Day 3 Part 1, the Race!

I woke up early on Sunday morning. I get so nervous about stupid things. I wasn’t worried about finishing the race or anything like that, I was worried about showing up too late and not having time to stretch out or not being able to find a parking place close by. Yes, I worry way too much. So we ate our breakfast (yummy oatmeal) and gathered all our stuff together and then piled in the car. We drove out to pick up my Dad at his hotel. The sun was already up at 6:30 – which was a bad sign since the race started at 7. We found a parking spot and didn’t have to walk too far to get to the starting line. There were a lot of people there, most in line for the porta-potties. We walked around and got ready for the race. Matt was running the 5K which started 15 minutes after the half started. Finally, it was time. Everyone lined up (the elite athletes in the front, me in the back) and soon we were off.

I had a plan for this race. I was going to add a little running, since I had been training with running I felt good about this. I was still going to walk the majority of the race because I wasn’t in good enough shape to run it. So my plan was to walk the first ¾ mile and to run the last ¼. This worked really well to start. I was having fun, and doing great. There were WAY less people in this race than the race at Disneyland, and most of the people in this race were very good runners. I was way behind the pack, and at times I was all alone.

Before the race we had printed a course map from the organizers website. I noticed right away that we were not following the course that I had mapped in my head. Very early in the race, about mile 3, there was a really long steep hill. It took me a while to get up it! This is when I started to see the elite runners going back the other way. (there were a lot of out and backs on the course). Once I made it up the long steep hill, I went steeply down the other side, around a couple blocks, then back up this hill. I could see the main group of runners on the other side of the turn ahead of me, but I was close enough to the pack that we didn’t pass each other going opposite directions.

Back up the hill, then down the long decent. I was feeling really good. It was about mile 5 and I had been on the course for about an hour. My time was killer and I was happy.

It was about 8:00 now, and probably near 70 degrees. I was hot and starting to get tired. We weaved around town for a while. I was still feeling pretty good. But that changed about mile 8. I just stopped feeling good. I had followed the course on another out and back and I was headed back toward the park where we started. The group around me was really thin, there were a few ladies I could see ahead of me, and some behind, but no one really close. During my run in mile 7 or 8 I stared feeling really bad. I decided that I would try to get more water, and that I wouldn’t try running again for a couple miles. Everything from this point on seemed to be up hill. It was hot.

About mile 9 I crossed a street to see Matt and my Mom standing on the corner! There were no people cheering on this course. It was pretty dead, so to see them made me happy. Matt and his Grandma had made signs and they were up on the trees as I ran past this block. They made me happy and I realized I had to keep going!

I hit mile 10 and was feeling bad, but I knew I could do it. I knew that even if I walked slow I was going to beat my time of 3:00 at the last race. I didn’t have to push it more than I could, but somewhere in the back of my mind a voice really wanted to finish in 2:45. It really REALLY did. I started to figure and think and try to decide how fast I had to go to get that time. I felt pretty good that I could do it – if I just didn’t die first!

The last part of the race was weaving up and down and around blocks near the park where we would finish. I kept thinking we were close, but then I knew it was only mile 11 or mile 12. Finally I reached mile 13 and turned a corner where I could see the finish. I decided to run again and I rounded the corner. Matt was there with some roses (it was Valentine’s day) and he followed me on the side as I came around the block to the finish line. Then – I was done. In 2 hours and 44 minutes (and some seconds). I sat down so they could get the chip off my shoe and then I was ready for a BIG drink. Sadly all they had left was water and some yucky old apples.

I tried to stretch out and then we walked slowly to the car. First stop – a gas station for a BIG diet coke.

Coming soon – Day 3 part 2, An Afternoon in Palm Springs