I had an awesome race. Going into it, I was positive I was going to tank - miserably. Anything that could possibly be going wrong in the days before a big race, was. Between fall allergies, lackadaisical training (I was battling burnout - but more on that later this week), knee and hip pain (from a terrible long run I'd done the weekend before), untimely girl stuff, a splitting headache, and what felt suspiciously like an oncoming cold, I was super nervous. I strongly considered taking a DNS (did not start) and just going down to cheer Rachel on. In the end, though, I started, and man am I glad I did.
Race morning dawned, and it was colder and wetter than I had bargained for. Unlike some, however, I actually enjoy running in the rain - I've always enjoyed a good downpour. I also knew that my splits tend to be better in the colder weather. So despite the less-than-perfect weather, we geared up and made our way to the start of the race.
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| Trash bags make the most fashionable rain gear, didn't you know? |
We stood under an awning with a bunch of other runners, watching the 8k start (they really took the brunt of the rain - they were drenched before they even got the starting call), before heading to our corral to await the start of the half marathon. Before we knew it, we were off on our 13.1 mile trek through Richmond.
Rachel and I had agreed months ago that we were going to run this one separately. She wanted to see just how fast she could finish without reigning back her speed for my sake. So we jogged the first warm-up mile together, before going our separate ways.
As I trucked along the route, I kept an eye on my watch, keeping a vague 2/1 minute run/walk interval, but mostly tuning into how my body was feeling. And let me tell ya, I was feeling great. There were a couple hills that kicked my butt, but aside from that I was feeling pretty awesome. I had both knees taped up (I honestly don't know what I would do without KT Tape), and they survived brilliantly (until we took some wrong turns on the way to the car and wound up trekking up and down a few stairs and hills).
Somewhere around Mile 3, we got hit with another downpour - I loved it. As we ran through the neighborhoods, downtown area, and parks, the spectators lining the streets with their signs and cheering were fantastic. We all had our names on our bibs, and it was such a boost to hear folks calling your name as you ran past. Running through the neighborhoods was wonderful. Whole families were out on their front porches, watching the runners go past as they drank their morning coffee. Some of them had set up their own make-shift fuel, water, and even beer stations. The "junk food" station was by far the best - those gummy bears were crucial - although I was a little saddened to skip over the beer station.
I had a blonde moment around Mile 9 when I thought "hey, only a 5k to go now!" and laughed when realized my mistake when I hit a "5k Fun Run" sign at Mile 10... oops! When I got to that last 5k, though, and realized I was pretty much guaranteed a new PR, I thought of how excited I was to tell my parents and my boyfriend that I had done so much better than I thought I would today. I actually started tearing up a little, recalling the inspirational words Andrew had given me before I set off for Richmond, and at the thought of how proud all three of them would be, and how happy it made me to have such wonderful support cheering me on from home.
I didn't feel myself really start to tire out until Mile 12. Pushed through that looooong last mile, and turned a corner to find a glorious sight: a steep downhill to the finish line. Flew down the hill, and crossed the line with a new half marathon PR - by 15 minutes!
Grabbed my medal, water, and blanket (they were giving out really cute fleece blankets at the finish - another great idea by the organizers!), and wandered to find Rachel and her parents so we could head home, proud finishers of our third half marathon this year.
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| Reunited again, we were all smiles at the finish line. |
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