Yesterday, I was able to check that one off my list.
I ran in the San Diego Rock & Roll Half Marathon. I had been planning on running with my best friend from my Junior and High School days. Sadly, she let me know a few days before the race that the situation on her end just wouldn't work out to travel to San Diego for the race. Dang! Now I had no excuse not to run fast! I had been training all along like any other race, averaging about 30 miles a week for the past month. My longest training run was 12 miles. In the last week, my "hard" runs (the long run and tempo runs) went really well. I felt strong!
My best time before yesterday was 2 hours 10 minutes, 30 seconds. My minimum goal was to beat this time. I figured if I could keep my pace around 9:30 minutes per mile, that would be no problem. Deep down, though, my ultimate goal is to complete 13.1 miles in under 2 hours. A little part of me thought....maybe I could do it today??
I woke up at 3:30 a.m. on Sunday morning. I had been hydrating well all week, and adding a few extra carbs for the past few days. It was hard to rest the night before the race. Partly because I didn't go down to San Diego to check in and get my bib and swag bag ahead of time. I paid an extra premium to be able to check in on race day. I also got to park at the finish line (Sea World), and take a shuttle to the start line (Balboa Park). I probably got only 4-5 hours of sleep the night before. That was the one thing that I wish I could have made different. It's not for a lack of trying...I went to bed plenty early. But drinking 3+ liters of water in a day has its effects, if you know what I mean....
Anyway, I got down to the parking okay. The shuttle was uneventful. However, it took a LONG time once he got off the freeway. That clued me in to how crowded it was going to be. There were over 30,000 runners registered! Everyone started at the same time...so you can imagine the congestion.
I managed to get my bib and timing chip. Once I got it on my shoe, I decided to make a pit stop at the porta potty. Even though there were dozens of them, the lines were incredibly long. I was going to have to go before the start in an hour. I figured I would wait in my corral, or wait in the toilet line! It took a long time, and I realized as I got near the front that I didn't have any kleenex. What if there wasn't any paper?? Oh man. Something to bring next time. But, as I tell Eric....Don't worry about things that aren't going to happen! There was paper, so it was all fine. I checked my bag with my sweatsuit and headed over to the corrals.
By the time I got to my corral (#25), it was just about time for the race to start: 6:15 a.m. When I signed up for this race, I had never run a half marathon, so I estimated my finish time to be 2 1/2 hours. Based on that, they assigned me to the appropriate corral, which was farther back from the faster runners in front. Corral #1 got started right at 6:15 a.m. Then every 2 minutes or so, the next corral would be let go. I figured I could overcome my position by getting in the front of my corral. Then I wouldn't have to run around everyone who might be slower than me. It sounded good in theory.
As we started to slowly creep forward, I began to think....Do I need to go to the bathroom again? Or is it mental? I waited awhile as they earlier corrals got started. I heard group #21 get let go and realized that I really DID need to go. If I didn't, I would have to go during the race, and that would affect my time. So I made a quick dash to another set of porta pots that lined the start line on Sixth Avenue. Even if I started with the next corral, it wouldn't matter. My race would start when the timing chip on my shoe crossed over the starting line.
I got out and managed to get back in my proper corral. But this time, I was more in the middle. Maybe I should have just gone to the front of #26. Who knows. I decided to stay where I was assigned. (Am I not a good girl?) By the time I got started, it was 6:52-over 30 minutes after the race had started for the elites.
During my past two half marathons, my strategy has been to pace myself. I wasn't sure I could even do 13.1 miles, so I started slow. This time, I was ducking and weaving in and out of people in my way. It was by far the most populated race I've ever done. I decided to change my strategy. I decided to run fast when I could. Usually, the first few miles are the hardest for me. Once I get 3-4 miles behind me, I go on automatic and, if its a good day, feel like I can go forever. When my first mile beeped on my Garmin at a pace of 9:26 I thought...Yes!! With all the zig zagging, I managed to make 9:26 and feel good. I can do this!
I had a really cool experience early on in the race. It was early on. I was on Park Avenue and I got this overwhelming sensation that people were praying for me. I was so overcome with emotion that I almost started crying as I ran. It's hard to explain, but it felt like a dump of Holy Spirit adrenaline. I found out later that a group of friends from church were indeed praying for me and another friend around that time. I knew my parents were praying for me, as well as other friends as well. I felt it! It was amazing!
