Here's my race report I put on coolrunning.com
I don't know how everyone remembers so much for their race report but I wanted to share what I do remember. It is more a personal account then about the course but read what you want.
I picked up a pace band at the Cliff booth at the expo. I've been debating this for a couple of weeks what pace to do. I was really nervous about it but my last half marathon time indicated that I could do a 3:30 so I picked that one up. Everyone says for your first to just finish and not worry about time but a BQ sounded good to me too.
I found the 3:30 pace group. I don't know how many of us there were to start but it was alot. I would say about 20? It was kinda hard to stay near the leader the first couple miles and I think alot of darting around to stay with them might have put some strain on my knees. Anyway our first mile was just under 9 minutes. I was running thinking wow this is easy. Too easy, I can do this. After that first mile we got on the 8 minute pace. I really really enjoyed running with the pace group. Everyone was talking and friendly with each other. The crowd support thinned out after the first mile but picked right back up along Turtle Creek. I saw my boyfriend and friend at mile 2.5. I didn't see them at mile 6 but they saw me. Apparently they got there just as I did (when I say 48 minutes I mean 48 minutes. ) They chased after me for a bit but they didn't catch up. Around mile 9, me and one other guy got ahead of the pace group after a water station. We stayed up ahead and I didn't worry about slowing for them to catch back up. I just figured they were right behind. I never did see the rest of the "group". I actually found the lake to be the best part. I thought that it would be boring but there was a lot of entertainment and like some of the others said the signs saying "this seemed like a great idea 6 months ago" and the chalk on the ground saying "Boston -->>> This way" and "Free party ahead" were really funny and kept my spirits high. So did looking down at my watch each mile seeing 8 minute miles. The kids had cute signs and at one point a group of them had their hands out wanting high fives. I ran by them giving them all five and a smile. You would think thats a waste of energy but again it's one of those things that carries you along. The Hash House Harriers with the beer on the first dolly parton hill even made me laugh. And then the wall. I tried remembering how I felt those 18miles before. Up until then 18 was the furthest I had ever run. I really wanted to just walk for the first time once I got up the last dolly. I ran these three times in training and all three times they seemed easy. They are not easy after 18 miles! I had lost the guy that got ahead with me and he passed me. My pace leader and the two last of the 3:30 group caught back up to me and gave me some encouragement. They all knew it was my first time and it did seem to help. I decided to walk just a minute. About 6 steps of that and I felt my legs tightening. Very very bad idea I said out loud. So I just kept running and somehow got back on track. Gu and a couple of orange pieces did a lot. That and knowing my boyfriend and about 4 friends would be at mile 23. All along Swiss avenue is downhill which really helped. I saw some more beer and I think even some shots which reminded me of the "free party" ahead if I could just get there. After that just knowing only 3 more miles kept me going. At this point a lot of people were slowing and I was passing alot. I passed back one of the 2 left from the 3:30 pace group and talked to him giving him encouragement and then the guy who I had run with a lot of the miles. He asked me how much further and I could tell he was hurting. I told him little over a mile and it was all downhill. That he COULD do it. This was even after I just saw him ahead of me cut off some of the course. I'm not the "cutting time off the course police" so I just tried to help him anyway. I really could have run harder the last 2 miles. I slowed alot though because my knees, especially my right one was hurting though I have had no prior knee pain or injuries. I had Boston in the bag and I wasn't going to injure myself now after coming so far and having Boston ahead. I finished in 3:31:58. 44th female overall and 6th in my age group. Proud Papa told everyone in the hotel, in the elevator, in the restaurant, anyone who would listen. He finished about an hour behind me but I think he just did that to let me beat him for this first one.
Overall I think the course was great. I'm very grateful for the gradual downhill at the end. I actually had fun. (except that one mile or so) The weather was perfect. There were plenty of volunteers and they were all friendly. The police did a great job with keeping us from being hit by cars. The expo had some good deals and I even got to hear a olympian speak. I think I may just do it again next year.
