Harvest Half Oct 5, 2013
We expected temps of 3° on the morning of the race but were surprised to see 11° on the weather report before we left. Awesome, a chinook! Probably my favourite running weather.
Saturday
We head out in the dark and park easily in the street behind the race start area. There are leaves all over the ground, it is the perfect fall day. We wait in the warm community centre and spot different race shirts. I pop outside and there's Cori with her gorgeous new hairstyle. Michelle and Tina appear out the portapotties and we walk over to the start. This is the first time I've met Tina and she instantly impresses me with her enthusiastic swearing.
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| Pic from Cori, thanks yet again! |
The crowd moves en masse so we must be starting. We run past the car through sleepy residential streets. I have a good first 2k before it all falls apart. By 8k I am struggling with stomach pain, both my knees hurt and I have hotspots on both feet. It feels like there is a very long way to go. The course winds down into Fish Creek, we cross bridges and run through trees.
The course passes the park washrooms regularly, there are no line ups and they have running water. Thank you organizers.
I remind myself I ran a marathon a month ago so surely I can do this. If I had been out training today and ran 21k at any speed I would have been happy.
The pain in my stomach won't go away, running is jarring it. We hit the big hill at 17k and I want to take my shoes off. I have all the drama. The last 4k is though residential areas again with beautiful open pathways and the smell of freshly mown grass.
With 1k left I realize this will be a PW by a good 6 mins, oh hell. I see Cori and Kevin waiting for me and want to die, I feel awful making them wait so long for me. They both had great races (Kev got a PB). Sparkly Tina and Michelle have finished just ahead of me.
Final time 2:44 exactly an hour longer than Kev. Not a trend I want to see continue.
Then the best part, a meet up in Starbucks after the race where the time flies by. I don't get made to sit in the corner by myself because I got a crappy time, we've all been there. Hot chocolate and new friends, a very happy ending.
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| Michelle, Tara, Tina, Cori, Keith, Kev & Me |
Awww - we would never EVER make you sit in a corner by yourself! I remember after my first marathon - it was months before I got my groove back enough to race...and the first couple sucked roaylly. You have already done 2 races and finished both. That's a huge success in my books (and you got medals for both of them too...that's like winning!)
ReplyDeleteWe definitely need to make those coffees a more regular thing....such a fun way to cap off the day!
Thanks :) I have a habit of judging myself by my last race and that was a crappy one. Or a shittay one as Tina said. Gotta love the bling though, I believe I earned that sucker.
DeleteTotally agree, coffee was by far the best part of the day.
I ran my first marathon in May and struggled with running after that. I barely ran in June and then took another three weeks off in August (went on vacation), so getting back into it was hard. But it will all come back around! Stomach issues are never fun either. Thanks for saying hi too!
ReplyDeleteThat makes me feel much better, thanks Leigh. Hope we get the chance to say hello again at some future races!
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