I mentioned this "race" briefly in passing, but I feel it deserves a recap of sorts.
Last year, I ran the A1A half marathon as my goal race after recovering from compartment syndrome. As I've mentioned on this blog numerous times, I've run one of the A1A races every year for the last five years; it's always on my birthday weekend and is such a special race and experience each time.
Last year, I knew I probably wouldn't run it again. They had moved the 2020 race to a random weekend in January rather than its usual February weekend, and I just knew I wouldn't be able to make it work. I made my peace with it.
Then, I saw the medal.
I mean, this is about more than the medal, but really, it's kind of a lot about the medal.
Despite being overwhelmed by FOMO, I didn't sign up. I put my desires for that adorable turtle behind me. I thought I was okay with it. Then, race weekend came. And with it came photos. Hundreds of smiling Florida runners with their turtle medals crossed my Instagram feed and stories; one of those smiling runners was Kristina.
I was just coming back from having the flu and was feeling envious of the race on a couple levels. Kristina, being the most amazing and supportive friend I could ask for, made me an incredibly kind offer.
Usually I'd be horrified that someone just tosses their race medals, but in this case I am grateful!
So, that Monday, I ran a 5k. I'd been on complete rest up to the previous Saturday, when I ran one measly mile and felt winded and wheezy, but I needed to get that 5k done.
I met Matt at his studio and we ran together through an unexciting, nondescript neighborhood nearby. Every step felt tough; I was really struggling. At exactly 1.55 miles, I saw a sign.
No, not "no outlet"...the other one!
Literally, I saw a sign that made things seem like the stars were aligning. The race I'd been hoping to get back on track for, the one I was so worried I'd have to DNS, was staring me in the face.
The last half of the 5k was just as tough as the first. I didn't magically feel light on my feet, but as I finished the distance - wheezing and worn - I felt committed. The medal was a carrot I needed to get back on my feet after being sick; the "race" was rough but it rekindled the desire to train that my fever had snuffed out.
Since running the A1A unofficial virtual 5k, my training has been excellent. I've stuck to my new plan and now feel excited and ready for Gasparilla all over again.
A week after my "race", a package arrived in the mail. I hadn't really forgotten it was coming, but I wasn't expecting Kristina to rush out and send the medal quickly; after all, she was doing me a big favor. When it arrived, I was ecstatic.
I have Kristina to thank for stoking my renewed training energy, and now I have a sixth A1A medal to add to my collection. I may not have a bib and I may not have been there at the starting line, but I'm grateful beyond measure for this gift. It ended up meaning more to me than I could have expected.
This race is all that's been on my mind for months...and if I want to be really honest, it's all that's been on my mind for a year or more. After my first fasciotomy in August 2017, I knew I'd love to run it as my first long distance race post-surgeries. When I learned I may not be able to due to scheduling conflicts, I was devastated.
I don't want to talk about goals. Goals aren't even on my radar, honestly. My perspective on running and racing has shifted dramatically since my CECS diagnosis, and my priorities are completely different these days. That will surely change with time, but for now, my goals aren't exactly quantifiable.
No, this post isn't about goals. It's about anxiety. It's about typical post-training worry and pre-race jitters.
When I originally wrote my training plan, I kept my long runs really conservative and didn't plan a double-digit run until late January. Because of this, I had 12 miles planned the weekend before race day. Those 12 miles were planned more for mental support than physical need.
Cut to Sunday morning, when I ran my last long run of training. I only did 8 miles, instead of the prescribed 12. My legs were so tired the entire run, I knew cutting it down was the smart thing to do. Being able to keep a steady pace the entire run despite my tired legs gave me a mental boost.
The fact remains, although I did longer long-runs earlier in training than originally planned, I never ran longer than 10.5 miles...and now I'm regretting it.
I know I can run a solid half on the training I've put in. I'm pretty sure I'm better trained for this half than I've ever been before, at least as far as consistency and total mileage goes. It's also not my first rodeo - I know what to expect miles 10-13.1 to feel like. I don't have a time goal, but I don't want to be miserable out there on the course.
My logical-brain feels prepared and excited. My neurotic-brain is wringing its hands and wondering why we didn't do 12 last weekend.
