And so it ended much like it began. It’s funny how things come full circle sometimes. This half marathon was so much like the first one I did this year it was uncanny.
This point-to-point race was done on forest preserve trails. I’d spent almost 10 years of my life living within a mile of these trails and had never even walked, not to mention run them. Until today.
I parked at the finish line early, picked up my race packet and boarded one of seemingly a zillion buses to the start. Honestly I’ve never seen point-to-point bus service this efficient since Boston. Impressive.
It was a mild day, windy though, with dark, gloomy skies and rain threatening. Although it was in the low 50’s the 20mph winds made it seem much colder milling about the starting area. I huddled behind the gear check trailer and deliberated whether I’d check my vest or be a pansy again and keep it.
Goals for this race:
Find a pace where I felt strong (no speedwork since July + 5k 48 hrs. earlier = don’t be too stunned if you don’t light the course on fire)
Don’t look at the Garmin (I’m getting pretty good at this)
Don’t walk
We are off, hard into the wind, on rolling trails. It would be quite beautiful if the trees weren’t bare and it wasn’t so bleak and desolate outside. I am feeling good though.
By mile 2 I could feel the PIA from the yoga incident. I suspect I aggravated that pulled ass muscle in the Thanksgiving 5k because afterward it felt like my left butt-cheekular skin was tearing to the point that I needed to look and see if it was. Not to mention it’s totally numb. Now my ass was really hurting and if I strided too long it radiated down my left hamstring. Nice. It hurt so bad during miles 2-4 if there were medical personnel, I would’ve stopped. But there was no one so I slowed and kept on. Badass, yes I am. Literally and figuratively. Maybe a tad stupid too.
The rain started at mile 5 during one of at least 3 long, mentally challenging out-and-backs on this course. At first I enjoyed seeing the leaders coming through but the turnarounds were slow.
There were also segments of the course on grass, which became more slippery and challenging in the rain.
We went up and over a bridge, pavement getting slick as it’s raining harder now. We ran through an area where there are elk–very large and a very cool distraction.
By mile 9 it was pouring and with the wind, the rain lashed sideways. My bib number would blow out sideways, collect water then dump it all over my capris like a water park feature. The whole thing was getting so outrageous it was quite humorous. I glanced at my Garmin and realized somehow it had stopped it at mile 5. Ha! Plus there were no course clocks so color me clueless on time.
I was glad I kept my vest. With the deteriorating conditions, I found myself raising my mental game if not my physical one. Around mile 10 I could see the finish and if I’d turned right the finishing chute wasn’t far beyond.
But there was one last, torturous out and back. I was soaked to the bone and splashing in puddles. We were on nothing more than a narrow sidewalk with runners going in both directions. Bottleneck city.
I found myself boxed in for most of the last 3 miles but didn’t really care.
Girl down at mile 12, accompanied by a guy in a turkey suit, peeled down to his waist. She left in an ambulance. Bleh.
Finally one last long stretch across muddy slippery grass and I was finished. I felt like I came in strong, but thankfully nothing puke-worthy.
