13.1 RACE REPORT - but i won't quit, i want more

I really have been listening to that last song way more than what is healthy.

RACE REPORT

Friday Expo:
I met Anne-Marie at home, and we departed for the expo at the Armory mid-afternoon. It turned out to be a good test run for how to drive to RFK the next morning. Though admittedly we had to take at least 3 laps around the stadium to be absolutely sure. The packet-pickup process was pretty much to be expected- it took a while since I had to pick up packets for a number of other folks, and had to stand in a new line for each bib number. But overall it was fairly smooth. The shopping and booths were tempting- I did come home with a few pairs of Wright socks, a pair of sport sunglasses, and some GUs and Cliff Bars. I put off purchasing a watch, but it probably would have been helpful during the race! Anne's huge find was Newton's for $60 each! (normally $175). I have to say I am sorely disappointed that Newton's tend to run small so 11s don't fit me :( Or else I totally would be a convert to the Newtons. After completely losing track of time, we went to Katie F's for a delicious pasta dinner.

Pre-race nerves:
I had no problems crashing afterward. But I woke up at midnight with a stomachache and never fully went back to sleep. The stomach ache continued all through the next day and night. So much for thinking I had this pre-race jitters thing under control! It wasn't so much that I was worried about being unprepared to run, but more that I would get lost in the morning, or something else catastrophic would happen that I was otherwise prepared for or that was completely out of my control to begin with. Really, alot of useless worrying. I need to work on that.

Saturday Race Morning:
The morning went as smoothly as possible with a 4:30 alarm set- we drove to RFK with plenty of time to warm up and stretch before the first call to the start line. So many other people (especially those who took metro) were not as lucky. The weather man was not lying last week- it was COLD that morning! About 32 when we started with a little wind. But thank goodness it was not raining or snowing, and it actually turned out to be a beautiful bright and sunny day.


apparently smiley at 7a

Katie and I lined up in the blue corral (9:45-10:15 pace) and awaited the start. It took about 15 mins to get to the start gate, but we were finally on our way. Things were mostly uneventful. Miles were not clearly marked (probably the most frequent complaint on the facebook page) so I don't have a mile by mile narrative. The first couple of miles were a breeze- down Constitution towards Lincoln Memorial.


flyby at the Capitol building

Then we hung right and headed up towards Dupont Circle and Adams Morgan. This was the hilliest part of the course, but I was very grateful to have done this section a couple of times beforehand because it really did not feel like that big of a deal. I started noticing about then- my biggest pet peeve and complaint about this particular event- that some of the water stations were already running short, and there was a pretty significant wait at some of them for the volunteers to pour water. Kind of messes with your rhythm. I was especially nervous since I hadn't really trained with GU or any other type of nutrition (although in my longer training runs I really started noticing a need for it). So after Adams Morgan (or maybe before?) I noted what looked like a water station ahead, so I ripped open a GU. I found out immediately why you should take water right after- it is thick and GU-ey and not at all easy to swallow. The water station that I thought was right ahead was actually a mirage- the station had run out of water, and they directed us to the next table down, which was more like a half mile away. The GU was thick in my throat for that short time and I don't think I ever really recovered. I found myself coughing the rest of the race, which was unnecessary.

Did I mention that in that eventful time frame Jen managed to find us in the crowd? I still cannot fathom how. But it was so great to see a friendly face and relax and smile for just a moment before soldiering on.


it's Jen!

Columbia Heights and Howard U were probably the most fun sections of the course. Besides the one random hill, the course shifts to mostly downhill, and the spectators were awesome. All the dorm kids blasting their stereos to 70s funk and 80s tunes, neighbors out in their front yards distributing coffee and munchkins, 'free high five' signs, just overall a mood-booster.

