Posts Tagged ‘ winter ’

My alarm went off at 6:15 AM.  After a fitful night of sleep, it came too soon, but as my eyes cracked open, I remembered, “It’s race day!” I hopped out of bed with pre-race jitters as I fumbled through my morning routine.  It was the perfect day to race.

Snow fell overnight – just a couple of inches – no biggie!  We all know how hardcore I am about winter running.  I kid! But it was a race morning and I was pumped for an ontherun adventure!

Snowy races require bright, striped knee socks…and an entourage. Lauren, EC, and Koli piled into MomOnTheRun’s caravan for a little ontherun fun.  It was a packed house.

Yay for races!  We worried that snowy roads might affect our travel (~1.5 hr. drive), but it was smooth sailing…until we reached Hyannis.  It took us nearly 30 minutes to creep a couple of miles.  I started stressing in a big way.  It was down to the wire, when Bekah saved the day!  She grabbed our bibs, we hit the ladies’ room and it was GO time!  I found my amazing race buddy and off we went.

At the start, the snow was falling, the ground was wet, and the air was cold.  The conditions were very fitting for the winter we’ve had.  Lizzy and I ran and ran.

What a classic picture!  We ran like lightening.  It was hard for MomOnTheRun to capture as we passed.  Ha ha ha.

The race was not easy.  Races aren’t supposed to be easy.  Sometimes I forget that.  I see people running fast and assume that it’s effortless for them, but it isn’t.  Every runner is out there to do their best and achieve personal goals.  This race was no different.

I made a plan to run conservatively, as this was a training run for the National Marathon.  The problem is that running conservatively in a race is a bit tough.  I had a fun running buddy and plenty of adrenaline, so I started strong.  My typical 9:30/mi was nowhere in sight.  I stayed close to Lizzy, whined to her talked her ear off, and tried to keep a consistent pace.

The course had plenty of rolling hills that kept our legs moving.  My legs felt a little tired, so I took a GU around the six mile mark and started grabbing sips of Gatorade by mile eight.  I felt sluggish, but then I looked at my watch. 8:20s…there’s the culprit!  That’s not exactly my long run pace.  I pulled back a bit.  I was tired and I didn’t want to affect Lizzy’s time.  A gap grew between us, but I kept her in my sights.  She kept me running strong to the finish.  We finished less than a minute apart.

Even on race day, I love my running buddies.  She rocked!  This race toughened us right up.  The Garmin says:

Total Distance: 13.26 miles

Total Time: 1:59:40

• Mile 1 – 9:11/mi
• Mile 2 – 9:02/mi
• Mile 3 – 8:50/mi
• Mile 4 – 8:55/mi
• Mile 5 – 8:55/mi
• Mile 6 – 8:51/mi
• Mile 7 – 8:53/mi
• Mile 8 – 9:07/mi
• Mile 9 – 9:15/mi
• Mile 10 – 9:01/mi
• Mile 11 – 9:01/mi
• Mile 12 – 9:01/mi
• Mile 13 – 9:16/mi
• 0.26 (not 0.1!) – 8:25/mi

Average Pace: 9:01/mi

My official finish time – 1:59:??  A sub-two hour half-marathon…in New England…in February…with friends.  Nothing beats that!

Seriously.  Who doesn’t love sloshing through freezing rain with friends?  It’s the only way to achieve that awesome “drowned rat” look that I love.  You can’t fake the smiles, though.  Those are for real.  So are the post-race crazies…

I had a bad case!

There was only way to cure me.  Food, water, and warmth with a side of friends.

Lauren and Bekah also rocked their races today.  I was so happy for everyone.  After all that running, it felt great to celebrate good times.  Congrats to everyone that ran in Hyannis today!

And now I shall sit!  It’s time for sweatpants and TV.  Happy Sunday!