I had my own race this weekend! I wanted to do this race even though I had not heard good things about it. The Silver Strand 1/2 marathon from Coronado to Imperial Beach Pier. I got the opportunity to volunteer at the rec expo for a free race entry-I jumped on it. My running buddies did too! I was excited to do a race with them! My friends have a lot more race experience & I am so wanting to get to that level.
Race fees are expensive so I can't afford to do as many races as I want.
Every race is a chance to learn something. I didn't follow a training schedule for this race, I just kept up my training schedule & my long runs on Saturday. Last weekend my long run was AWESOME! I felt like I could of ran a half maybe even a full marathon that day. I prayed I could feel the same on race day.
Because I spent the day at the expo I had to bring canned soup for my dinner. I learned my first lesson! Too much sodium for dinner could proof bad on race day. I slept good! The night before I slept good which doesnt always happen night before a race! AND I WAS NERVOUS!!
It poured rain all day during the expo & it was cold! Although the weather said differently it was hard to believe race day wouldn't have more of the same. I planned for VERY COLD weather & in the morning it was cold. I know myself well enough though & layered! I checked my change of clothes before race start cause I also knew I would want dry clothes after the race or I'd freeze!
Pre race was fun! Taking pictures with my friends, walking around running into people from my gym, running club, even my TNT mentor!
The race start came & I took off with my friend Stacey! We ran the marathon together & since then it has been a rare opportunity to run together since! The next lesson I learned was no matter how good you feel KEEP PACE! We were running SO FAST! It was a straight flat course & easy to go for speed BUT it is not smart! I ended up losing steam at mile 7. I had nothing left! I was exhausted! I was also starting to swell very bad (the sodium from night before caught up with me).
I just started walking. Stacey walked & gave me the "what's up" look? I said I'm done, I'm over it. We walked a 1/4 mile then ran, & repeated. Then about mile 8 we decided walking was way more fun, felt better & was much more enjoyable way to do this race. We chatted, laughed, joked, took pictures. We strolled through the neighborhood portion of the race looking at houses, waved at the old lady sitting in her window watching, got a bottle of water from some awesome spectators. I actually used the water on my swollen hands too! We called Christian at mile 10 & she was right behind us. We met up with her & chatted a bit. Right about then the 2:45 pace guy showed up. I tried to keep up with him & as I did my body responded in a good way! It was happy that I took a break, caught my breathe & that I stopped pushing it past my limits. In return my body agreed to MOVE! I was able to not only run with the pacer but pass him! I began to pass a lot of people & get some serious momentum going! I was still going my normal comfortable pace but feeling GOOD. Um feeling good except for the blazing heat from the sun roasting me! I had also made a bad move & decided to run with out my fuel belt. None of my friends were & I didn't want to be weighed down. Well none of them sweat like I do either & drinking at aid stations is plenty of rehydration for them. Not the case for me! At mile 11 I passed one runner that I now regret whizzing by. She was sitting along the side of the road, she looked like she was relaxing watching the racers. Shortly after I passed her my friend Christian DID stop & check on her. Turns out she was in distress & Christian had to call medical aid. She stayed with her until medics arrived & the girl was taken to the hospital. This was another learning experience for me. I should have checked on her & I will never run past another person like that without stopping. Who cares about finish time when someone's life could actually be in danger.
I made a pretty good pace to the finish line & finished strong! As I mustered up that last 3 miles of get up & go I congratulated myself for truly becoming an athlete. I told myself that I will be able to finish any race triathlon or running because I have determination, because I have mental strength to push myself when I feel like I have nothing left. I also was hard in myself that I didn't do better. I had to remind myself HELLO this is technically only your 2nd 1/2 marathon! HELLO a few years ago you would of died laughing if someone told you that you would be doing this! HELLO you have transformed your life & become a whole new person!! Celebrate!!!! So as I crossed the finish line I did! I let myself feel the wonderful feeling that comes when the medal is around me neck. I smiled the smile that belongs to a finisher.
& I told myself take these lessons and do even better on the next one! That is 3 weeks away!!!!
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