We made our way down North Capitol Street (nice view of the capitol building), noted a 10 mile marker (finally) and headed left back to the stadium. Worst part of the race BY FAR was the stretch along H Street NE. The sun had come up brightly above the horizon, and despite my expo purchase I did not have protective eyewear with me. H Street is also ugly, narrow, and unfinished, to be nice about it. I was tired, but had to not only weave among those who were also tired and started to walk, but also watch out for potholes, jersey barriers, and unfinished curbs and road surfaces. UGH. It was at this point when I started to lose Katie. Looking back now I wonder if a second GU would have helped me at this point, but I don't think I am reading my body's signals quite right yet. (we have a nutrition clinic next week for NTP, and I am planning on asking alot of questions). Regardless, the last 5k of the race was all a blur of emotions and frustration ('where is the F$#&ing stadium, just get me back to the F%*&@ing stadium').


me and my nonfunctional hip flexors crossing the finish line


Not helping matters was that the finish line area was totally chaotic:
'Can I have a medal please?'
'No these are full marathon medals'
'So where do I get the half marathon medal?'
'....'
is not a conversation I want to be having immediately after 2 hrs and 20 mins of running. I admittedly did break down a bit after- it was a relief just to be done. After locating the car, and celebrating Anne's PR, we hung around the finish line festival for a bit longer, and went to brunch in Eastern Market with Mary and Rob, who had completed the full, and their fan club. We took a detour down the Mall on the way home to see the Cherry Blossoms. Had enough time at home to regroup, ice, and power-nap before heading back out to celebrate (commiserate?) at Mary and Rob's new place for dinner. For the next couple hours, all motions were accompanied by sound effects, as we were all pretty sore at that point.

Reflecting on my time, overall I am happy with it. Without ever really training specifically to a goal, I thought 2:15 would be reasonable, but would be happy with a overall time anywhere between 10-11min/miles. I ended up at 2:21:51, with 10:50 miles and a 10k split of 1:06:31 at 10:43/mi. So my perceptions of speed on the first and second halves of the course were actually way off, and I was actually running more consistently than I thought. I need to figure out why that happened and why my brain got in the way in the last half of the race.

Sunday Multisport Expo:
Conveniently, the World Multisport Expo was in Bethesda at Georgetown Prep the very next day. There was a free speaker series and a modest expo. Definitely enough to fill a few hours. I saw great talks on open water swimming, bike fitting, barefoot running, and sports psychology/mental preparedness. Definitely made out at the expo with freebies from Newton, Muscle Milk, and the Columbia Tri folks. FYI, no endorsements here, just shameless freebie grabbing :)

A few days later, my soreness is finally gone, and I can properly walk up and down stairs again. The lingering issues with my knees and hamstrings are no worse and no better than they were before 13.1. I'm feeling extra motivated now, especially with only one training plan on my wall at work. I can focus much more on my weaknesses (swimming, road riding) and give my joints a break for a bit. :) I am struggling to put together a schedule for the rest of the season. I want to do a bunch of things, and my motivation is slightly different from most. Despite what people are telling me, I really have no desire to work towards a 26.2 now. Really, turning around and doing the race all over again right away was just not appealing (and still isn't). I have multiple options in the area to do shorter tris (after DC Tri in June) or other half marathons through October. But, I am not an elite athlete and I am not doing this to win. I feel like the effort I put forth to train should also go towards others, a greater goal. Which is why I've been drawn to some of the fundraising programs like ACS in the past. But none of those potential local races are options in the ACS schedule. Of course the option that fits all of my requirements is Ironman 70.3 Poconos in October. Now, a first HIM is something to be proud of and fundraise for, is it not? But am I ready to make that leap yet? Without a road bike yet, I think not. :)

For now, I am focusing on Pikes Peek 10k in April (it will be tough to best last year's 10k PR, but I am going to try) and DC Tri in June. I have other 'bucket list' items I'd like to knock off the list before the end of this year as well. So we shall see how priorities shift in the second half of the year.

Overall I am super grateful for all the support I've been getting the last few weeks, and especially that timing worked out for Anne-Marie to spend the weekend here. Anne- just remember BALANCE! :)