My very FIRST half marathon! To say I was nervous.....well that would be an understatement. I had trained...but not like I really should have. But it didn't matter. I was going to do it anyway. The race was in Annapolis, MD....just a short half hour drive from my parent's house. And since it was my weekend with my boys, we headed to Mom and Dad's on Saturday. I spent the night in my childhood home. Kind of a cool place to wake up before a major life event like this. I got up super early and almost immmediately began texting with my friend Aaron who was planning to run the race with me that day. Now Aaron and I had not really discussed how this would go. He is a marathoner....like a repeat marathoner....he's ran somewhere in the neighborhood of 30 marathons! I figured we would start together and at some point.....he would be far out of my sight...and we would meet up at the finish line. But my good friend had another plan. Like his best friend had done for him during his first marathon.....he ran with me.....by my side the entire time....talked me through the race....distracted me when I needed distracting....and let me cross the finish line a step or two ahead of him. What an amazing thing to do for a friend. I guess its kind of a tradition among some runners. Someone coaches you through a major race....and some day later you return the favor. Someday I will do that for someone else....but that won't be anytime soon :) For now...let me recap the race.
I caught up with Aaron at the start line, we snapped our obligatory pre-race photo and chatted briefly while we waited to start. I let him know that I was hoping to finish the race in under 2 hours and 45 minutes.
I didn't really let on how little I had trained for this race or how nervous I was because I really had no business being out on this course. Not very long in to the race I knew I was in trouble. Every mile or so I got caught up in a coughing fit. I am not sure what brought on the coughing fits...although admitedly these are not completely new....have been happening a bit lately :( [Side Note here: I promised Aaron that I would visit my dr to find out the cause and a solution because that much coughing is so not normal :)] Other than the coughing, and the fact that I struggled pretty much the last 12 miles of the race because I hadn't trained properly, it was a great day!
The course was really nice. It started at the Navy Marine Corp Memorial Stadium, made our way through part of Annapolis (one really beautful downhill with a view of the harbor) and then out over the Naval Academy bridge. Ugh that bridge. It is huge! And as we crested the bridge you would have thought I would have been thrilled...except in my head I was plagued by the thought of having to cross it yet again toward the end of the race! We continued out away from Annapolis proper and got to do a nice little out and back on the B & A trail. Around the 9 mile mark, we asked a policeman who was helping out to snap a mid race photo for us.
I like that the picture doesn't reveal just how much I was dying! As we headed back toward Annapolis (and that dreaded bridge), Aaron and I reflected on another pair of runners who had been just in front of or just behind us the whole race. One of the two was clearly running her first half as well and the other was her coach. Just liked Aaron and I. There wasn't much left in my tank....but that inner part of me that is super competitive was NOT going to let this girl finish ahead of me. As we neared the bridge that competitive part took over. It was definitely high of the list of things that helped me finisht the race! The middle of the bridge on the way back was about the 10 1/2 mile mark. Some really great spectators were on hand with funny signs. I just had to get a shot of Aaron with them! This is why I carry a smart phone on races with me!!! Now we were in to the last 5K. I was really running on empty....but Aaron just kept telling me I could do it. Near mile 12, my super tired and worn out sarcastic side showed up. It might also have been brought on by the fact that he started running BACKWARDS while coaching me! Then we saw it....the stadium again....and the finish line! Aaron kept pushing me....telling me I could do it....and when I got near the finish line and saw my boys and my folks waiting for me just on the other side....I literally began to tear up. When I crossed the finish I saw my sweet little boy with his Nintendo DSI....he had brought it along so he could take a finish line picture!
I am sure that if I had been more hydrated I would have been sobbing when I saw that.
As soon as I had cleared the way of other runners, my boys rushed up to hug me. I am not completely sure they really understood what I had done. But they were proud anyway...and so were my parents :) It wasn't pretty at all....but I finished in 2:43:46. So....definely met my goal....but next time around....I am going to set the bar a little higher :) And maybe actually train :) Special thanks to my good friend Aaron....he really made a huge difference for me in this race. I may have given up a lot more than I did if he hadn't been there to encourage me. Now for the reward....the Baltimore O's game with my son. Yes I think I deserve a nice beer in the warm sun at the ballpark after this morning!
