Sunday, August 21, 2011

PArty LiKe It'S 1999


Yesterday was my first half-marathon. This was the race that I have been training for, all my hard work led up to this moment!
Up at 5:30am ready with coffee and my granola, ipod charged; race number, sun glasses, watch= check.
We had all the kids and got them up and everyone out of the house by 6ish for the 7am start time. With 10 minutes before the start everyone in the corrals, stomachs turning with nervousness and excitement, they call a race delay for incoming weather. Seriously.

it was a nasty storm, and after an hour and a half we were lined up and ready to rock. It was still pouring rain and I equipped with only sunglasses as a way to keep the water from my eyes, was soo nervous. I'm in corral F with an estimated finish time of 2 hours, lets do this already!
And we're off, I feel good by mile 3, I was soaked through and my light jacket was no longer protecting me from the rain, it was just making my cold; off it went. The rain stopped and it was warming up and the miles were flying by. I was thinking to myself "wow this is going by fast"
I knew my pace was faster than I had been running and the couple people i had my sights on to beat were far behind me after the first 2 miles.
I planned to take my gel at the half way point of 6.5, and I was to 7 before I was eating it. At mile 10 the kids and Roger literally pulled up 5 seconds before i ran by and I was finally able to toss him my jacket. If he wasn't there soon I swear i was just gonna chuck it aside! I see the 10 mile clock and I was 5 minutes faster than the 10 mile race i ran 2 weeks prior!! That was a great feeling!
Between miles 11 and 12 I could feel myself pushing back against me, my legs resisting. I ate a couple chews and pushed through it, I only had like a mile to go, I can't puss out now!
Also starting about mile 11 there was a woman near me who I vowed to beat, we were neck and neck for those last couple miles and she got all excited at the 13 mile mark, clapping her hands and all. I was like see-ya, seriously sprinted to the end, even with my ipod in i could hear the kids and Roger cheering and yelling at me!
It was the best feeling, finishing strong and harder than i ever have run a race and having my family there to see me.

I get to the results tent and the two people in front of me didn't have finish times on their records and all I could think was, "please let my timing chip have worked".
It did.

net time: 1:46:29
pace: 8:09
5 mile: 40:28
pace: 8:06
rank:552
10 mile: 1:19:56
pace:8:00
rank:541
last 5k:26:44   i knew i was slowing my pr is 23:59
pace: 8:38
rank 515

division place :26
gender place: 119
overall place: 503

I am pretty sore today and i know it comes with the territory, but no resting for me, in 4 weeks I have a half trail run, and 5 weeks after that i am doing a marathon. pretty sure i have caught the running bug and I like it!
pretty sweet that my number was 1999, just sayin'