SPOILER ALERT: This one turned out to be a little different then the rest of them. I didn't PR. Yup, I missed a PR by 14 seconds. But this is my first race where I didn't PR, so doesn't that technically makes it a PR in it's own way ;)
However, let's start from the beginning (like we always do). I signed up for the Zooma Half Marathon in June after Cate's suggestion. At the time I was planning on staying with them in a hotel room and she was going to also be running the half. However, as the summer went on I found out my friends from school (who have graduated) were going to be doing it. We decided to make a girls Cape weekend out of it and I offered up my house since the hotel was sold out. I never really stopped running this summer, I would usually run 3-4 (sometimes even 5) times a week, similar to what I would run when I was training for any other race. The week day runs were shorter, ranging from 3-5 miles, and the weekend run increased every week. This had been the longest I had gone without running a race since I completed the Disney Princess Half Marathon. I had the urge to run a race, but the idea of a hot summer half marathon was daunting. In addition I worked weekends and not so normal hours, so finding races was really tricky. The last race I had done was BAA 10K in June, and the last half I had done was the Brooklyn Half Marathon. That's a long time to go without racing, especially someone who did three half marathons within 4 months, when they started running. I did do an "unofficial half marathon", but that was in flat Boston and included lots of stop lights (where I stopped my watch) and running into a CVS. Still, when I started "training" for the Zooma Half, it wasn't anything I wasn't already used to. Except, it was running in hilly Western, MA vs. flat Boston, which I had been running all summer long. Right away my times started getting slower, and I pulled something in my quads (still an unknown injury). Runs were just harder then they used to be. On my last long training run, I had planned on 12 miles, but only did 6 outside (after getting very dizzy and blacking out ) and finishing up with 4 on the TM. Then the week before this half, I got very little sleep and was stressed out with work. I had no idea how I was going to finish. I really wanted a PR, and have been spoiled with only PR's in the past, but knew that it was very relistic this might not be another PR.
On Friday I headed into Boston to meet up with Biz and Forge (who were running the 10K) and Clare (who was coming down for a girls weekend on the Cape to follow the half). We drove to the Cape and went to the expo. This was the smallest race I have run. We picked up our bibs and swag. Zooma= AMAZING SWAG.
1. Water bottle
2. Yoga mat
3. Best tech shirt I have received yet
4. A cute bag (like the one you get at Lululemon or Athleta when you purchase something)
When we were checking in, it was the first time I found out about the PR challenge. I guess Zooma had sent out an email (all their emails went to my spam). Basically the challenge said that if you beat your PR you get a medal. WAIT?! I thought we were only getting necklaces. When I found out that I missed up on an oppertunity to get a pretty medal... someone was an unhappy camper. I tried to sign up there for the PR challenge, but they wouldn't let me. They said I would have to submit my time later and then get the medal sent to me. They were sort of rude about it, and really didn't anwser my question. Anyways when I looked up other events they have, I guess you get medals for those regardless of PR status. So why doesn't everyone get a medal in this race? Maybe I am still sad I have no medal hanging around my neck... SUCK IT UP!
After picking up our race bibs we went into town and looked around. We ended up getting some cupcakes.. Carbo loading? Right?
We then headed to my house. We made a yummy dinner. Pasta.... more carbo loading.
4:45am and my alarm went off. Yup... 4:45am, we had a 7:30am start and had over an hour drive to get to the starting line. It's funny to think that for all of us (Forge, Biz and Clare) this was the usual time to wake up for Crew. It was Clare's birthday that day and despite not racing she came to the race and got to celebrate more hours of her birthday.
We were in the car at 5:15am and got to the hotel by 6:30am. It was great having Clare there for moral support and an awesome wake you up playlist. Also we could hang onto our stuff until the race started and then hand it off to her... Happy Birthday Clare! Especially since it was cold when our race started, but was going to warm up quickly.
Also shout out to Zooma and their awesome porta potties. I never use porta potties usually, but these had hard wood floors and porcelain toilets..... pretty classy.
We made our last outfit decisions, walked to the starting line. I ran into Cate and her mother who were running the 10K and wished them luck. I said goodbye to Forge and Biz as they went off to their starting line. I waited, around and chatted it up with a few other women. For one of them this was her 35th half marathon. HOLY MOLY! In addition she was running another one tomorrow.