Well. Nothing I can do about it now, right?! Other than talk it out and move on...so that's what I'm doing.
This week I have a couple short runs planned that I'm going to cut even shorter (based on leg-feel today) and then...it's race day next Sunday! I can't wait!
ABK
ETA: I have a virus of some kind and am on prednisone starting Monday, so it's a good thing I don't have a time goal, huh?
I know that some runners scoff at listening to music on race day, but I like it. When I run for fun (so...on my daily runs), I run with music or a podcast because...well, it makes me happy. I wouldn't say it makes me zone out; often, good music on a run will help me zone in. I feel more in-tune (haha) with myself - not my body, pace, or gait, necessarily, but with my actual self.
I'm a little weird in that I like fairly slow music when I run. I listen to the same kind of music I listen to when I'm hanging out or writing; generally, I don't really like pop and more upbeat stuff, and because running-music is about amping up my joy, I stick with what makes me happy. Sometimes I even run to musical soundtracks (I especially love The Phantom of the Opera and Les Mis for races).
For A1A, I've been compiling a list of songs that help me feel fully in the moment when they come on my playlist, and I'm putting them together for race day.
The full list can be seen on the right.
This list is all over the place. I like my music to be earnest, emotionally intense, and climactic. This means I tend to like songs that have a steady build throughout and a major swell at the end. Really good songs will swell multiple times, usually during the chorus.
I don't have a particular order to these songs, because if one comes on I'm not feeling in the moment, I can always skip it. I'm not planning my miles down to the track listing or anything. But knowing I have a fresh, specifically curated playlist is helping get me hyped for race day!
Here is a link to the playlist I put together. There's probably some stuff in there that you may think how could anyone run to this?! but if you want to know what I like to listen to on the run, check it out below.
Well, it's here. February. Race month. I am feeling...anxious.
In November and December, I felt confident. I was logging the miles and executing my long runs without fail. My paces were great. My legs felt great. Everything was great!
January was tough. I started to hit the wall. Training started to feel a little stale. My legs started to feel a little heavy. My energy started to feel a lot depleted.
But. It could've been worse.
Highs: Getting another 10-miler in and breaking out of my funk to finish the last week of the month on an upswing.
Lows: All those missed runs, whether from post-travel exhaustion or sheer burnout/laziness.
Planned miles: 79
Actual miles: 54
Looking at these totals, I see that my total mileage isn't so far off from previous months, which eases my anxiety a little, although it's pretty embarrassing how short I fell from my original plan. But the main thing here is that, even having fallen short, I'll be ready for this race.
This training cycle has both felt long and also like it's totally flown by. I know now that my excitement to train again led to some major over-planning and unrealistic expectations. For my first cycle back to long distance, I can't be too disappointed.
And now...February is IT. The chance for me to truly finish training the best I possibly can. The chance for me to truly feel like I'm back to being the runner I was. It will mark a full year of recovery and rebuilding. If I think too much about it, I might explode. So instead, I plan to put my blinders on and finish. this. thing.
This month marked the third month of training (weeks 9-12 to be exact) and the point that I was over it.
In most races, I hit my wall about 3/4 of the way in, and it seems that pattern holds for training cycles, too.
It makes sense. You start out fresh, your excitement and momentum takes you through the first eight weeks, and then you start to get tired. And bored. And you just want it to be over.
This is my everything's-fine-but-I'm-kind-of-over-it smile.
The good news is, I think I've passed the wall. I have a lot of missed runs in January, some from travel and some from ambivalence, but last week I really forced myself to face facts: if I want to run A1A (which I do) and I want to feel proud of it (which I do) then I need to finish training even if it's not fun anymore.
Yikes.
Truthfully, I am at the point where I could finish 13.1 miles and do a pretty okay job. But I don't want to just do a pretty okay job. I want to feel happy and strong! Part of the point of running long distances is the challenge, and part of the challenge is the training. Like, the tough parts are the whole. damn. point!
So. I am back to the grind, and feeling like it's not so grind-like anymore. After forcing myself to break through the wall last week (by rearranging some runs but holding myself accountable to make them up), I feel I'm back on track.
Which is good, considering this week is the last week of January and then it's officially race month. I don't have time to waste, really. I will make the most of these last three weeks of training. I will get it done.
