Thursday, May 23, 2013

No One Said There Would be Math in this Race: The Heroes Half Marathon Race Recap

A few months ago I started training for a half marathon.  I signed up for the Heroes Half, a race that honours and donates to the military.  I was planning to run it on my own, but Erika offered to join me.  Run a race with a friend, who also happens to be an Ironman??


My training was going really well; I was actually hitting a lot of the times in my speed work and was feeling good about things.  That is, until the week before the race, when I rolled my ankle by landing only partially on the sidewalk during a training run.


I decided to rest from running until the race after running twice more that week.

The day before the half I convinced TriGuy to come with me to packet pickup, so we could spend some quality time together.


We got there and the place was empty...because we were 3 hours early.  Because why would packet pickup be at a normal time? why would it be easily findable on the website? I didn't hunt for the time more carefully.


We decided to go have lunch, then went home and I went back later on my own.

The day of, I was pretty pumped.  I had slept amazingly well, woke up ready to go and completely ignored the fact that my foot felt worse.  Surely it was just nerves.


For this race, Erika asked me if I wanted to sub 2:00 (run it in under 2 hours).  We agreed to go out and just see how it went, considering my foot and my training times.

For the record, running with Erika was awesome.  She, like Ann Marie, was happy to talk the entire time to take my mind off the endless miles.


The race started up a hill and over a series of bridges.  We saw a number of people returning from the 10k, but then we started to see half marathoners coming back!  The first guy we saw was running with a child in a stroller!!  No kidding!

He WON the race and got himself in the Guinness Book of World Records!

We trotted on, into the water treatment plant and started the return portion.  Just after the 9 mile marker we saw the 10k turnaround, so I said:


 However, a half marathon is 13 miles.  


Math:  it's not really my strength.

We eventually realized there must be an extra loop somewhere before the finish for the half marathon.  And sure enough, there was.  As we got to the 10 mile marker, I said:

 
Erika said that if we kept under a 9:30 pace we could potentially sub 2.  I might have gotten cocky at that point.


That's when all of a sudden my body said "What was that you were saying?  Hahahahahaha!"  And then I couldn't breathe very well so I had to slow down.

By then the heavens had opened up.


We got soaked.


We were into the last interminable couple of miles that looped around the marina and through the parking lot, when a gentleman called out to us.  He asked if we could pace him, as he had nothing left in the tank.  We age groupers are all about the community and not the competition so we happily said yes.


As we got to the last mile, Erika had a plan.


We followed Erika's advice that it would hurt now, but it was ok because it would be over soon.  I sprinted as much as I could and then saw TriGuy waving and taking pictures!



This time I did not stop.

Erika slowed up a bit in order to cheer me through the finish.  I took a moment to catch my breath,

then got my medal.  Erika and I congratulated the man who ran with us, took a few more pictures with TriGuy, and then we headed home.  (Incidentally, while we were driving home the sun came out.)

I sat with my computer and stalked the results site until the times were up.  I was pretty stoked to find out I ran 2:04:17.  A fabulous new PR!  By NINE WHOLE MINUTES!!


So now I think I'm ready to start training for a full marathon.


Maybe.



This weekend I'm linking up on Yeah Write's Moonshine Grid.  Come join us!



UPCOMING POSTS:  RUNNING, SWIMMING, BIKING, AND CLASSES WITH GYMSIS

49 comments:

  1. woohoo! congrats on your PR! (and make me crack-up again) :)

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  2. Julia's foot was spicy?!?! Awesome run!

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  3. Yay for PRs!! I just decided to start training for a full too. Are we crazy? Probably.

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    1. Awesome!!! I do think we are crazy! What race are you going to run??

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  4. Congrats on your PR! Good for Erika for keeping everyone going. Have you picked your marathon yet?

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    1. Thanks Debbie! Erika was fantastic. And I have picked my marathon: PORTLAND!!

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  5. Congrats on your shiny new PR!!! It sounded like a really fun race. I think that Erika is a professional at this pacing business. :-)

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    1. Thanks Tasha! Yup, she is really good at it!

