Saturday was my first half marathon - almost.
First of all I was feeling crappy. Running while hosting a mucus sinus party in my head is not fun...racing while these shenanigans are happening is torturous.
The race started at 9am which is later than I usually start a long run and it was sticky. I am talking Florida humid sticky yucky. One mile in and I was sweaty. Only 12.1 more to go. Out past the dog park and onto the road. I have never run this part of the race before and I was surprised at the hills. No, they are not like the hills in the Boilermaker, but there were a few hills none-the-less. By mile three I am pretty much at the back of the pack, which is where I usually hang out, you know strategizing and plotting my takeover of the other stragglers and old people. I was hurting by mile 5.
I think I forgot to mention the weather people said we were going to get some storms and they had the potential to be nasty. So I am chugging along second to last and the cops are driving around...maybe they are the EMS I don't know they had lights and were in a suburban the possibilities are endless. There cold have been a rash of vandalism at the water stations, again I am not sure. The point is they slowed down and told me the race directors are getting very nervous about these storms and really want people back in the park and off the roads...wait for it...they ask me if I want a ride back to the dog park (it was probably about 3/4 of a mile to a mile from where I was). I said nope, no way, no thank you, not gonna happen. These short legs are going to take me until I either fall over or you force me to leave the course.
Back in the park I keep chugging away and going forward...slowly...but I am still not last, unless that pesky person in the back hitched a ride with the people with the flashing lights in the suburban. Curses, I might have been last, but hey it wasn't to bad back here. I mean I have the water stops to myself.
Over to Willow Bay. Now many people have already finished the race. My coach is done and enjoying some calorically ladened junk food. Down to the turn around...wait are those people in front of me that I might pass? Yes I think they are. Turn around and back. One more leg to go. Eight plus miles in and I am not quite dead yet. I hurt. I am exhausted. My head wants to explode. I keep going. It starts to rain.
I never saw lightening nor heard thunder and it was a chilly rain, but now I am truly badass...running my first half marathon in the rain. Oh yeah. In the park we have bike EMTs. I see a few of them riding around and I am sure they want to make sure I am not going to drop on the side of the road and need an IV or resuscitating or anything like that. They have been circling me like sharks circling a wounded whale since about mile six. Wait are they speaking to me? When did sharks learn to talk...wait am I hallucinating? They are talking to me. They are telling me the race directors are calling the race and I am to head to the finish line and not do the West Trail. WAIT WAIT WAIT...WHAT? Must pass the people in front of me. Must pass the people in front of me. Must pass the people in front of me...even if the race is shortened. I pass them.
I am only at mile eight something. I head back to the finish line. I cross the finish line so I guess technically I am a finisher even with only going nine something miles. There seemed to be quite a bit of confusion about the race being called, but it is what it is. Funny thing is people were surprised to see me. Well of course they were. It is just over two hours and I am across the finish line.
In a way I was relieved it was shortened for me. I wasn't feeling it. It was a really hard run for me. I am exhausted mentally, physically and even emotionally. Training for a marathon is difficult - no it is really really really hard, especially for me being such a slow runner and it sucks most days. I am losing my motivation and just want this to be done. I am not even sure I can do 26.2. Self doubt is everywhere. I hate it.
On a positive note speedwork today felt pretty good and any good run at this point I will take.
Oh remember the people I worked so hard to pass at the end of the race? When they crossed the finish line (they weren't too far behind me either) everyone started singing Happy Birthday. Yep one of the runners it took me 8+ miles to pass was celebrating his 80th birthday. Yep, I am just THAT badass.
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