I ran my third half-marathon yesterday. The Quad Cities Marathon started when I was in high school. The inaugural year, some of the girls cross country team and I ran the 5 person relay. 15 years later, I was back to run half of it.
The weather was cool and brisk, my favorite running weather. The course was scenic, right long the Mississippi River for a good majority. The amenities along the race course and volunteers were great (except for the one water/Gatorade station that was out, that sucked).
The morning started out okay. I didn't feel as crappy as I did the night before. After battling some bridge traffic and trying to find parking, I parked (next to my childhood dentist, she recognized me before I recognized her) and made it to the starting area with enough time to work almost up to my pace group and hear the national anthem. The starting cannon went off and we were running. Yes, not a starting gun, a cannon. It was loud and surprising. My beginning mile times were not bad, I reached the first mile in 9:12, but by then I had also stepped in two potholes and hence twisted my ankle twice. I skipped the first water station and when I got water at the second, I choked on it. Then around the 4 mile mark my foot went numb. And on it went for 9 more miles, weird running problems, one after another. I didn't have to stop to go to the bathroom or throw up, though, so maybe I should just focus on those positives.
I ran 13.1 miles in 2:07:50 which is about 9:46/mile. Not my best, in fact it is my worst, but I finished. I did finish before the first marathon finisher so that is something. I was the 975th person to cross the line.
From the beginning this race seemed doomed. My training was poor. I had random bouts of illness. I was home sick from work last Friday. So all in all, I gave it a good effort for what I had and finished.
Today I am sore head-to-toe. But I am moving and that is what matters.
The weather was cool and brisk, my favorite running weather. The course was scenic, right long the Mississippi River for a good majority. The amenities along the race course and volunteers were great (except for the one water/Gatorade station that was out, that sucked).
The morning started out okay. I didn't feel as crappy as I did the night before. After battling some bridge traffic and trying to find parking, I parked (next to my childhood dentist, she recognized me before I recognized her) and made it to the starting area with enough time to work almost up to my pace group and hear the national anthem. The starting cannon went off and we were running. Yes, not a starting gun, a cannon. It was loud and surprising. My beginning mile times were not bad, I reached the first mile in 9:12, but by then I had also stepped in two potholes and hence twisted my ankle twice. I skipped the first water station and when I got water at the second, I choked on it. Then around the 4 mile mark my foot went numb. And on it went for 9 more miles, weird running problems, one after another. I didn't have to stop to go to the bathroom or throw up, though, so maybe I should just focus on those positives.
I ran 13.1 miles in 2:07:50 which is about 9:46/mile. Not my best, in fact it is my worst, but I finished. I did finish before the first marathon finisher so that is something. I was the 975th person to cross the line.
From the beginning this race seemed doomed. My training was poor. I had random bouts of illness. I was home sick from work last Friday. So all in all, I gave it a good effort for what I had and finished.
Today I am sore head-to-toe. But I am moving and that is what matters.
