I felt a sore throat coming on last Thursday at the end of the school day, so I took some cold medicine and tried to rest that evening. I woke up feeling worse but figured I could survive....at least for a little while. I ended up teaching the first half of the day, then had a substitute fill in for the rest of the afternoon. I knew I needed some r & r before the race day, so I took it easy Friday evening. Ryan and I had a pasta party to pack in those carbs, picked up our race packets, and mapped out just the beginning of our course. I was feeling okay that night-not great but not too terrible either. Well, Saturday morning I woke up at 4:40 just before my alarm went off, and I was feeling worse than I had the day before. I got moving around 5 and went through my whole preparation routine-put on a thick layer of Bengay, get dressed, eat breakfast, take vitamins, etc. I started feeling a little better by the time we left at about 6:15. I think I was just so anxious and nervous and excited about the race that I wasn't focused on anything but running.
That morning was a little chilly; I think I heard someone say about 45 degrees. I really didn't want to wear an extra shirt and then have to worry about taking it off and tying it around my waste, so I bit the bullet at the last minute. I took off my layers and just tried to move around to stay warm. In retrospect, maybe it wasn't the best idea, but it seemed like a good one at the time.
About a week and a half prior to the race, I had injured my left ankle and my right knee had been quite achy. So I was really worried about my performance because of that and my sickness. My original goal was to finish the race in 2:11 without stopping. At this point, though, I just wanted to cross the finish line.
At 8:04, the gun shot signaled the start of the race. Because of the large crowd of runners, I crossed the starting line just seconds after 8:05. The first mile is/was basically a warm-up, and by the second or third, my body had warmed up and was in full swing. Before I knew it, I was at 5 miles, and it was time for an energy gel pack. Mmmm....they're so tasty (not!). That gave me a good boost, and I sprinted up the enormous hill at mile 7. I coasted through to mile 10, and at this point, I was getting very anxious and was just ready to be finished. Luckily, it was time for gel pack #2 and water was just around the corner. I grabbed a cup from one of the volunteers as I ran by and tried to drink it as I ran. As many times as I've done this, you'd think I get the hang of it, but it's so much harder than you think. Drinking while running is nearly impossible. I get more water down my shirt than I do in my mouth. Anyway, I drank what I could, tossed the cup, and get going. I pushed through the hill at 12.5 miles with great strength. I just kept thinking about that finish line. By this time, my knees and ankles and everything in between were quite sore. I tried to give it all I had, but I didn't have much left. Luckily, I saw my cheerleaders on the sidelines, and their encouragement helped give me a push. I crossed the finish line at 10:17 a.m. My official time was 2:12:36, which is a 10:09 pace per mile....much better than I expected :)
Saturday evening I comforted my super sore legs in Amber's new hot tub. That helped the aches and pains, but Sunday morning I woke up with a congested head and have been sick ever since :( I think my body is fed up with me and has just broken down. Bad timing, though! I don't want to be sick when I go home this week. For now, I'm resting up and drinking as much liquid as possible. I'm hoping it passes very soon! I can't wait to come home!
That morning was a little chilly; I think I heard someone say about 45 degrees. I really didn't want to wear an extra shirt and then have to worry about taking it off and tying it around my waste, so I bit the bullet at the last minute. I took off my layers and just tried to move around to stay warm. In retrospect, maybe it wasn't the best idea, but it seemed like a good one at the time.
About a week and a half prior to the race, I had injured my left ankle and my right knee had been quite achy. So I was really worried about my performance because of that and my sickness. My original goal was to finish the race in 2:11 without stopping. At this point, though, I just wanted to cross the finish line.
At 8:04, the gun shot signaled the start of the race. Because of the large crowd of runners, I crossed the starting line just seconds after 8:05. The first mile is/was basically a warm-up, and by the second or third, my body had warmed up and was in full swing. Before I knew it, I was at 5 miles, and it was time for an energy gel pack. Mmmm....they're so tasty (not!). That gave me a good boost, and I sprinted up the enormous hill at mile 7. I coasted through to mile 10, and at this point, I was getting very anxious and was just ready to be finished. Luckily, it was time for gel pack #2 and water was just around the corner. I grabbed a cup from one of the volunteers as I ran by and tried to drink it as I ran. As many times as I've done this, you'd think I get the hang of it, but it's so much harder than you think. Drinking while running is nearly impossible. I get more water down my shirt than I do in my mouth. Anyway, I drank what I could, tossed the cup, and get going. I pushed through the hill at 12.5 miles with great strength. I just kept thinking about that finish line. By this time, my knees and ankles and everything in between were quite sore. I tried to give it all I had, but I didn't have much left. Luckily, I saw my cheerleaders on the sidelines, and their encouragement helped give me a push. I crossed the finish line at 10:17 a.m. My official time was 2:12:36, which is a 10:09 pace per mile....much better than I expected :)
Saturday evening I comforted my super sore legs in Amber's new hot tub. That helped the aches and pains, but Sunday morning I woke up with a congested head and have been sick ever since :( I think my body is fed up with me and has just broken down. Bad timing, though! I don't want to be sick when I go home this week. For now, I'm resting up and drinking as much liquid as possible. I'm hoping it passes very soon! I can't wait to come home!
Ryan and I posed for a few pre-race pictures in the lobby of the hotel. 
There's pain (and glory) behind those post-race smiles.
Me and my favorite cheerleader :)
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