First I really want to thank everyone on the BF. The support that I've received here is truly outstanding. Ange and Paulette & Vince, you've helped me so much in the past week. Paulette, I want you to know that I was especially calm this morning. Thank you for that. Thank you all so much!
Short version, 13.1 miles in 2:46. A little slower than I'd liked, but hell, I finished!!
I decided to run this race in particular to ring in my 40th bday. It was a decision that Donovan and I had made over the summer. I'm glad we did. She has been a great friend and training partner. I love her to pieces. Thank you Donovan!!!
DH and kiddo's dropped me and my brother off at the start at about 6:30 ish. We were staying in a hotel that was a mile or so away. The family had a ton of positive words for us. They gave us hugs and kisses goodbye and said that the'd be at the finish for us. DB checked his bag and I went over to stand in line at the porto-pots. But there was no line. HUH? The luck of the Irish was with me today!!! After that we went to line up in our corral. I was looking EVERYWHERE for Donovan. We finally found her and screamed like little school girls. Well, I did. LOL!! We hung out for a bit until we heard the National Anthem. Beautiful. Then the crowds started moving. Donovan, Joey (db) and I grab hands and start walking to the start. HOLY CRAP. I lose it a little bit, but quickly gain composure. Get my poop in a group as my dad says. (Get your sh** together)
The first few miles were nice, filled with a lot of local support. I scratched my head when I saw a beer table. No thank you. Ugh, just imagine! I did hear a "DENA" behind me during this time. It was Nurse Jules! What a sweetheart! She looked very relaxed and strong. She told me that she was trying to stick with the 2:30 pace group. UMMMM, I need to slow down then, no way I can hang with that so early. We wished eachother luck, and off she went! She had a great race too. YAY! I also see all of the ladies from our Saturday morning running group. It was a great morale booster for me.
We turn off of Atlantic Ave. (runs parallel to the beach, gorgeous!) and continue on a lovely shaded road. This is NICE. However, that's when you see a lot of guys running off into the woods. Maybe that's why the porto-pot lines were so short! Along this road I hear another "DENA". It was another running friend of mine Maggie. She's another woman that I've trained with. We stick together for a long while. She's super encouraging. I ran my fastest 10k! I knocked off a total of 10 minutes over my original PR. I think it had a lot to do with the course being as flat as a pancake. Around mile 8 she's pulling ahead. I don't want to try and keep up b/c I know that I'll pay dearly for it. Oh, and from mile 5ish to mile 9 we're running through a military base, Fort Story. No local support here except for a water table. We come out of the military base and back onto Atlantic Ave. I'm doing ok until the 10 mile mark. Then the spasms in my quads start. WTH? I pull over to the side and have to stretch a bit. Hop back into the crowds and start to slow it down. Really slow down. CRAMP in my quad. NOOOOOOOOOOOOO! This has never ever happened. I think it's because the course was flat and I'm used to hills. Very strange feeling. So I start doing a walk/run. Pick a point and run to it. Walk until a different point. Etc. I really didn't care at this point what my time was. I was surprised that it went by so quick. Not once did I doubt myself. NOT ONCE. I give myself a lot of credit for that. I also give a few forumites a lot of credit too.
Ahhh, then the turn on the boardwalk. I can see the finish. I don't want to push it just yet b/c I know that I'd crash and burn. I wait...wait, see that I have just a few blocks left and go for it. I'm almost there and I see my family. Ohhh they are going nuts! Joey was there too. He had a shiny new pr himself!
I cross the finish with a huge smile on my face. I felt so good. I stopped my garmin and was happy to see that I made it in 2:46:XX. I make my way over to the family, take tons of pictures and head over to the finishers tent for FREE BEER!
I had a great time. I enjoyed myself and I was happy to be there. I can't wait to sign up for this one again next year!
Thanks for reading. I know it's long, but you only get your first half RR once!
Short version, 13.1 miles in 2:46. A little slower than I'd liked, but hell, I finished!!
