And they said it couldn't be done. This morning I ran my very first half marathon. This was a goal that has been on my radar for awhile and something that I had convinced myself that I wanted to do before I turned 30. Last fall I decided to change my exercise habits (i.e. do something!) and I quickly realized that I actually enjoyed being more active because it gave me an escape from the craziness of my life and the time that I spent running or at the gym was the only time I could be myself and tuned the rest of the world out. My friend Megan talked me into signing up for the Shamrock'n Half Marathon and I thought, "What the hell. It will give me something to work towards." Even though I was trying to lose weight I liked the idea of working toward an event rather than a weight goal.
Keep in mind that at this I was only running about two miles twice a week. I'm using the term running very loosely... it was pretty rough going from the start. I slowly built up my endurance and shocked myself two weeks ago when I ran 11 miles without stopping. It was the first time I realized that accomplishing this goal was a strong possibility.
I woke up this morning, got dressed, applied all of the necessary lubricants (yes, I learned this lesson the hard way early on) and walked outside to discover there was a slight drizzle. Undeterred, I made my way to Raley Field. I had no idea how huge this event was; there were at least 4000 people participating and there definitely was a sense of a common experience even though I knew no one there. I realized quickly, however, that some of these people were more hardcore than I would ever be.
Overheard before the race (these were mostly independent conversations):
"I need to get a new pair of shoes after this race. This is their last event. [Lowering voice] There's blood on them!"
"I always find that it's hard to throw away an old pair of shoes. There are just so many memories!"
"Is everybody all lubed up!?"
"I hope no one is bothered by my overwhelming stench of Bengay."
Here were my thoughts along the way:
*Mile 1 - Concerned about the large number of people and felt a little claustrophobic at first. The race left Raley Field in West Sacramento and crossed the Tower Bridge into downtown Sacramento. Running toward the Captiol building was pretty inspiring.
*Mile 2 - Still pretty packed and I was annoyed with the women who were trying to cut through the masses. Even more annoyed when I saw them walking about half a mile later.
*Mile 3 - This was the first water/toilet stop. I didn't understand why people were already stopping to go to the bathroom. How much water did you drink this morning!?
*Mile 4 - I've learned from my training that first couple of miles are always the worst for me as I try to find a pace and control my breathing. Wasn't thinking about much other than just making it through.
*Mile 5 - Finally felt like I hit my stride. Spent some time wondering about people and all of their equipment. Yes, I have my iPod that helps me keep pace there's all sorts of devices that people are always checking. I was also confused about people who have multiple bottles of water (now the bathroom breaks are making more sense) that are attached at their waists. Just seems like extra weight to me and more crap to worry about. I still don't know what "goo" is and why people seem to be so obsessed with it.
*Mile 6 - Crossed back over the Tower Bridge into West Sacramento. Saw a lot of people holding signs and cheering. I was a little overcome with emotion to see so many people being supportive and realized that I was participating in something pretty significant.
*Mile 7 - Tried to focus on the fact that I was over halfway done rather than the flipside that I was ONLY halfway done.
*Mile 8 - Megan warned me this was a tough mile. Didn't seem so bad at first and then it hit me. Kept pushing forward knowing that I was actually doing this!
*Miles 9 & 10 - Kind of a blur but there were moments along the way when I noticed the variety of people participating. I was particularly impressed with this group of moms who were walking and being so supportive of one another.
*Mile 11 - Picked up the pace because I was so excited that I only had a couple of miles to go.
*Mile 12 - Regretted the increased pace on Mile 11. Also, for a fairly flat course I felt it was a little cruel that there were a couple of small inclines at the very end.
*Mile 13 - The mood of the people around me seemed to pick up quite a bit. I took off my headphones because I wanted to experience this. We ran into Raley Field for the final stretch and the finish line was around home plate. Yes, I had done this!
Official time: 2:13:57 (a 10:15 pace which is AMAZING for me). Plus, the only time I walked was the at the water stops. I was impressed with myself. No pics as of yet but they're coming.
Fox & Goose for brunch was pretty incredible.
Will I be doing another race? Probably but no decisions until this ache in my legs goes away!
