[caption id="attachment_1014" align="aligncenter" width="300" caption="Just about everything I need for a successful 13.1"]
[/caption]My husband and I signed up to volunteer at this race so we had to be at the site at 7am to work race day registration. This meant setting the alarm for 5am. Yay. Not. My husband had a rough night's sleep and was up 2-3 times during the night. Guess who was up with him a couple times? Yep. I was worried about him. I was worried too that something might go wrong and we'd miss our race. But thankfully everything was fine and he woke up doing ok when the alarm went off. We snoozed a few minutes longer than we planned but had no problem making it out the door on time and to our race site at 6:45am. It wasn't snowing when we got there. We were inside a gym doing registration and as the other runners came in they were talking about the snow and wind. Oh fun!
Around 8:25 I decided I should make one last bathroom trip before getting all geared up and ready to head outside to line up with about 600 of my other fave running friends. The bathroom line was wrong and I almost decided to skip it but thankfully it moved fast. It was super nice to have warm restrooms in the gym to use on such a cold day! Anyway... My friend, Terri, was also running so we met up with her. We snapped a few pre-race pics (tradition!) before heading outside. She said had told someone earlier she was going slow since she's running an ultra (holy 50 miles batman!!!) next weekend. I joked that yeah, her slow was my fast! haha She said she knew I'd PR this race. I wasn't going for time, ya know.
[caption id="attachment_1015" align="aligncenter" width="300" caption="My husband and me pre-race"]
[/caption][caption id="attachment_1016" align="aligncenter" width="300" caption="Terri and me pre-race"]
[/caption]Most of you that have been in blog land long enough or if you're a runner then you've read all about this Virtual Run for Sherry that was happening nationwide today! I wore my bib today as did many other runners at the Strawberry Plains Half Marathon and 10k!
[caption id="attachment_1017" align="aligncenter" width="224" caption="Running for Sherry"]
[/caption]Once outside I decided I didn't care how ridiculous I looked with the balaclava on my head/face. It was windy and cold. I knew I would be warm and that I had made a great choice in picking it over just my ear/head band. Not only would my ears be blocked from the wind but my head and face would be too! I'm glad my husband bought this for me a few months ago. The National Anthem was sang, the gun sounded and we were off.
When I hit the start button on my Garmin I noticed all I was getting was an overall time. Crap, I forgot about turning my Garmin on inside earlier and forgot to reset it once outside. Oops. So, I didn't have a pace or distance showing up for me, just an overall time. No big deal, there would be markers showing where we were and I could guage my pace based on that. Not having the sattelites means no other data from my run either like a map or elevation or even splits! Gah.
There was a one mile marker but I don't even remember looking down at my Garmin. I just kept running. The course was hilly but the most annoying thing between miles 1 and 3 was the uneven, broken up roadway. Dodging potholes was fun. Just before the 3 mile marker we started seeing the top runners for the 10k coming back to finish up the last few miles of their run. I love those speedy guys! Terri and I hit mile 3 and at that point I wasn't sure where my husband was because prior to the race he told me just to go run and not worry about him. So I did. When I saw the 3 mile marker I looked down at my Garmin... 28:32. NO way!! I said something along the lines of "holy freakin' crap I cannot believe that!" and so we ran. I decided slowing down and walking through the first water stop would be good since we were about to embark on a slight uphill.
Coming out of mile 3.25 and on into mile 6 was the most beautiful countryside. We had views of the mountains. We saw horses, turkeys, and of course cows (I think..lol). It was a truely beautiful course and while there were hills to this point they were nothing like the hill I had heard was coming around mile 7. I looked at my Garmin at the 5 and 6 mile markers but only recall being just under a 10 minute mile pace and thinking at some point I would crap out and be sorry I was running so fast but I was also just glad to feel so great while running. At just after 6 miles there was another water stop so Terri and I decided we would actually stop a few seconds for water and a snack. She took a Gu andn I pulled out my Honey Stinger waffle. As soon as I opened it a small part of it flew off. Oops, it was frozen. THAT is how cold it was out there. I had kept it in the cabinet at home and in my pocket prior to the race. I had no clue that it being in my jacket pocket while running would make it freeze. Lesson learned!
