So John and I woke up at 7:30. Surprisingly, I didn't really have any nervousness until about an hour and a half prior to the race, which is pretty good for me. Usually I have a bit of anxiety the day before, but not this time. I decided peanut butter toast with jam, my usual coffee, and some Vitamin Water Zero would be perfect for the race day breakfast, and it ended up working out well. I popped a Zyrtec because my allergies have been unreal, and then it was off to ND.
I was surprised by how many people were there when I arrived. I didn't think that many people had registered, but there were at least a hundred people standing in the race day registration line, along with hundreds of other scattered about. The weather in the morning was chilly - probably late 40s, with on and off sprinkles. I opted for shorts, a dri-weave top, and my Pearl Izumi racing jacket - it's super lightweight and has pockets for gel, and it's very breathable. John got it for me for Christmas and I have to say, it was amazing and I wore it the entire race. It's meant for biking, which is why you see it hangs down a bit over the butt, but it works great for running as well. Mine is the pink and white one featured here.
After waiting in an incredibly long line for the ladies' restroom (I could see from my previous tour of the running path that there would be no portapotties), I headed to the start. One thing that I will mention here - while in line, a girl cut in front of me to use the bathroom with her friends. This was met with a lot of generally disgusted murmuring from those behind me. This girl will appear again in this story, which is why I mention her. For the record, I wanted to ask her why she would have an entire MAC counter full of makeup on her face for a half-marathon, but didn't get the opportunity.
At the starting line, I put my racing chip on and get near the back of the pack. I kiss John for good luck and get ready to start. This race was interesting for how they did timing - there wasn't a pad to run over at the start line, so I guess everyone's time would be determined by 'start time' and not 'chip time' - the difference between when everyone starts and the time you actually cross the timing pad. No biggie - if anything, I ran it a few minutes faster than the displayed time when I crossed thanks to starting at the back of the path.
So here's my mile by mile breakdown, as best as I can manage it :)
Mile 1 - I look at my heart rate monitor and am not surprised in the least to see that I'm already out of the range I should be - my adrenaline is pumping, I'm running a bit faster than I should be at the beginning, and the energy in the air is electric. There are quite a few bottlenecks on this first mile, especially because there are areas where the running path is only able to fit three or four people across. Nonetheless, people are happy, and the vibe is a great one. At this point, I'm trying to find who I will be able to use as a pacer, and there is a woman with a bright orange shirt that says, "In a game of tag, you will always be IT" that seems to be going the same pace I am. I follow her. I notice that with her group (all wearing the same shirt), there appears to be a 10 year old boy running with them. He'll appear again as well.
Mile 2 - Orange Lady and I keep passing one another, so she isn't a good person to try and keep pace with because it's too inconsistent. I see another girl ahead of me with pink shorts on that match mine, and she and I stay together for about 3/4 of the race. I think about how I have done my training - at this point, I should take a one-minute walking break - but no one else is walking, and I feel fine, so I keep running. As it turns out, I end up running the whole thing, except for when I was drinking water.
Mile 3 - I can't believe I'm only three miles in. At this point, I'm cursing myself for not training on concrete and sidewalks. My shins are on fire, but I know from experience that I can run through this as long as I don't run too fast, so I work on keeping my steady pace and when able, I run on grass next to the path. That works out much better. A few minutes before hitting this mile marker, I grabbed a water and attempted to drink it while running. Not only did I gag, but I also got water all over myself. Nice.
Mile 4 - This is where I start to get into my groove. I'm running with more or less the same pack of people now, and I'm also about to hit the lakes, which are my favorite place to run in all of Indiana. The lake paths are very narrow, but by now we are all spread out enough to where it won't matter. I run past the place where John proposed, and it happens there are people there cheering on the runners. It's a nice feeling :)
Mile 5 - Here's where I start to think to myself in a backwards countdown - only 8.1 miles to go, and I know that will be cake. I've given up paying attention to my heart rate monitor, as all I seem to be doing is going above my target range. I feel fine, and my RPE is about 7-8, so I decide that as long as I'm not in pain, I'll keep doing what I'm doing. At this point, I see runners who are actually about to finish the race...kind of an incredible thing, as they will finish in around 1:15 after they make it around.