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  6. Spicy = asleep. Must be a kiddo? My sister used to call really minty toothpaste "spicy", too. Not quite as cute as asleep, though. And, on the random topic of funny names kids have for things, I have a friend who fed her 3 year old daughter plain yogurt for the first time - the daughter's reply? "Mom, this yogurt goes MEOW! in your mouth!"

    Um. OK. You aren't running a half at the moment, so no need for my rambling stories to distract you. But anyway - congrats on the PR, and thanks for your hilarious story/illustrations along the way! =)

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    1. Thanks Holly! She's 3, just like your friend's daughter...I'm not sure if food going meow is a good thing or a bad thing!

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  7. 1. you are totally ready to dominate a full! I'm so excited for you whenever you do. I know it was a while ago, but congrats again! Erika is good at kicking your butt when you need it to get you a speedy finish. That guy who won the race is INSANE. I cannot even imagine!

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    1. Yes, Erika was great!! I am going to run Portland in October! (Just as soon as I sign up.) That guy was nuts. And I'm not sure how much fun his daughter actually had.

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  8. Congrats on your shiny new PR! I loved that you helped pull the man to the finish. Great job!

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    1. Thanks Angela! It helped me feel better about my own run :)

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  9. Congrats! Love reading this and remembering my own PR day ;)

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    1. Thanks! I'm happy I was able to bring you some happy memories :)

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  10. Congratulations!!!! Loved the recap!

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  11. Amazing!!! Loved taking the race here with you!! I was so into it!! I think i'm going to read it to my kids now! I think they'd love this story of TRIUMPH!! Yay!!!!

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    1. I'm so glad you came along with me! I hope your kids like the story!

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  12. Congrats on the new PR! And wow - running with a stroller? I wonder if its fun for the kid...

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    1. Thanks! Yeah, I'm not sure the kid was all that into it.

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  13. Congrats on the PR! Nine minute difference is fantastic!!! Way to stay with it. How is your ankle feeling?

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    1. Thanks!! I was/am very happy with it. My foot felt all better by the end of the race. Go figure!

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  14. Wow, congrats on the new PR! That's quite an impressive improvement in time!

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    1. Thanks! I think it was the third time I've used that training plan and the first time I was actually meeting most of the paces on it.

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  15. Great job!! What an awesome PR! I ran that race last year and liked it:) The guy in the stroller is amazing! I don't know how people run with strollers:/

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    1. Thanks hiker mom! Not a bad course, right? I could have done without the water treatment plant, but otherwise it was good. I don't know how people run with strollers either...I can barely navigate those things in a straight line when I'm walking!

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  16. Hee hee. Your drawings make me giggle. Your words, too. :)

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  17. Yay love this post!! Congratulation on the new PR! What a fabulous time :)

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  18. Wohoo!! Great job! Way to git 'er done in the rain! You're hard-core, my friend. HARD CORE!

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  19. CONGRATS!!! I love these posts & pics AND the curly hair! - coming from this crazed hair lady! ;)

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    1. Thanks Jody! The crazy curly hair is always fun to draw :)

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  20. Love the post and the pics. Well done on the new PB. Such a good feeling isn't it?

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    1. Thank you Moonboots! It's a great feeling to get a new PB!

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  21. Congrats! I've always wanted to run. Nice inspiration, especially after the foot injury.

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    1. Thanks! I was so glad it wasn't a serious injury :)

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  22. I'm a walker not a runner so I am not worthy!

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    1. Walking is supposed to be just as healthy as running :D

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  23. Congrats on your PR! I always found running with a stroller made the whole thing like 85x harder.

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    1. Thanks! I can't even imagine running with a stroller.

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  24. Congratulations!!!! Don't you just love those moment where the race doubles in length, your body says no, and the rain starts? Trifector baby!!

    Seriously though, amazing effort.

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    1. Thanks so much Kate. Yeah, still a good race despite the annoyances :)

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