I don't plan to do weekly recaps of training for this race. I'm leaning toward monthly "plans vs. reality" posts. However, the first week deserves its own little spotlight, so here it is.
I went into this first week of training feeling nervous. I was on my period and volleyball season was in full swing. That meant sticking to a running schedule that included runs after practices and games, plus an early-morning Saturday run after a long week. I was more worried about how my body would fare than whether I'd be able to commit; I'm in a very focused and committed mindset right now.
More daunting still, this is the first time I'm training for a race totally alone. With all my past half and full marathons, I've had a running buddy for at least part of every long run.
I mocked up a plan a few weeks ago, but bought myself a little calendar for hardcopy tracking, too. My plan is in light blue, possible scheduling conflicts are in green, and my actual miles are in dark blue.
As you can see, the beginning-of-training excitement served me well this week. I made this plan with a conservative mindset, but in practice decided to push myself. I didn't want to overdo anything, but I also didn't want to let myself off the hook.
Monday's run was by far the toughest. The four miles felt hard. I think the time change has something to do with that; it's hard to run when it's so dark out. Tuesday's run felt really good, though, and Thursday's two miles (squeezed in on the treadmill before our volleyball game) were easy but boring. By Saturday, I felt ready for five.
I was definitely overthinking prepping for a "long run" of five miles. I wasn't sure what route I wanted to take or if I wanted to take water with me. I couldn't remember what kind of pre-run food I'd need to have for a morning run of this distance.
I ended up having a mug of coffee and a gf Honeystinger waffle. I also ended up scrapping my original plan for the run (which allowed for a water break at 3 miles) and did the full five without stopping. (Well, I had one stop at a crosswalk and one brief walk break from 4.05 to 4.08 or so.) I kept a steady pace the entire run. My legs didn't hurt, but they did feel tired during and after.
I had forgotten the joy of the morning run. Every time I passed another runner and we waved and smiled at each other, I felt an extra little kick in my step. The weather was a cool 72 degrees - despite the high humidity, that was a treat. And I finished with plenty of time to get ready for Elizabeth's baby shower later that morning.
It was the perfect end to my first week back; it left me feeling confident and strong. It proved that I can get up and do a long run alone.
Feeling like superwoman!
The most discomfort I had during the week as I built mileage was in my feet. I really struggle with finding comfortable, supportive, cute work shoes. It may be time to look for a new pair, or to seek out some inserts at the very least.
So, yeah! Week one, done! I am feeling as excited and confident as ever! This may not be my fastest or strongest half, but I'm going to be prepared and I'm going to run it, and that's all that matters to me right now!
I scoffed when Matt, in the face of my excitement about running A1A, said, "Can you train for it in time?" But the truth is, I've been barely running three miles a week for about a month now, and so I'm starting from almost-scratch. That means it's time to do some major planning for training.
Volleyball started this week. I love coaching volleyball; it's so fun and rewarding. It is, however, extremely exhausting. This season is going to be shorter but more intense, with double the games. It's hard to fit runs in on game days because of timing. We also have a winter trip planned, so while I plan to run on vacation, the logistics may be sticky...or slippery.
That's right...I finally have an excuse to buy winter running clothes! These are from the Wonder Wool collection from Skirt Sports.
I've never run in real winter before!
Anyway, I've mapped out the next few months with a very slow, easy build-up of miles that will hopefully leave me feeling fairly confident on February 17, 2019.
General November Plan
I plan to use the rest of October to build up to four mile runs again. My real training will start in November. I know I'll need to be flexible, so these specific dates and distances are mere suggestions because I have a very busy November and December; the most important thing will be to add long weekend runs back into my schedule with consistency, and to avoid any kind of overuse injury as I begin a training plan for the first time in over a year.
I hope I'll be a bit more active on the blog, as using it to keep track of my training has always been successful. We'll see what happens on that front!
Right now I'm feeling nervous and excited. Planning long runs, even 6 or 7 miles, is already freaking me out. But I remember that I've done it before, and if I trust the process, I know I'll be able to do it again.
Awhile back, I wrote about looking for a comeback half marathon. I was thinking about the Space Coast or Miami, but neither really excited me. My heart had been set on A1A, because (as habitual readers will know) I've run that race every year for my birthday for the last four years.