I picked up a pace band at the Cliff booth at the expo. I've been debating this for a couple of weeks what pace to do. I was really nervous about it but my last half marathon time indicated that I could do a 3:30 so I picked that one up. Everyone says for your first to just finish and not worry about time but a BQ sounded good to me too.
I found the 3:30 pace group. I don't know how many of us there were to start but it was alot. I would say about 20? It was kinda hard to stay near the leader the first couple miles and I think alot of darting around to stay with them might have put some strain on my knees. Anyway our first mile was just under 9 minutes. I was running thinking wow this is easy. Too easy, I can do this. After that first mile we got on the 8 minute pace. I really really enjoyed running with the pace group. Everyone was talking and friendly with each other. The crowd support thinned out after the first mile but picked right back up along Turtle Creek. I saw my boyfriend and friend at mile 2.5. I didn't see them at mile 6 but they saw me. Apparently they got there just as I did (when I say 48 minutes I mean 48 minutes. ) They chased after me for a bit but they didn't catch up. Around mile 9, me and one other guy got ahead of the pace group after a water station. We stayed up ahead and I didn't worry about slowing for them to catch back up. I just figured they were right behind. I never did see the rest of the "group". I actually found the lake to be the best part. I thought that it would be boring but there was a lot of entertainment and like some of the others said the signs saying "this seemed like a great idea 6 months ago" and the chalk on the ground saying "Boston -->>> This way" and "Free party ahead" were really funny and kept my spirits high. So did looking down at my watch each mile seeing 8 minute miles. The kids had cute signs and at one point a group of them had their hands out wanting high fives. I ran by them giving them all five and a smile. You would think thats a waste of energy but again it's one of those things that carries you along. The Hash House Harriers with the beer on the first dolly parton hill even made me laugh. And then the wall. I tried remembering how I felt those 18miles before. Up until then 18 was the furthest I had ever run. I really wanted to just walk for the first time once I got up the last dolly. I ran these three times in training and all three times they seemed easy. They are not easy after 18 miles! I had lost the guy that got ahead with me and he passed me. My pace leader and the two last of the 3:30 group caught back up to me and gave me some encouragement. They all knew it was my first time and it did seem to help. I decided to walk just a minute. About 6 steps of that and I felt my legs tightening. Very very bad idea I said out loud. So I just kept running and somehow got back on track. Gu and a couple of orange pieces did a lot. That and knowing my boyfriend and about 4 friends would be at mile 23. All along Swiss avenue is downhill which really helped. I saw some more beer and I think even some shots which reminded me of the "free party" ahead if I could just get there. After that just knowing only 3 more miles kept me going. At this point a lot of people were slowing and I was passing alot. I passed back one of the 2 left from the 3:30 pace group and talked to him giving him encouragement and then the guy who I had run with a lot of the miles. He asked me how much further and I could tell he was hurting. I told him little over a mile and it was all downhill. That he COULD do it. This was even after I just saw him ahead of me cut off some of the course. I'm not the "cutting time off the course police" so I just tried to help him anyway. I really could have run harder the last 2 miles. I slowed alot though because my knees, especially my right one was hurting though I have had no prior knee pain or injuries. I had Boston in the bag and I wasn't going to injure myself now after coming so far and having Boston ahead. I finished in 3:31:58. 44th female overall and 6th in my age group. Proud Papa told everyone in the hotel, in the elevator, in the restaurant, anyone who would listen. He finished about an hour behind me but I think he just did that to let me beat him for this first one.
Overall I think the course was great. I'm very grateful for the gradual downhill at the end. I actually had fun. (except that one mile or so) The weather was perfect. There were plenty of volunteers and they were all friendly. The police did a great job with keeping us from being hit by cars. The expo had some good deals and I even got to hear a olympian speak. I think I may just do it again next year.
posted by Sarah at
7:21 AM
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