The race started at 7 am just North of Crown Center. I got there about 45 minutes early and stretched and tried to track down some safety pins. I probably gave out 500 safety pins while I volunteered at packet pickup the day before yet when I got my stuff I totally forgot to grab some for myself. I managed to find 3 and then made my way to the start area.
It started out well. I found the 2:30 (pipe dream) pace group. We stood around and waited, listened to the National Anthem and finally started running. Initially I couldn't get my ipod to work but after turning it off and on a few times if finally came to life so that's good. First couple of miles were pretty easy just down and over and back. I stayed with the 2:30 pace group for the first couple of miles and pulled ahead when I passed through the first water stop with just a sip of water. One of my strategies was to not actually stop for water until the later stops so I could keep my legs longer (huge mistake).
Immediately after the first water stop was the first big hill. The main big hill. The big hill that gave me nightmares. I backed off my speed (downshifted from 2nd to 1st) and trudged up the hill. I topped the hill and felt pretty good but my legs were hurting. Not good considering we were only 2.5 miles in or about that. By the time I crested the hill the 2:30 pace group had pulled. I don't know where they went but when I looked up they were gone. After I rounded a corner I never saw them again.
I continued my theory of not walking through water stops which makes less and less sense the more I think about it but that's what I did. Miles 4-6 felt great. I walked some of the hills, which was unplanned but necessary. During that stretch I felt strong and my legs were good. I made mile 6 in under a 12 minute mile pace so I still felt like I could still finish with a good time. Somewhere along I started feeling a little discomfort in my left quad. It wasn't bad just annoying. It hurt a little and then would go away. I didn't think that much about it and continued along.
Around mile 8 the 2:40 group caught me so I was definitely slowing down. The hills were just killing me. I thought I had been running hills in my neighborhood but I realized those hills aren't like these hills. Right after the 2:40 passed my left quad locked up in a cramp...a massive nasty cramp. I reached down and felt what seemed to be a baseball attached to the inside of my leg. I rubbed and rubbed and it finally started to feel better. I walked for a bit and tried to run again...I lasted about 5 seconds before it locked up again. It was horrible and it continued.
For the last 5 miles I ran until I cramped and then walked and rubbed. Then I ran, cramped, walked repeated. For 5 miles. I walked so much that my legs weren't tired anymore I just couldn't stop cramping. I drank water at every rest stop after that but it just wouldn't stop. It was too late.
At some point in the lat 5 miles I started thinking about how much water I drank the day before...1 glass. I made a couple of bad decisions with meals plus I was busy a lot of the day and didn't even think about pushing water. Even the morning of the run I didn't drink water...just some Powerade.
Around mile 12 the 3:00 pace guy caught me...I did everything I could to keep up with him but the cramps were too much. I ended up finishing in 3:01:34.
I'm not going to lie but I was absolutely crushed. I've been working for this for 6 months and I bombed. I finished but it was not good. It wasn't how I wanted to finish...it was supposed to end like this.
I've always been big on accountability so I hope nothing I wrote comes across like an excuse. My training for the past month has been crap. I didn't run as much as I should have the miles I did run have the intensity they should have. Plus who doesn't drink water the day before a run? That was ridiculous.
I deserved that 3:01:34. I deserved every last second.
Everyone has to start somewhere and even though I failed miserably with that showing it has never stopped me before. There is another 1/2 next month. I'm going to repeat the last 4 weeks of my training and try to redeem myself to myself for myself.
Keep on keepin' on.
I’m Awesome Enough. How About You?
7 years ago
3 comments:
Don't be too hard on yourself! You finished! Congrats! Hills are evil for sure. They will probably be my biggest downfall. THanks for sharing your half experience. You've given me a lot of ideas and advice for my half.
Did you pop any gels or anything along the way? I'm trying to figure that out. Thanks! And congrats again!
Hey Ashley,
I second RunnerMom...you finished! I had terrible calf cramps during the Hospital Hill Half. I did some research and asked some runners about it, and they suggested that I should have taken salt. I carried little salt packets with me yesterday and took one every 40 minutes or so. Only at one point did my quads start to cramp, but I immediately took two salt packets and in just a few minutes the cramping went away and never came back. I also took only Gatorade yesterday. I figured it's basically water, but has electrolites. Not sure if it mattered too much, but I didn't have any cramping.
You should be totally proud of your accomplishment regardless of your time. I didn't finish with the time I'd hoped yesterday, either, but we've got some bling to show that we did better than anyone who didn't bother registering. Enjoy the recovery, and hope to see you out at another event soon.
This was your first HM!? OMGosh!! Don't EVEN be so hard on yourself ;-) You did an EXCELLENT job given the circumstances. The thing with long distance is that you just NEVER know what you're going to get. Even if you had the absolute best training EVER it still does not guarantee a killer time come race day. Be proud! You've done more than most people will ever do! Races like these make the ones that are good even MORE better ;-)
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