The first year, my sister surprised me at the finish line, my cheer-squad wore birthday hats, and I met Kristina.
Year two, I earned my marathon PR. Year three, I ran the half marathon with Elizabeth; it was my last race pre-diagnosis and surgery.
Year four, the A1A 5k was my first race back post-surgery, and the idea of running it for the fifth time as my first half back felt like it would be perfect closure on a tough year.
February 2018
I wrote that I was going to have to miss A1A in 2019, but I didn't share how utterly heartbroken I was over it. Elizabeth can attest to my ranting over it, and Matt can attest to the tears. I even whined to Kristina about it - she was very helpful in talking out other half marathon possibilities. The bottom line was, we had other obligations set for February 2019 that were important and impossible to miss, so I had to be a grown up and break my birthday tradition.
People kept tagging me on posts about the medals this year - A1A is known for its medals - and I would immediately publicly wallow about missing out on THE BEST MEDAL EVER.
Since then, I haven't felt like finding a half marathon. I've enjoyed running at my own pace and without a plan. I decided if no race really excited me, then I wouldn't run one. On Monday evening, I did an easy two miler and reflected on the fact that I just didn't want to push beyond two miles, and because there wasn't a plan to follow that said I had to, I didn't go farther. I felt at peace with that decision.
Then, everything changed.
I texted Matt early Tuesday afternoon to find out if I had to take February 15 off of work for our plans. He responded with quite a surprise: the plans were being rescheduled and my birthday weekend was open once more.
My reaction was very mature and sedate:
After calling Matt and having the shortest discussion ever (Him: Can you train for it in time? Me: UH YEAH Him: Okay) I booked the race immediately and told Elizabeth, who shared in my celebration. I messaged Kristina, too. Suddenly, I was filled with longing to run a race. No, not just arace. Thisrace. And with that longing came an immediate desire to train. To build my mileage. To have a plan.
I knew I was upset to be missing A1A, but I hadn't realized that not having a race to be excited for was really putting me in a running rut. I'm past running for medals, but the tradition and celebration of A1A means so much to me, and I am suddenly filled with anticipation and pure joy.
I am going to train for a half marathon! I am going to run my favorite race! I am going to celebrate my birthday in my favorite way!
It's been ~36 hours since I ran the A1A 5k (that's not really what it's called but I'm going to keep calling it that) and I still can't get my thoughts together.
We arrived in Fort Lauderdale on Friday evening. Matt, Oden, and I met my sister and Gordon at the expo and did all the usual expo-y things. It felt strange. On the one hand, I felt like an imposter because the expo is really set up for the half and full marathons and we were running "just" the 5k. On the other hand, I felt happy to be at an expo again, and collecting my bib felt great. On the third hand (if I had one to borrow from someone), I felt disappointed that I wasn't gearing up to run the half. I felt both excited and underwhelmed. It was bizarre.
Gordon and Steph didn't run once before the race. His note made me laugh.
We had dinner at Outback before heading back to Oden's. The evening was so low-key. There's so little prep needed for a 5k! The race was set to begin at 7:30am so we agreed to be parked by 7am. Oden lives about 10 minutes from the staging area. I set up my Flat-Ali and went straight to bed. I slept well.
Wonder Girl tank and Lioness skirt both from Skirt Sports.
I chose to wear a black ribbon around my arm to acknowledge the Marjory Stoneman Douglas shooting and in memory of the victims. The race was about an hour from Parkland.
In the morning, I had half a cup of oatmeal for breakfast and some water; I had forgotten to buy coffee (Oden doesn't have any in the house because he doesn't drink it) but I felt awake and ready to go. I didn't feel nervous at all; I was surprised, in fact, to find I wasn't really feeling anything.
We got to the start without an issue and had plenty of time to use the porto-potties and get pre-race pictures.
Matt gave me a good-luck kiss and then went to line up near the front of the line; he had looked at finishing times from last year's race and thought he had a chance to place. Oden, Gordon, and Steph stuck with me and we lined up toward the middle-right. I explained run-walk race etiquette to them, but figured Oden would take off on his own.
Sidenote: Oden runs two miles every morning but has never run a race. I was excited that he agreed to run with us this year!
