This race was actually gifted to me...or "sponsored," if you will...by my previous employers, "Trisha & Judy of RE/MAX Associates 858-490-8112." Trisha's husband, Pete, is a big-wig in the organization OMBAC (most San Diegan's know OMBAC from their huge annual "Over the Line" tournament), and OMBAC puts on this particular half marathon. When Trisha found out that I was running half marathons, she practically insisted that I do this particular race. I was totally happy to (at the time)!
I had quite a bit of anxiety leading up to this race...
1. This race was shaped like a "U"...meaning, you start off running from Cabrillo National Monument (DOWNHILL!), and you finish the race running 1.5 miles up 6th Ave into Balboa Park (UPHILL!)...I'd much rather have a race in reverse (start on an uphill, finish easy with a downhill).
2. It has been HOT, HOT, HOOOOOOOOT in San Diego these last couple of weeks! Would I even be able to manage running 13.1 miles in this heat!?
3. My training was lacking in the weeks before the race. 2 weeks before the race, I was on a downward spiral on my diet, and so I was doing more eating than running, and in the 1 week before race day, I was back on point with my nutrition, and I had the desire/intent to kill it on my training runs, but again, the heat factor was stifling my progress. I went for 4 runs last week, but on those runs, all I could manage was 6 miles each...I had wanted to do (3) 9 mile runs, and (1) 12 mile run, but that didn't happen. I was not feeling prepared for race day.
I'm not sure if I really would have done this, but on more than 1 occasion, I thought (ok, and whined to a few of my peeps) "If someone else wasn't paying for this race, I SO would back out!"
Buuuut, someone else WAS paying for my race, and with the obligation that goes along with that, I decided to rely on my prior experiences ("Elizabeth, it's not like this is your first race!"), and show up.
The shuttle buses started transporting us from Balboa Park to the Starting Line (Cabrillo National Monument) at 4:30am. I brought my A-game on race morning...I was the first person in line, for the first shuttle leaving Balboa Park. :0)
When I arrived at the Starting Line, it was obviously still very dark, and I had about 2.5 hours until the gun went off. That's a lot of down time. Oh, and did I mention that I was running this race solo!? I had no one to chit-chat with before or during the race. BUT at one point pre-race I did pass by Trisha's husband, and I got to rub shoulders with him for a little bit :0)...
And then there was just waiting, waiting, and more waiting.
Finally, we got to witness the sun come up over our beautiful city...
I wasted some more time by taking a few pre-race pics...
And after a trip to the port-a-potty, it was FINALLY Go-Time!!! I loved how organized this race was...there were no waves/corrals that grouped runners together and had them depart from the starting line in increments of time...in this race everyone was allowed to depart at the same time...which meant that instead of having to wait to cross the starting line (approx) 30 min after the gun had already gone off, I was only 4 minutes back from the starting line. AAAAAND, this was the first race that I have participated in that not only started on time, but was actually 1 minute EARLY! Punctuality is very important to me (in all areas of my life actually, lol)...so this was AWESOME!
As mentioned, we started the race down, down, down Cabrillo National Monument...
...all the while passing Fort Rosecrans National Cemetery...
Usually the first mile (actually, the first couple of miles) of a race are my least favorite...it takes a little while to get into your groove. And while I would agree that all of the jockeying for position amongst the runners at the start of a race can be rather challenging, I thought the aspect of starting on a downhill over-shadowed that challenge, and made for a super easy first couple of miles. I was trying to conserve energy and not go barrelling down the hill...I didn't want to burn myself out from the start...so I was no "Speedy Gonzales", but I was at a comfortable tempo, and I couldn't help but think, "Hmmm, maybe this isn't going to be so bad!?!?"
Even at 7am, 8am, 9am, etc., the temperature was quite warm. But it didn't seem to make an impact on my race. I had put sunscreen on (albeit, at 3:30am), I was wearing a ball cap, and I had my fuel belt on, so I was not distracted by the sun or dehydration. They did have multiple misting stations on the course for the runners, but I never participated in those...1. I had my phone and my iPod on me and I didn't want to risk those getting damaged...2. I never pour water down my back or over my body in any way during any type of fitness. I'm always too concerned about chaffing, or getting that awful sluggish feeling that I imagine happens when you are soaking wet...let alone squishy shoes...GAG! I will say though, that I was SOOOO happy that I had my fuel belt on! There seemed to be a water station at almost every mile marker...but on SOME occasions, there was not...and you would have to go 2 miles in between water stations. That NEVER would have worked for me. It was just too darn hot. I've never really been a big fan of the water stations anyway...gulping down a large amount of water sporadically throughout a race doesn't sit well with my belly. I much prefer being able to take several sips here and there as wanted/needed.
Back on track...
So the downhill start was great...the heat wasn't really an issue...and then I began noticing that the mile markers were just flying by! I got to the first mile marker, and in 9 minutes I was at mile 2, and then 10 minutes later I was at mile 3. The markers were just springing up on me like crazy. At each mile marker they had a clock telling you how much time had passed in the race, and it kind of just became this game for me...make it to the next mile marker in 10 minutes or less. And again, at each and every mile marker I was surprised to find that I was keeping pace. However, I was mindful/curious at what point my stamina was going to fade...I figured it was just a matter of time. But mile 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, and 9 sprouted up like diamonds in a jewelry store in my mind...I was SO HAPPY and in AWE to see them (so quickly)!