Before I knew it we were off. I started Garmina (my Garmin) , it was her first official race and off we went. All I kept thinking was how gorgeous the course was. I just had to keep taking photos. I noticed there was a pacer for 2:30 half marathon, she had on her a yellow ballon. I kept my eye on her and stayed pretty close to her for a while. I noticed that every two miles she would stop and take a water break and I would run passed her and we would continue on with frog leaping (lack of better word) for a while. The first mile I went way to quickly, however I kept forgetting what the average pace was for a 2:30 half marathon, for the longest time I thought it was an 11:17 min/mile, so I tried to stay around there.
There were some men dressed up in dresses running which was hilarious. People along the run kept smiling at me and saying how much they liked my skirt. I was feeling good! I was at a good pace. We hit one or two hills, but nothing too serious. This was going to be a PR. Just follow the yellow balloon for a PR!!
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| Pacer with yellow balloon! |
The first hour went by fine. At around the 10K mark I took my headphones out and chatted with the pacer and found out the average pace was about 11:27, at that point I was around 11:15... Major PR right?! Then I ran into another woman doing similar intervals and we chatted up. I will always remember her name was Laurie and we were wearing similar KT tape. We both agreed that the worst was yet to come. And we were right!
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| It's all going GREAT! |
Then I hit the 1:30 mark and this is when things started to go down hill (well in the course of the race they actually started going uphill). I had GU chomps, which I always use on long runs. This time they weren't sitting well in my stomach. At this time, I realized I had made the one bad decision that I know not to do... Starting out WAY TOO fast in the beginning and hitting a wall. So much was a blur. It was getting warmer very quickly and my cotton shirt (which usually does well, even on sweaty runs) was clinging and I felt horrible. I wanted this race to be done. I wanted these hills to be over. Garmina showed me that my average pace was going up... slowly, slowly, slowly. At around mile 11, I had a melt down. I was done. I wanted to stop. Everything hurt. I was over it. I gave up on that PR, but I wanted that medal. Ugh.. I had to give it up. I had to try but all I wanted to do was cry.
Mile 12, went by and then 13 and then I was sprinting to the finish. I crossed the finish line, no cute hands up in the air take a jump this time around. I was so done. I saw Cate and she captured my finish. There was a chance I had PRed but I seriously doubted it. It was only a matter of seconds, which wasn't reassuring to me at all.
After chatting with Cate, I found Biz and Forge. We went to the after party. I had lost my snack package coupon, so I didn't get a snack... The after party was on the beach. My first idea was, I want to go into that ocean. Oh did that feel good. Biz, Forge and Clare were passed out on the beach. I then decided to roll out my quads... which weren't doing too well. Then I went back into the water and sat down. That felt so good. Ice bath with salt. YES!
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| Snoozing |
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| Trying to smile |
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| Ok serious smile :) |
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| Like a little kid! |
I got talking with another woman on the beach, Melissa. This was her 30th half marathon. HOLY MOLY. She said she does one every month and then at the end of the year she does a marathon. Very inspiring. She told us about a race in February to support Breast Cancer. Thinking about checking that out! http://breastcancermarathon.com She was super sweet, and it was great to chat with her!
We then headed off for some lunch and then back to the house to continue our girls weekend!!!
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Many lessons learned this race. However most important one... NOT EVERY RACE IS GOING TO BE A PR. I need to accept this. I need to embrace this. If I ever want to run 30 half marathons, I need to learn to race smarter and not just for PR's... of course this race having a PR medal, made it harder to accept. Also I should be happy. I ran 13.1 miles and it was my second fastest time despite all the circumstances leading up to it and on the hilliest course yet!
Splits:
Mile 1: 11:18 min/mile
Mile 2: 11:25 min/mile
Mile 3: 11:29 min/mile
Mile 4: 11:16 min/mile
Mile 5: 11:08 min/mile
Mile 6: 11:17min/mile
Mile 7: 11:02 min/mile
Mile 8: 11:23 min/mile
Mile 9: 11:37 min/mile
Mile 10: 11:41 min/mile
Mile 11: 11:38 min/mile
Mile 12: 12:21min/mile
Mile 13: 12:05 min/mile
Mile .12- (1 min= 8:15 min/mile)
13.12 miles
2:30:38 minutes
average 11:29 min/mile
OFFICIAL:
6.2 miles- 1:09:53 (average pace- 11:15 min/mile)
13.1 miles- 2:30:40 (average pace- 11:30 min/mile)
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