found my name on the wall...I'm an actual Runner!
What a great race! After running the San Francisco Half (my first half ever) last fall with Team in Training, I knew this would be a great event. I HAD to run the inaugural race in my hometown.
My training was not what I wanted it to be. At the start of the training cycle (late January), I had some dizziness during a gym workout. I went to the doctor the next day for a medication adjustment, and he got real worried. He put me on "only yoga" for exercise for two weeks until I had a stress test. Eventually he cleared me to go train, but by then my pace had dropped to 17-minute miles. The cutoff for the race was 15-minute miles. A month ago, I did not know if I'd be able to finish the race before the finish line closed. But I decided to start the race and then run until someone invited me to leave the course. Here's a picture of our last long run with the PRR Training Programs group:
photo credit: Deborah Brooks
Spoiler alert - I FINISHED THE RACE.
In fact I finished with over 1,000 people behind me! There were a few things I did right before the race this time... I hydrated well, I rested properly, and I paid attention to my eating. In SF I had too many things that were left up to Team in Training - such as the fabulous inspiration dinner - but it was on their schedule, not mine. I loved the complete control of not traveling and eating my own food. And Hubby cooking for me. Hubby and I decided to drive to the race. We know the city and he could drop me at the start and then go park. It eliminated the need for bag check. Frank then followed me around the course on his bike. So he took fabulous photos. In the Last Wave -- the 14++ corral where I was assigned -- didn't feel crowded to me at all. I felt much more crowded when I ran Cherry Blossom in 2010. So I was pretty happy back there. I was one of the few without a purple TNT shirt on...and I was glad to see them all. But felt a little out of place with my green race bib and blue Tshirt marking me as "just a runner" and not part of TNT. But I did find the pace runner - a great lady named Stephanie - who would run a pace to finish in the goal of 3:20. "If you finish in front of me you are guaranteed to finish." That's all I needed to hear. I was going to keep her in my sights. As the race started, I mentally recounted my race strategy: 2 minute run, 90 second walk. Repeat. Stay in control first 3 miles. And I crossed the start line and headed to the 9th Street tunnel. The road was downhill and there were two drum lines inside the tunnel. I couldn't slow down if I tried. I passed the 3:10 pace runner and found myself near the 3:00 pace runner. Uh-oh. SLOW DOWN. Nope. couldn't do it. I know why the military used to have drummers march with the soldiers - to keep them going. Nike figured this out. Loved all the drumlines, Nike! As we approached mile 3, we crossed Memorial Bridge and straight ahead was Lee Mansion, and Arlington National Cemetery. To the left was the Air Force Memorial. I was within sight of those monuments just 20 days ago when we attended the burial of a dear friend, Mark Scott. I had to stop and snap a photo for Kimberly. Then it was back to the business at hand - getting that necklace. At the other end of the bridge was my first hubby-sighting. He was snapping away on his cell phone. Here's a shot across Memorial Bridge with Lee Mansion in the background.
As we progressed to mile 4, we ran into another awesome drumline - an all female group with awesome rhythm. I was still on my run-walk cycle, but feeling a little tired. I remembered to eat my clif blox at mile 3 - and kept drinking water and everything else they offered me. We headed toward Hains Point, past the Green Machine
and I was still running... next came Howard University's Pep Band around mile 7, and they were great! Now we were into the more quiet, breezy Hain's Point. It's great because its SO FLAT down there. I was happy with my run, but was starting to get really tired. I knew I was ahead of my schedule - I hit the sign that said "if you arrive here after 9 AM you may take the bus back" at 8:45. So I decided I had the luxury of a potty stop. And even if it wasn't a luxury, I am a 47 year old woman with a tiny bladder. I can't go 3 hours without a potty stop!
After the potty stop, I looked ahead of me and saw the pace-lady Stephanie! Oh no! I sprinted to get in front of her... and that probably was a mistake. More shot blox at mile 9, but I began to have calf-cramps. So I slowed down, tried the Chip Hulbert method of stretch-walking, and kept going. I was also watching my heartrate not go down during my walk breaks, another sign that I was maximizing my endurance. I did what I could to keep going, and watched the pace lady pass me a few times. I'd try to catch up, get a cramp and have to slow down. I decided about mile 11 to just walk it out. I took my final set of shot blox and drank some water as I watched the pace lady get farther ahead of me... sigh. Hubby showed up again with the camera..
At this point I was walking and my pace looked like 14:30. I knew I could finish just with a walk. So I race-walked the last two miles, and was thrilled when another runner called out at mile twelve that we had 40 minutes to get through the next mile. I can do this in 15 minutes, I thought. I won't be pulled off the course! So here's the last shot of me trying to run at the finish:
I got across the finish line with a major calf cramp in my right calf. The medic was right there ready to help me. He got me to the back of a chair to stretch the calf out and was watching me. After a minute I realized that I still had to get that necklace! So I was off. Unfortunately I didn't get a photo of getting the necklace. :( But I put it on as soon as I could:
And then it was time to refuel with all the carbs we could find at Pi. This is one of the few times you'll ever see me with a beer at 11 AM on Sunday morning! But it was so good.
All in all, an excellent race. I PR'd by 35 minutes over San Francisco, and more importantly, I finished the race. Six weeks ago I wasn't sure I could do it, and had talks with several people about whether or not to even try. But once again, I learned what I can do if only I will try. I do want to thank Joe O'Gorman at the Reston Y for training us old runners who are more interested in coffee than running and Wendi and Maura at Potomac River Running for running so slow on Saturdays with our training group. And a shout-out to Wendi who came in second overall in the race!
So that's the view from the back of the pack. A final time of 3:26.08, placing 13,891. That means I finished ahead of 1,109 runners (who may or may not have actually finished themselves.) Who knew! Next race: Brambleton 10K on Memorial Day. I own last place in that race...maybe I can get to "not last" this year!
