princessrunner
Real athletes run, others just play games...
- Joined
- Jul 24, 2007
- Messages
- 2,016
Here it is, the report of the killer hills and mega blisters!
My SIL, BIL, DH and I arrived in Durham on Saturday afternoon, went straight to the Expo and picked up our packets. It was old home week for SIL/BIL as they used to work for the sponsor hospital and knew a lot of people there. Team Hoyt were there and gave me goosebumps just seeing them. What an inspiration they are!
Sunday we lounged around and waited for race time. It was a brisk 39 degrees, overcast and sprinkling off and on. A lovely day for a race....NOT.
We got to the Elementary school and I wandered around with DH looking for Kristi, Chad, and Angie. I had gotten a call from Joanne that she had an injury from her week at camp (sad face) and would not be there. While I was in the bathroom my DH found everyone by their WISH hats. We all hooked up, took some pics and then realized that the walkers were leaving. Poor Angie and Kristi had to jog to the start line and take off.
SIL and I wandered around, trying to stay warm, not talking about the race as she was VERY nervous. We took off with the shot of a gun where SIL looked at me and said "did we start". Darned Ipod, she couldn't hear anything.
Most of the race was uneventful. She pushed me around a 9:00 to 9:30 pace up the hills and down the hills. She never breaks pace. We caught Kristi and Angie at 4.66 miles and I walked with them a minute to check on them. We pushed on and I was starting to really feel the fatigue in my legs. She sang to me, talked about the different places we were running through, how much further. Then at Mile 7 she started worrying as she had not gone any further than this before. We were headed to the out and back portion of the race that she was dreading and I kept talking her through her new milestones, etcetera. Chad went flying by us on the way back. Then Team Hoyt went by. Then some guy in a giant foam cowboy hat. There was a lot to look at and they had bands playing along the route, belly dancers and lots of people cheering. Soon we were on the way back out and by mile 10 my SIL was back on track and I was trying to tell myself I just had a 5K left. I was desperately trying to choke down some Sport Beans thinking I needed some more juice. My belly started rolling and I started really holding it in thinking it was just a little cramp. By Mile 12, it was a full blown pain and I had to gruffly tell my SIL to just go. I walked up the last hill with my right arm over my head debating whether I should go stick my finger down my throat. My calves were screaming, my Achilles on the left was aching terribly, I could feel a giant blister on my right big toe....and then the 10:30 pacer passed me. Needless to say, something inside me snapped, I got really angry with myself and decided to just shut up and run, stop whining, and pick up my feet. I lost the 10:30 pacer but I did run the rest of the race.
Chad finished in 2:00, my SIL in 2:13, my time was 2:18, and then we waited for Angie and Kristi. They were not DLF like they thought. Angie was in agony and you could see it. They kept trucking. I went back and walked with them in for their cross. It was around 3:30. I cannot tell you how proud I am of both of them. Kristi for being a great companion and keeping Angie going and Angie for finishing under those circumstances. Everyone has much to be proud of. And Angie, no matter what, you finished a half marathon and you rock beyond belief.
Overall, the race was great. Very hilly, pretty challenging and I was out of my comfort zone most of the way. My time from January was 2:31, this time 2:18. I have hopes of getting faster. I am disappointed that it was not under 2:15 as we were clearly on tap for that if I had not gotten the pain but 13 minutes is a lot in 3 months!!
Thank you to Kristi for getting us to all do this. Yay for Chad for the smoking time. Angie, just more hugs and huge congratulations for making it through. Thanks to my SIL for pushing me to a great time. And the most thanks to my BIL and DH who showed up at mile 5, mile 9 and the finish line to cheer us on. They have no idea how much that helped and meant to both of us.
My SIL, BIL, DH and I arrived in Durham on Saturday afternoon, went straight to the Expo and picked up our packets. It was old home week for SIL/BIL as they used to work for the sponsor hospital and knew a lot of people there. Team Hoyt were there and gave me goosebumps just seeing them. What an inspiration they are!
Sunday we lounged around and waited for race time. It was a brisk 39 degrees, overcast and sprinkling off and on. A lovely day for a race....NOT.
We got to the Elementary school and I wandered around with DH looking for Kristi, Chad, and Angie. I had gotten a call from Joanne that she had an injury from her week at camp (sad face) and would not be there. While I was in the bathroom my DH found everyone by their WISH hats. We all hooked up, took some pics and then realized that the walkers were leaving. Poor Angie and Kristi had to jog to the start line and take off.
SIL and I wandered around, trying to stay warm, not talking about the race as she was VERY nervous. We took off with the shot of a gun where SIL looked at me and said "did we start". Darned Ipod, she couldn't hear anything.
Most of the race was uneventful. She pushed me around a 9:00 to 9:30 pace up the hills and down the hills. She never breaks pace. We caught Kristi and Angie at 4.66 miles and I walked with them a minute to check on them. We pushed on and I was starting to really feel the fatigue in my legs. She sang to me, talked about the different places we were running through, how much further. Then at Mile 7 she started worrying as she had not gone any further than this before. We were headed to the out and back portion of the race that she was dreading and I kept talking her through her new milestones, etcetera. Chad went flying by us on the way back. Then Team Hoyt went by. Then some guy in a giant foam cowboy hat. There was a lot to look at and they had bands playing along the route, belly dancers and lots of people cheering. Soon we were on the way back out and by mile 10 my SIL was back on track and I was trying to tell myself I just had a 5K left. I was desperately trying to choke down some Sport Beans thinking I needed some more juice. My belly started rolling and I started really holding it in thinking it was just a little cramp. By Mile 12, it was a full blown pain and I had to gruffly tell my SIL to just go. I walked up the last hill with my right arm over my head debating whether I should go stick my finger down my throat. My calves were screaming, my Achilles on the left was aching terribly, I could feel a giant blister on my right big toe....and then the 10:30 pacer passed me. Needless to say, something inside me snapped, I got really angry with myself and decided to just shut up and run, stop whining, and pick up my feet. I lost the 10:30 pacer but I did run the rest of the race.
Chad finished in 2:00, my SIL in 2:13, my time was 2:18, and then we waited for Angie and Kristi. They were not DLF like they thought. Angie was in agony and you could see it. They kept trucking. I went back and walked with them in for their cross. It was around 3:30. I cannot tell you how proud I am of both of them. Kristi for being a great companion and keeping Angie going and Angie for finishing under those circumstances. Everyone has much to be proud of. And Angie, no matter what, you finished a half marathon and you rock beyond belief.
Overall, the race was great. Very hilly, pretty challenging and I was out of my comfort zone most of the way. My time from January was 2:31, this time 2:18. I have hopes of getting faster. I am disappointed that it was not under 2:15 as we were clearly on tap for that if I had not gotten the pain but 13 minutes is a lot in 3 months!!
Thank you to Kristi for getting us to all do this. Yay for Chad for the smoking time. Angie, just more hugs and huge congratulations for making it through. Thanks to my SIL for pushing me to a great time. And the most thanks to my BIL and DH who showed up at mile 5, mile 9 and the finish line to cheer us on. They have no idea how much that helped and meant to both of us.
