They always say not to trust the first mile of a race. That first mile is always a liar. You cannot judge a long run by the first mile, especially during a race. Your adrenaline is up, the energy of all the other runners starting is pretty contagious and you feel invincible. This was the case for my first mile. But then the second mile was pretty awesome too! And then the third mile wasn't too bad. And then BAM! It was downhill from there (figuratively of course, because literally would have made it super awesome).
The race was an out and back course, which means you go out for half the distance and then turn around and come back the same way. I'm not a huge fan of these courses because you see the same things twice. When I signed up, I figured I'd have ocean views, so it wouldn't be too bad. Well no. It was beach city for maybe the first 2.5 miles and then marsh-like land. With no shade. None.
Running is a mental sport. Your brain is yelling at you to stop torturing yourself and makes you think your lungs are going to give out and your legs will turn to jelly any minute. But if you can get out of your head for just a few seconds, running is peaceful. At least for me it is. I rarely get the "runner's high" people will tell you about. But on a good day, I shut off my mind so that I'm almost on autopilot. My legs are going, my asthmatic lungs are kicking butt, and everything falls into place. Granted, that feeling never lasts long. But its my own runner's high and when your brain goes at the speed of light at all times, its nice to have a break. This race though? Could. Not. Shut. It. Off.
It's hot. There's no shade. I forgot my sunglasses. I hope the cute guy doesn't see me like this. I have to go to the bathroom. Why is there no shade? Dude, that mile marker can't be right; my watch said I hit that mile ten minutes ago. Why is it so hot? I need water with my GU. My legs hurt. My feet hurt. Is my knee acting funny? How long until I have to check out of my hotel? I hope they have good beer. I think I have a blister. Do I need to retire these shoes already? OMG I have 9 more of these races coming up! UGH!!!!!
Yeah, those were just some of the thoughts going through my head. And if you thought those were annoying, trust me, it got 100x worse. I couldn't shut it off for the life of me, so I ended up walking quite a bit more than I should have.
Also, not to give TMI but I had some minor stomach issues. Have you ever tried to run when your tummy threatens to go on strike? Running is just about impossible. FINALLY I got to the finish line chute and I was the only runner! As much as I like attention, being the only runner that last tenth of a mile was actually super intimidating. Lots of people cheering, which was great. But knowing all eyes were on me was weird! Probably why my eyes were down in this picture. And also, I was just super relieved to be done.
The race organizers sent an apology email with our pictures today. The turnaround spot for the half marathon was placed in the wrong spot so yeah, it was roughly one kilometer longer than it should have been. I know that doesn't sound like much. But I ran my required race distance. I wasn't looking to be on my feet any longer than I needed to! I don't have my official time yet, but I guarantee it will be slow. Next week will be better.
1. Eating a huge lunch the day before is a bad idea if it means your dinner will be small. Keep it balanced and more protein with dinner. (Secret: you actually don't need to carb load for a half marathon....usually).
2. Almond milk is not good pre-race food.
3. Remember to smile. I think I'm smiling in 1 out of 20 race pics. Yes, I was irritated. But I pay to do this to myself. I need to remember to enjoy the journey.
No comments:
Post a Comment