Race racap

I'm happy to report that I met my goal of finishing the half marathon in under two hours. My official/gun time was 1:58:50, chip time was 1:55:12. (It takes a few minutes for the massive pack behind the elite runners to work its way up to the starting line, so most people don't start running when the gun goes off and the official clock starts ticking. But the computer chip you attach to your shoe doesn't start counting until the moment you actually cross the starting line. That explains the different times. And yes, I like the chip time better.)

Anyway, finishing the race in under two hours by both clocks proved to be more of a challenge than I was expecting. It was hot and sunny, which made it difficult to stay hydrated, but the heat kept my sore hamstrings and tight IT band (the tendon that runs from your hip to your knee) nice and loose, so it was beneficial, too. Basically it went down like this: I felt great for the first 9 km, started getting tired after that, and developed a minor stomach cramp and had to walk for a minute around the 13 km mark. That allowed me to recover enough to resume my pace. I felt a brief second wind with about 6 km to go and ran strong for the next 2 km. Then it became a real struggle to keep going. I didn't quite "hit the wall," but I did slow down significantly. Up to this point I had been keeping the 1:50 pace bunny in sight, but after 17 km I couldn't keep up anymore. So I just put my head down and focused on finishing the last few clicks without walking. I was pretty wrecked by the end, and it took everything I had mentally to keep my legs going. I was dizzy with exhaustion by the time I crossed the line, but after chugging water and sitting for a minute I felt fine--no trip to the medical tent necessary! Ya-hoo!

Tom and Henry were on the side of the road to cheer me on at two different points: near the 3 km marker, which was a couple blocks from our house, and at the finish line. Henry enjoyed watching the "runnies," as he called us. It was great to see them the first time, but I didn't even think to scan the crowd for fan support as I was finishing--I was too focused on getting to the end. Tom reports that I looked about as rough as I felt. Awesome--can't wait to see the finish photo. Yikes.

All in all, it was a positive experience. I'm proud of myself for sucking it up and meeting my goal. I think the fact that I was a bit naive about how tough it would be actually helped me, because I went into the race feeling confident and determined rather than intimidated. I'm not sure if I'll do a half marathon again, but I'm glad I did it once. Now I just have to keep up with my running so I can maintain the fitness level I worked hard to get back.

Strangest moments on the race: I saw not one but two people TALKING ON CELL PHONES while the ran! Sheesh.

In other race news, a big screwup led to the disqualification of 14 elite runners, including the winner. I can only imagine how bad everyone involved--runners, race organizers, volunteers-- feels about it. Click here for details.