The race was much smaller than I expected. Most runners in Ft. Lauderdale this weekend were running the bigger races on Sunday, so this race was made up of lots of walkers and first-timers, who I could pick out by the fact that they were running in the race shirt. The first mile was rough. We had to weave around a lot of people and it was very congested. I worried about losing Steph and Gordon and also didn't want to mess up my intervals so early on.
We hit the first mile in 11:45 and I told them it was too slow. My paces have averaged 10:45 or so using 2:1 intervals. My calves were a little stiff, but in the "I am just getting warmed up" sense. The next run interval, Steph took off! I played catch up and we ended up clocking in the mid-9s. This is how we spent the rest of the race, running in low/mid-9s for our 2-minute runs.
Around mile 1.6, I took stock. My legs were sore from the effort but they were sore in my hamstrings! "My calves feel GREAT!" I laughed. This was when I finally got kind of emotional; we were really working hard during the run intervals and it felt like homecoming.
Oden had already left us and Gordon had fallen behind a little bit, so it was just us sisters from that point on. We took our final walk break and I told Steph we'd run the rest of the way to the finish. And boy, did we! We sprinted into the 7s.
Steph urged me to pass a girl in front of us and I was like, "Uh, yeah right," but then we cranked it up and did. And then we passed a second girl and came into the finish line together.
Sprinting felt SO. GOOD.
Our time was 34:23, faster than my "training" 5k, averaging a pace of 10:45, which was perfect. Also, we were pushing into the mid-6s in that final sprint. I placed 8/30 in my AG. I really can't complain.
Matt and Oden had already finished and met us at the end. I felt amazing. I actually felt I could've easily run more. My calves were completely pain-free.
We took our photos and checked stats. Matt came in 4th in his AG with Oden just behind; I think Oden was really impressed and pleased with how much faster he could run in a race setting and I think he'll do some more 5ks in the future.
Even though my legs felt great, I still iced, elevated, and stimulated after brunch.
The rest of my birthday weekend was amazing. We celebrated the 5k with a bigger brunch than we needed, but we felt we deserved it anyway. Saturday evening we all did an escape room together, which I had never done before and it was so fun! We solved it in 39 minutes and it was a surprisingly fun adrenaline rush to solve puzzles and work together to "escape". Afterward, Oden and Matt and I went to an arcade bar where you can play old video games while you hang out; I played some classic Mario along with Sonic and Smash Bros.
At 10th Level Tavern playing video games and enjoying a drink.
I am having some thoughts about this race.
One thing that I am trying to come to terms with is that the woman who won 1st in my AG would have been easily beatable if I were in my usual 5k shape. I have to let that go. It's hard and weird to be both so pleased that I even ran a race again and hit some of those crazy paces, and also to play "what if" and "what could have been". I have to remember this is my journey and try to avoid the comparison trap...And that means not comparing myself to myself-from-2016, too.
I'm left wondering what to do next to help myself progress. This race showed me that I'm ready to pick up some harder workouts, but I also shortened my run intervals because 3:1 was too challenging just last week. So maybe I need to shorten my walk intervals and increase my total distance and go from there.
Some of my fear of pushing too hard too soon has been cured by this race. My legs felt great during and after the race; I now know I can push my effort a little more. It's been three months since my second surgery, which is how long Dr. G told me it would take to feel "normal" again. So I think this means I'm ready to do more.
Overall, this was a great weekend and a good race to come back with. I was tempted to abandon my intervals but played it smart and safe, and now I'm champing at the bit to do more and be fully back. I'm looking forward to what's to come.
When I read/watched Kristina's recent post about her 5k goals it got me thinking. It's honestly so strange to have a goal that is actually just "finish this race on my feet, uninjured, preferably at a comfortable jog." I have no A, B, and C goals here. I have no pace goal. And yet, I still feel nervous and have butterfly-tummy just thinking about A1A this Saturday!
This weekend is going to be a little strange for a few reasons, I think, because of how different it will be. Rather than being a race at the end of training cycle, it will be the first race of Part II of my life as a runner. It will be a beginning, not an ending.
Feeling this level of excited anticipation over a 5k is a little odd for me. I feel like I'm gearing up to run a long-distance race! Part of that is probably due to my memories of A1A, which I associate with long-distance, but obviously it's also because this race is huge for me.
