in I can run for a long time at that pace, and still feel pretty comfortable. Well we came out and I tried to hang with C for a while, she kept lookin' back at me and after about a mile, I waved her on and said Just Go Girl! Don't let me slow you down! So C took off and that left me with me. I run with a visor on for two reasons, 1. so i can keep the sun out of my eyes, and 2. so I don't have to look at people if I don't want to! I know, I have issues! So I turned my music up and WENT! I felt good the first 6, and actually I went out and stayed too fast. All my first 6 miles were under 10 min. miles. Actually they were 9:15-9:30 min. miles with the exception of the 6th that was about 9:45. Good pace for me, but could I hold it? I started to slow down a bit, but was still feeling pretty good. I got thru miles 7 and 8 just going with the flow, listening to my tunes. Miles 9 and 10 I started to feel it. I had chosen to wear a long sleeve shirt. Bad move, I would have been better off in my short sleeve, ( plus I was running a fever and didn't know it, oops) And it was dry and dusty out, so my shoes were full of it. Mile 10 I felt a hot spot on my foot below my big toe on the bottom of my foot, and I knew I had a blister. I could feel it. So the last 3 miles I ran every step feeling that blasted blister. Also in the last 3 miles I started getting bad leg cramps in my left quad. Cramps that I had never felt before. Cramps that if I didn't stop and stretch them out, I'd probably have colapsed at some point. Yeah it hurt that much. Oy! Talk about frustrating though! I had come 10 miles and now I have to stop! I wasn't very happy, but I didn't have a choice. So the last 3 miles I had to stop I think 4-5 times to stretch my quad or calf. I also walked some on and off in there because stretching sometimes didn't eleviate the cramps completely. One of the last times I stopped to stretch, I used one of the race volunteers truck, I ran to it and said "I need to borrow your truck!" ... "just to stretch!" I only had aoubt 3/4's of a mile left, I knew I wanted to run the rest of the way. During the last few miles I had been close by a few people one older man who looked pretty old to me, but was 64 I found out, and an older lady who would run/ walk. Both of these people were such an inspiration to me! They never gave up! The man ran in a very "non typical way" It was almost funny to watch, but he did it. He ran the 1/2 marathon. Along the whole course were pictures of children who are fighting cancer, these pictures helped to motivate me, because I would think, wow, those kids have to go thru cancer, I can do this! One of the last pictures on the course was the picture of London Soloman ( who London's Run is named after and put on by her parents) Under her picture it said "The Reason" I almost lost it. I had to hold a few sobs in the last 1/2 mile or so. London was 6 when she died, in first grade just like my Kylie. That just made it hit home even harder. What a beautiful little girl she was! What a special spirit she has. So the last bit between trying not to cry or colapse! Lol! It was pretty slow going. The last 75 ish yards I did pick up the pace and finished in a time of 2 hours 19 minutes and 42 seconds. So i beat the time I knew that I could beat, but I know if I hadn't had to stop for those pesky leg cramps that I could have beat my 2:15 mark. Next Time!?? Who knows!?
I am very proud of myself that I did this. I've always been an athlete, but never a runner. I guess now I can't really say that. It's such a great feeling to know that I accomplished this. Even though I didn't finish first, or even the first half... I finished. I did it!
My friend Caitlin Miller and I after the race.
One bummer was that I didn't have anyone there from my family after the race. :( My hubs and older 2 girls were hunting (planned for a long time) and the 2 little ones were at home with a babysitter. I really missed having someone there when I was done!
After the race I stretched and ate some food and went home. At home I was shivering so bad my baby girl told me to get in the shower to warm up. I took a long hot shower. When I got out I was still cold and so I took my temperature. FEVER! Oops. Running a 1/2 marathon is probably not the best thing to do if you're sick...I spent the next 4 days pretty much totally out of commision! Turns out I had an upper respiritory infection which I am still recovering from. Good times! :)
Up next... RAGNAR! Woo Hoo!
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