There was a decent amount of spectators, but I think all of the other races I have participated in had a larger amount of spectators than this race. Spectators are a huge thing for me. It is so motivating to have people cheering for you...to see a familiar face in the crowd...read a funny sign...or read a motivational sign. Unfortunately I didn't have a single person in the crowd cheering me on for this race. :0( My sister had flirted with the idea of coming...but didn't...and Trisha (the gal who sponsored the race) had fully intended to be there on the sidelines, but in the end she wasn't ever able to make it. I did have a very good friend of the family who was running in this race, and his family (very good friends of ours also) were there cheering him on, but he is an AMAZING runner (my parents' age) and so I expected to never see those cheerleaders...I thought they would just keep moving on to the next mile marker once they saw Mark pass...and I was right...I never did get to see them in the crowd.
Most of the spectator signs were directed towards individual people..."Go Mike!"..."You rock Sally!"...stuff like that. The funny and the inspiring signs were few and far between. BUT on occasion, a really good one caught my eye! In the very beginning of the race, a lady was holding a sign that said, "Pain is temporary, Pride lasts forever,"...and that stuck with me throughout the ENTIRE race! And then the funny ones (that I can remember) were actually a little PG-13 rated...a cute girl, probably in her late 20's was holding up a sign that said, "I'm looking for a husband with great endurance...wanna date!?"...and then there was this really good looking guy, probably in his mid 30's (why does that matter Elizabeth???) holding up this sign...
So wrong...and yet, at the time, so funny!
The mile markers continued to pass quickly as we made our way around Harbor Island, past the SD airport, past The Star of India, and into Downtown. Mile marker 9 was done, and mile marker 10 had just popped up. Shortly after mile 10, there was a water station called "Margarita ville"...they had beverages (duh), super fun music, a misting station, AND they were grilling up cheeseburgers that you could just grab and go on the run...such a unique experience!!! But a cheeseburger right after you just ran 10 miles, and you still had 3.1 more miles to go!?..."No thank you."
I just kept on moving.
Shortly after I passed Margarita ville, I recognized someone I knew!!!...not in the crowd...but in the RACE! I came up behind him, and said, "Uncle Mark?" To which he replied, "Hey Elizabeth!" Could this be!?!? I had caught up with our INCREDIBLE running-friend-of-the-family!?!? I was so excited!...and so excited to see a familiar face! We exchanged greetings (while running of course) for just a few seconds, but as I was keeping pace with him, I realized I had more pep in my step, and I wanted to keep pushing it in this race. So, I said goodbye, put my ear buds back in, and continued on my journey.
Right after mile marker 11 I couldn't help but to get anxious about the dreaded hill to Balboa Park/the Finish Line. I knew it was imminent. Prior to the race starting, and even in the days leading up to the race, I told myself to not care if I felt the need to walk the entire distance up the hill. "Just do what you gotta do Elizabeth." But now that I was IN the race, and making really great time, I didn't want to give up on my current tempo. The competitor in me was screaming, "YOU...CAN...DO...THIS!!!" And sure enough, shortly after mile 11, we turned on 6th Ave, and all you could see was "up"! But I got into my zone, and I just kept one (running) foot in front of the other. The hill was definitely a hill...and it definitely didn't seem to be over in the blink of an eye, but it was SOOOO manageable! I never stopped to walk. I just kept going...past mile marker 12, past the entrance to Balboa Park, over the bridge in Balboa Park, past all of the massive spectators (Ooooooh, so THIS is where all the spectators were hanging out!), past the rows of museums, and past the 13 mile marker. I could see the finish line just up ahead, and per usual (for me) I turned on my "Go Gadget Legs" and SPRIIIIIIIIIINTED as fast as I could (I literally feel like I have wings on the bottom of my feet) to the Finish Line! It was such an exhilarating experience!!!
When I crossed the finish line, I knew I had achieved a great race-time for me. I was certain that I had beaten my previous record by a couple of minutes!!! I was on Cloud 9...I was STOKED!!!
It wasn't until I had gotten home, to my computer, and was able to check my actual finishing time, that I learned that I had finished in 2 hours, 12 minutes, and 5 seconds...that was almost 9 minutes and 30 seconds faster than my previous record!!! I KILLED IT!!!!
AND, I was able to compare our race times, and discovered that I had beat "Uncle Mark" by 25 seconds!!! :-0 Oh my word!!! (It's a good thing I never had to stop and use the restroom during the 13.1 miles!)
What a massively UNEXPECTED POSITIVE experience I had on this race!!!
Uncle Mark later called me that day, after he had seen the results, and wished me (a very gracious) congratulations! We talked about our experiences on the race, how proud he was of me, etc. He remembers being at my 30th birthday party as I was opening multiple gifts that related to running (I was training for the full marathon at that time), and he shared with me that at the time he was thinking, "Gee, I sure hope she sticks with this." Again he kept saying how proud he was of me, and when I said, "I hope you don't find me reverted back to a couch potato in 2 years..." he responded, "Nope...I saw you today...you.are.a.runner!"
That meant so much to me. Especially coming from a man who has made running his sport for over 40 years. He is your typical well-informed-super-lean-running-machine. That conversation was definitely the cherry on the top of my (low fat) sundae!
No comments:
Post a Comment