I won't need piles of pancakes to replenish my calories after crossing the finish line this year, but maybe I'll get them anyway to celebrate this comeback.
I am too old to make such a big deal out of my birthday but I just don't care.
I like to run A1A annually because it's a pretty race and it gives Matt and me the chance to see our friend Oden. The thought out missing out on it made me sad; even though last year's race was rough, it didn't diminish my love for A1A. This year, running it has even more significance.
It's the last race I ran in 2017 before my diagnosis, so it feels like coming full circle.
Finishing in 2017 with Elizabeth was really special even though the race sucked and I probably had heat exhaustion.
It has a finisher's medal, which is unusual for a 5k and which will be a nice physical reminder of this race as a comeback.
It lands on my birthday weekend, as usual. This will be a great way to say goodbye to the pain and frustration of last year and to welcome the next year of my life! My usual "cheer squad" will be running too, some of them right along with me!
Mile 20 of the full in 2016 - Steph hopped on the course to boost my spirits!
I kind of wanted to plan to do the A1A full marathon in 2019, but it's looking like I'll be missing it because it falls on the weekend of friends' bachelor/bachelorette getaway, so this will be my first hurrah back and also a chance to say goodbye to this particular race for another year or two. I just know it's going to be fantastic; I can already tell I'm going to be ridiculous and emotional because just thinking about it gives me goosebumps and chokes me up a bit. (And how sick are you of all these "I'm making a comeback!" posts?)
Thinking about how overwhelmed and emotional I felt when I finally got to run after having my second surgery, I'm just sure race day is going to be a big, beautiful mess.
This was it. The big race we'd been training for. Elizabeth's first half marathon! Our birthday race. To say we had high expectations would be an understatement. Despite lingering calf issues and a minor cold, I was feeling ready and excited!
Unfortunately, this race went the way running things seem to be going lately for me. I was chock-full of Sudafed and Advil and race day dawned hot and humid. This was going to be a battle.
I should've taken this more seriously.
But let's start at the beginning.
Saturday
Matt, Elizabeth and I arrived in Fort Lauderdale around 1pm.
Five minutes after being in the car: "By the way, I'm going to make you take tons of pictures this weekend! Smile!"
We dropped our things at Oden's and then went to lunch, then finally to the expo. The A1A expo is always excellent, and this year was no exception! I made sure to stock up on free samples and half-priced Gu while dragging Elizabeth into a million photos.
Of course, finding our names on one big wall wasn't enough; we had to sign another! We also found our names on a Lexus, but I didn't get a picture of that one.
After the expo, we relaxed at Oden's until dinnertime. I had a huge baked potato and chopped salad and felt full and well-fueled. We laid out our things for the morning and got to bed at a decent hour.
Yes, our outfits were accidentally opposite-coordinating colors. We did not really plan this.
Elizabeth is new to "flat runner" pictures and was perplexed when I added all my accessories, Gu, etc. She asked, "So, should I put everything I'll use on race day?" and tossed the box of anti-diarrheal into her pile. We died.
Sunday
I woke up easily at 4am and drank a Starbucks Espresso Doubleshot in bed. When I felt a little more awake, I made my UCAN and had most of a pop-tart. We were out the door by 4:50 and by 5:05 we were parked in our usual off-site spot.
Oh. Great. 100% humidity and actually partially cloudy was a dirty, dirty lie.
After a long wait for the bathroom, Elizabeth and I packed our pockets and gave Matt our castoffs. He left us before the start gun because he was going to put Skirt Sports discount cards on cars before he went back to rendezvous with Oden and get a bike, etc.
Ready to go!
Still waiting for the countdown!
Elizabeth and I made one more bathroom stop and then the race began! The beginning was so crowded that we had to dodge, weave, and sprint a bit to stay together. It was frustrating. Although we started closer to the front than I usually do, we were still behind a lot of people who were walking within the first quarter mile...many of them did not use proper etiquette, which aggravates me!
Just getting ready to run with 4000 other running buddies!
My calves felt a bit tight but not bad. At mile .19, we had just crossed the train tracks when we heard the train! A loud whistle sounded not far from us and the crossing lights and bells went off. Yes...a train cut through half the runners less than a quarter mile into the race!
