Quincy Half

Still a major fail when it comes to actually documenting my races. I really need to get better at this.

So. Since my last post in October, I've run 4 more races.

In November I ran the 5k4life race, it was obviously a 5k, and it was pretty awesome. It was a small race, but it was well organized. I killed it with a 28:23 finish...previously the best I had ever run a 5k was 28:20 and that was on the treadmill. Awesomesauce.

In December I ran the Somerville Jingle Bell Run, another 5k. It was seriously the coldest day we had up to that point by a goo 10+ degrees and it was the coldest day we had all winter. The temperature when we started was around 19 degrees I think...or was 19 the high that day? I can't remember. Even with the cold (and needing to wear running capri's, running pants, a tank top, a long sleeved shirt, a jacket, and gloves), I still managed to finish in 29:40. Not bad, not bad at all.

In February I ran the Disney Princess Half Marathon. I WILL have a real update for this race, it will be out of chronological order, but at least it'll be done.

And this brings us to race #4. The Quincy Historic Half Marathon. And I will TRY to do a real update.

The Quincy half was exactly 3 weeks from the Princess half and during those 3 weeks I didn't run a single step. Not to mention that I didn't even register for the race until the Tuesday night before the race. So I was really prepared. Ha.

In fact, I wasn't even sure that I wanted to run the race. I had my normal pre-race nerves and I was really feeling like I was in over my head. Even while I was waiting for the race to start I was seriously rethinking my decision to run. Listening and looking around, I realized that I was in over my head - even though going into the race I knew that the race was a training run for the Boston Marathon and that these folks were SERIOUS. I was listening to one woman talk about how this race was full of hills, that it wasn't an easy course, and that you shouldn't expect to PR. I was beginning to get really, really scared.

I sucked it up and went out to the starting line. Placed myself somewhere around the middle and hoped for the best.

Miles 0-3. These weren't terrible, in fact, I was feeling pretty good. I think I took a brief walking break right before mile 3 until I realized that there was a water stop right after the 3 mile mark so I started running again until that point.

Miles 4-6. This was where I started getting really confused/annoyed with the course. When I was a little past mile 4, I could see the leaders coming out of mile 6 which was the course looped over it self for the first time. I wasn't loving the course, but I wasn't hating this idea either. Better than before! Except at one point when I realized that I can't do math in my head (at mile 4 there were 9 miles left...not 8...), I wasn't regretting this so much. I was physically feeling okay.

Miles 7-9. Somewhere around this point was where we did another loop around a development. And I think this might have been when I started enjoying myself less. Ha. I was still feeling pretty strong here too. Going into the race I had a goal of finishing under 2:15, but my hope was pretty much shot when I overhead that lady talking about the course. However...as of mile 8 I was on track to finish under 2:15; I was still maintaining an 10 minute mile. And even at mile 9 I was still pretty much on track.

Mile 10. I started slowing down around mile 10. This mile was TOUGH. It was mostly up hill and I walked quite a bit of it. It was also at this point that I realized that even if I walked the rest of the way, I would PR. I had been running for about an hour and 45 minutes so I had 45 minutes (give or take) to finish the last 3.1 miles.

Mile 11. The last water break was around mile 11.5 and even though I had started running a bit more after we crested the hill and passed the 11 mile mark, I wasn't running nearly as much as I had been before. Until I happen to pass a lady who announced that as of *that spot* we had 1.5 miles left to go! I picked it up and ran to the mile 12 marker.

Mile 12. This was a harder mile than the beginning of the race, but not as bad as mile 10. I ran most of this mile, but was doing walk/run intervals...obviously not timed, but as I needed to walk I did. It was during this mile that a woman that I had been playing chicken since mile 6 or so passed me and told me that I was doing great and to keep it up. I tried to, but it wasn't that great. Then another woman passed me and told me to keep going that we were almost there. Around mile 12.8 or so I realized that this was rediculous and I kicked it up a notch.

Or 12. I FLEW it in. And I mean, flew. I have never moved that fast, my legs were heavy and they were starting to hurt, but I didn't care. It was as if I was making up for all of the walking breaks I took. I don't know what overcame me, but it was amazing. I was exhausted, could barely stand up, and was near tears from adrenaline/excitement...the clock time was 2:17:35.

I was floored. I could not believe that I did it. No, it wasn't 2:15, but it was pretty damn close. And given the amount of walking I did (particularly mile 10), I was so happy with the time.

After receiving my medal, a bottle of water, and a banana (that was shoved at me), I literally collapsed on a curb, updated facebook, and pulled myself up to drink water and eat the banana.

My chip time turned out to be 2:16:26...which was awesome. I'm so proud of myself, I still have that goal of a sub-2:15 half...maybe even a sub 2:00 half.

So I managed to cut almost 20 minutes off of my half marathon time and still feel perfectly fine afterwards...I was a little sore yesterday, but mostly I was fine.