The next few miles were pretty wild. The wind had picked up and the snow had really started coming down. We reached the hill at mile 7 and I slowed down for a brief walk break and even said at that point that I was worried about my husband since I hadn't seen him on any of the passes but I knew he was behind me and felt ok. We passed some other running friends and we all passed our "Good job, girls!" and friendly smiles. Love that! On the run up hill around the mile 8 turnaround we passed a few dogs in the road, which was rather funny. I joked that the 2 chubby basset hounds were looking for dropped food. Sadly there was none for them. We passed my husband on his way up and towards mile 8. He rooted me on, we said "I love you," and I told him, "That hill sucks donkey balls." And our ways we went...
At mile 9, Terri said, "Ok, Kim.. you're making great PR pace. I've gone this far with you but if I don't slow down I won't make it. So go one and PR this thing!" I thanked her (over and over as I have done so much lately, lol) and went on my way with a happy little brown dog by my side. I didn't feel alone, just me and my thoughts (and you know how crazy they are when I run..haha) and that little brown dog. The wind picked up and so did the snow at this point. I couldn't see well and didn't have my sunglasses which was a decision I said I kind of regretted a few times since the weather was crazy...sun one minute, snow and wind the next! I didn't see many runners once I broke off from Terri but that little brown dog was right there with me, bless his heart. He stayed with me through mile 9.75 when I slowed for a drink of water and had to catch back up to him. He was still with me even at mile 11 when I stopped for the port-o-potty and another cup of water.
At that point I looked at my Garmin and realized this race was totally going to be a PR. I think I was right at 1:50 or so. The pit stop cost me about 2 minutes but it wasn't a concern at all. I lost my little brown dog friend but kept going. Someone put the mile 12 marker in the very wrong place. I knew it when I got to it because I looked at my Garmin and saw the time. I made a mental note that while I was maintaining a steady pace there was no way at mile 11-12 I was running at an 8+ minute mile. I wish! The snow had stopped and the wind was blocked mostly by the trees. I was grateful for that and realized I had gotten a bit warm so I shed the balaclava (it wouldn't look good for pics anyway) and unzipped my jacket wishing that I hadn't pinned my bibs to it because I might have also taken it off.
I saw more volunteers and road side cheerleaders including 2 nice men who said, "Your time at the REAL mile 12 is 1:59." NICE! So, I debated slowing down and I did but only for a brief moment. At this point the sun was shining through blue skies and I was thankful for such a beautiful run. I was thankful it was almost over. I was thankful for the push I got to go after my PR. I thought maybe I could make it in 2:08 but decided at that point I didn't care and slowed down a bit more for a few minutes.
As I approached 12.5 miles I passed a few familiar faces that were there cheering. I am always thankful to hear those voices saying, "Good job. You're doing great! Almost there!" I saw a photographer who said, "Smile!" And so I did. I flashed him a big smile and gave a wave to which he replied, "Look at you!" Yes, sir... LOOK AT ME! I just ran 13 miles and I am still smiling. I use to be fat, sir, betcha didn't know that! And sir, this time last year I couldn't have ran 13.1 miles if I had dreamed it. Then I passed a girl I had been going back and forth with. I heard her RunKeeper app announce that she was at 12.67 miles and 9:49 pace. I wondered what her goal was for the day. Was she having fun, going for a PR too? Ever wonder what other runner's story is all about? I know I do. I know I am not the only one with an amazing story. I think of that often when I am running. It reminds me WHY I am running and what it took to get to where I am.
And before I knew it I had ran another .60 miles and crossed a finish line...smiling..AGAIN!
The time on my Garmin was 2:10:26 but I had issues with it at the start. The time on the clock was 2:10:45 but I knew my chip time would be different. I didn't care though. I had just set a half marathon PR on a hilly course in the wind, snow and freezing temps by 9 minutes!!! I was shaking like a leaf when they nice volunteer was trying to clip my timing chip off. She was sweet and offered me her head as a place to steady myself. I love race volunteers! I collected my medal and went inside where it was warm. The rest is pretty uneventful...food, water, and hanging out while waiting on my friend and husband (who both also PR'd!!) to finish.
[caption id="attachment_1019" align="aligncenter" width="225" caption="post race, trying to smile throught the chatter teething. I was still cold!"]
[/caption]This post is a bit long and all over the place as I am sure you are used to so if you have stuck it out this long and read my recap...thank you!! I leave you with one final picture from the day.
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