(I borrowed this video from a Sub-30 buddy. Those runners waited 10 minutes for the train to pass, then got a second start with adjusted times. I'm so glad we were past it when it happened!)
Here we go!
By mile 3, my legs felt great. The humidity was making it hard to steady my breathing, but for the first six miles everything felt doable. We were keeping a good pace and the crowds had mostly cleared up, so there was no more dodging.
We passed Matt and Oden around mile 4; Matt had his OneWheel and Oden had rented a bike.
Mile 4 and feeling fine!
See ya!
Around mile seven the humidity and all the unintended fartleking caught up with me. I couldn't get my heart-rate under control and I felt sick. I had goosebumps even though I was really warm; my stomach hurt; I felt dizzy. I had told Elizabeth not to let me walk if my calves were "annoying" but not painful. But this was different.
I hated to do it, but I had to walk. I had a Gu, hoping the sugar would help, and it did, but it also made my stomach hurt more. We were pouring water on ourselves at every water stop but I was fried.
Bye, wheels.
I feel very guilty about all this. Elizabeth was great. She offered to call Matt to see if he could get my inhaler to me, but the issue wasn't really asthma-related. I kept apologizing and she finally told me to just STOP and have fun and let's do this together, who cares what happens to our goal? She was the best, but I felt so defeated. We had started out with lots of cushion to meet our goal, but I could see it slipping away from us...and it was my fault.
Around mile 9 I stopped at a medical tent for ice and shoved it down my bra.
I can't imagine I really looked strong but she is really nice for saying so!
Around mile 10 I saw an old college friend volunteering at a water stop and forced a sweaty hug on her; she and I were English majors together and since then have bonded a bit over running, and seeing her brought back to me all the beautiful, empowering ways running has changed me, and that helped me mentally the rest of the race.
Around mile 11 we saw Matt and Oden again and I asked them to get us Coke if they could. I also realized I had somehow managed to get gum in my eyebrow.
I am grinning because I am about to yell, "BRING US COKES AT THE FINISH!"
And then, finally...oh god, FINALLY, we got to mile 13. Steph and Oden and Matt were there. Elizabeth and I finally picked it up and "sprinted" through the last 10th.
The finish is in sight!
Finishing this thing together!
I immediately got a giant bag of ice from the medical tent and put it on my neck, then chugged the Coke the boys had picked up for me.
As usual, our support team was amazing. They got up early, carried our stuff, rented bikes, saw us multiple times on the course, and managed to buy us Cokes and get to the finish line in time to see us cross. I couldn't ask for better and I am so grateful for them; I know how lucky we are!
I honestly don't know what happened to me out there. I mean, I know the heat was no joke; we saw a handful of runners pulled off the course on stretchers, but I've never experienced those symptoms before. Maybe the Sudafed had dehydrated me more than I expected? Maybe I was just not as strong and prepared as I thought?
What was so tough mentally was that my legs felt good and when we were running, they wanted to run fast, but my body just couldn't take it. My heart-rate would skyrocket after just a couple minutes and I'd have to walk again.
I am frustrated that I couldn't power through and hold onto that 2:20 goal. This feels like BDR all over again; I feel fired up to run another half at a pace I know I can feel proud of. And I hate writing race reports that sound like they're full of excuses, but it is what it is. We got out there. I did the best I could and Elizabeth stuck with me when she could have easily powered through faster on her own.
2:28:47...I've run faster and I've run slower, but this race will always be special because we ran it together.
We finished. There were times I thought I might DNF but we finished. And what's more, we finished together, just as we planned.
My mom asked Matt to get us flowers so Elizabeth could have the "full race experience." She is SO thoughtful!
After we made it back to Oden's and showered, we went for brunch at the Original Pancake House, where I had a plate of blueberry pancakes and Elizabeth had a giant apple crepe. Food makes everything better!
Full disclosure: I took this picture after already having eaten one pancake.
This may not have been my best race, but I think Elizabeth feels accomplished for finishing. She does seem a little dubious about my insistence that we do another. Although it was a far cry from my past performances and downright painful at times, I'm already thinking about signing up for A1A again next year! I just can't stay away.
Oh, and here is a video of us at the finish because I know some of you like that!