I decided to run this race in particular to ring in my 40th bday. It was a decision that Donovan and I had made over the summer. I'm glad we did. She has been a great friend and training partner. I love her to pieces. Thank you Donovan!!!
DH and kiddo's dropped me and my brother off at the start at about 6:30 ish. We were staying in a hotel that was a mile or so away. The family had a ton of positive words for us. They gave us hugs and kisses goodbye and said that the'd be at the finish for us. DB checked his bag and I went over to stand in line at the porto-pots. But there was no line. HUH? The luck of the Irish was with me today!!! After that we went to line up in our corral. I was looking EVERYWHERE for Donovan. We finally found her and screamed like little school girls. Well, I did. LOL!! We hung out for a bit until we heard the National Anthem. Beautiful. Then the crowds started moving. Donovan, Joey (db) and I grab hands and start walking to the start. HOLY CRAP. I lose it a little bit, but quickly gain composure. Get my poop in a group as my dad says. (Get your sh** together)
The first few miles were nice, filled with a lot of local support. I scratched my head when I saw a beer table. No thank you. Ugh, just imagine! I did hear a "DENA" behind me during this time. It was Nurse Jules! What a sweetheart! She looked very relaxed and strong. She told me that she was trying to stick with the 2:30 pace group. UMMMM, I need to slow down then, no way I can hang with that so early. We wished eachother luck, and off she went! She had a great race too. YAY! I also see all of the ladies from our Saturday morning running group. It was a great morale booster for me.
We turn off of Atlantic Ave. (runs parallel to the beach, gorgeous!) and continue on a lovely shaded road. This is NICE. However, that's when you see a lot of guys running off into the woods. Maybe that's why the porto-pot lines were so short! Along this road I hear another "DENA". It was another running friend of mine Maggie. She's another woman that I've trained with. We stick together for a long while. She's super encouraging. I ran my fastest 10k! I knocked off a total of 10 minutes over my original PR. I think it had a lot to do with the course being as flat as a pancake. Around mile 8 she's pulling ahead. I don't want to try and keep up b/c I know that I'll pay dearly for it. Oh, and from mile 5ish to mile 9 we're running through a military base, Fort Story. No local support here except for a water table. We come out of the military base and back onto Atlantic Ave. I'm doing ok until the 10 mile mark. Then the spasms in my quads start. WTH? I pull over to the side and have to stretch a bit. Hop back into the crowds and start to slow it down. Really slow down. CRAMP in my quad. NOOOOOOOOOOOOO! This has never ever happened. I think it's because the course was flat and I'm used to hills. Very strange feeling. So I start doing a walk/run. Pick a point and run to it. Walk until a different point. Etc. I really didn't care at this point what my time was. I was surprised that it went by so quick. Not once did I doubt myself. NOT ONCE. I give myself a lot of credit for that. I also give a few forumites a lot of credit too.
Ahhh, then the turn on the boardwalk. I can see the finish. I don't want to push it just yet b/c I know that I'd crash and burn. I wait...wait, see that I have just a few blocks left and go for it. I'm almost there and I see my family. Ohhh they are going nuts! Joey was there too. He had a shiny new pr himself!
I cross the finish with a huge smile on my face. I felt so good. I stopped my garmin and was happy to see that I made it in 2:46:XX. I make my way over to the family, take tons of pictures and head over to the finishers tent for FREE BEER!
I had a great time. I enjoyed myself and I was happy to be there. I can't wait to sign up for this one again next year!
Thanks for reading. I know it's long, but you only get your first half RR once!
4 comments:
Yay for you! Congratulations on your first HM!! I'm doing my second one in 2 weeks and I've been reading yours for encouragement. :)
YOU DID IT GIRL!! Congratulations!! I'm so proud of you!!!! I'm really encouraged by your finish--I am so nervous though!!!
"but hell I finished".....
Love it, you did great!!!
Wow, your finish time was REALLY close to mine!! We would make great running partners! :)
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