The course itself was okay. I enjoyed the beginning when we were on city streets and running through Balboa Park. Every mile or so there was a live band playing music. It was great. Around mile 3, we went onto the 163 freeway. That was fine, but around mile 5 it started to hurt. The street was never level, it was always at a slope. Plus, I continued to have to bob and weave in between slower runners. I never realized that the 163 freeway between Balboa Park and the 8 freeway is an incline. Towards the end, one of the singers with a band commented about how we were almost at the top. Ah. That explains it. Its not that I don't do hills, but it does make it harder. (I live on a hill, so running in my neighborhood requires me to do hills.)
I was pleasantly surprised around mile 8 to see my mom and dad by the sidelines, cheering me on. That was awesome. They parked at Qualcomm stadium and took the trolley. I knew they were planning on being at the finish, but I didn't expect them in the middle!
I kept pushing on, and felt like I was passing a lot of people. Of course, with everyone starting at a different time, that didn't mean a thing.
As the race went on, it got harder and harder. I just wanted it to be over. I still had a few miles to go. I knew I could finish...but at what time? Having my Garmin was great-I could see where I was and if I needed to speed up to make that split a better time, I could. But by mile 11, I was running out of gas. I tore open a Gu that they had given me on the route. Strawberry banana. Kind of gross (I prefer chocolate or coffee flavors). I had some and tossed the rest to the side. Mile 12 was the worst. You can't say that its your last mile, and the scenery wasn't that inspiring. I even (gasp) gave into the mind and walked a few yards. That mile was my slowest, as you can see. By then, I could do the math. I knew that I wasn't going to make 2 hours, unless something utterly miraculous happened. Honestly, me running like this was already pretty darn miraculous!
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| Almost done....I passed the Chinese dragon! |
As Sea World came into view, I tried to keep up the pace. I knew it was going to be over soon. I decided to scan the crowd and look for my parents. I saw them right around the 13 mile mark. They were situated on a corner. I was able to wave to them long before I got there. It really does give you energy to have a friendly face in the crowd.
I managed to have a little bit left in the tank to push it a bit at the very end---you can see my last split was under 9 minutes per mile. But I was so glad when it was done! I knew I would be glad to have done it, and I am. But man, a lot of it was hard, and hurt! But you know, anything in life worth doing that is going to pay off is going to be hard. Otherwise, what is the point? If everything comes easy, then nothing will make you stronger.
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| Mom and dad found me after the race...a miracle! |
Cancer made me stronger. It sucked. It was hard. It was scary. It has made me appreciate what I am able to do today. I never will be the same as I was before my diagnosis. It's always in the back of my mind. But I'm stronger for it. That's not to say if I could go back in time and divinely decide not to have it happen I would choose it. But God has a plan for me, and cancer was part of it. I hope I am able to glorify Him through all that I do because He has given me the strength to do whatever it is I do post-diagnosis. Whether that is recovering from surgery, making it to chemo, or exercising with radiation burns. HE is my deliverer!
So I finished. I accomplished my first goal...to beat my time. I finished in 2:04:10. I was a little disappointed not to break the 2 hour mark. But out of my age group of fortysomethings, I came in at 209th out of 1,443. I can't complain about that! In fact, I'm pretty exited about it.
Where do I go from here?
Well, this is my last "long" race of 2012. I've signed up for a few 5ks, and I've got the 3 Day Walk in November. The family and I are going to France in a couple weeks. Once I get back, I need to start to transition my mindset into walking rather than running. It's going to be hard. Running is so awesome. Not to mention efficient-I burn twice the calories in half the time. This year, I want to keep running a little, even through walking season. I want to keep at least a 5k in me. I've signed up for the Carlsbad 1/2 marathon in January, and I don't want to be starting from scratch! I've also decided to do what's called the "Triple Crown" in San Diego in 2013. It's a series of 3 half marathons: Carlsbad in January; La Jolla in April; and San Diego (America's Finest City) in August.
People keep asking me....do you think you'll ever do a full marathon? Gosh. The idea of 26.2 miles seems way out of reach. But you know? Not too long ago, 13.1 sounded ridiculous! Heck, I've walked 60 miles in a weekend! So maybe in 2014, that will be a goal. One thing I know for sure. I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me!!
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