Mile 6 - I pull my first (and it turns out, only) gel pack out of the back of my jacket. It's tangerine, which promises "2X CAFFEINE!!!" on the label. That sounds delightful to me. I decide to wait until I hit the halfway point to take it, and just hold it in my hand. At this point, one of the first TODs starts to play on my iPod and I'm jamming.
Mile 6.55 - Halfway there! I cross the timing mat, which tells me I am crossing the 6.55 mark at 1:08. I'm okay with this, but in the back of my mind I think that there is no way I'm going to beat 2:20, which would have been kinda cool. Even though I wasn't running for time.
Mile 7 - Where the hell is the water station? The gel feels liquidy inside of its golden packet, and I'm really wanting to take it. Up ahead, I finally see a water station, and this time, I decide to walk and take the gel slowly. Which was a mistake. I should have taken it much more quickly - it tasted awful. It was warm, sticky, gooey, and had an overripe fruit taste to it. Blegh. On with the race.
Mile 8 - Knowing that I have just over 5 miles left feels really, really good. Up ahead, as we're running past the gorgeous library on campus, I see the MAC advertisement that cut me in the bathroom slogging ahead. Although I'm not willing to put on a burst of speed to pass her, I know that it's only a matter of time before I am ahead of her. This makes me smile, as it becomes my goal over the next mile to get ahead of her, slow and steady.
Mile 9 - Running along the roads now on the second lap of the course, I take time to thank the security guards that block traffic for us and the volunteers that tirelessly cheer us on. With the exception of one lone volunteer that was texting both times I ran past her, all of the volunteers are cheering, loud, and encouraging in their purple, green, and gold clothing and hats. It's much appreciated to be cheered on!! Oh yeah - after thanking the last guy blocking traffic for us, I pass MAC McMakeupface. I didn't see her again.
Mile 10 - Just a 5K left to run. This will be a breeze. I'm feeling really good, and I also end up passing the original lady in the orange shirt for good - I didn't end up seeing her again, either. That 10 year old is still up ahead of me, though...
Mile 11 - Wending my way around the lakes has never felt so good because I know I'm almost done! At the 11 mile point, we're very close to the same spot I mentioned before where John proposed. This time, the spectators have left. But that's okay...less than 2 miles to go in just a few minutes.
Mile 12 - My legs hurt a bit, but I know walking will be impossible and shouldn't even be considered at this point. At this point, I'm still passing people, even a few guys, and I know my steady pace will continue until the end, at which point I plan on giving it all I have and sprinting. Just then, the second TOD comes on, and I see John waiting by the Grotto to cheer me on to the finish.
Mile 13 - I cannot believe I'm almost done - but I am!! And very excited to finish. As I'm coming around the quad for the last loop to cross the finish line, I see the group of orange-shirted men, along with the 10-year-old I saw at the beginning. I speed up, and pass them easily. Up ahead, there is a girl in a gray shirt. I pass her as well, with about 200 yards left in the final stretch. I hear her mutter something, and she picks up speed and sprints past me for about 50 yards....people are cheering for her...and then she just completely loses steam and goes back to a slow jog. I pick up the pace and start sprinting for the final 150 in, and I pass her with no concerns that she is going to catch back up. I see the numbers on the clock and I know that I can do this in 2:18 if I keep up the pace...and I do!
13.1 complete in 2:18, over 8 minutes improvement from my last PR in a half-marathon, and likely 2:16 if I didn't have to do the timing the way they did it (start vs. chip time). I can't wait to run my next one - June, it looks like!
My legs are sore today, but they feel great. And now, in the TOD hall of fame, the song that blasted when I ran across the finish line? A little unexpected, but I liked it :)
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