SLC Half Marathon 2011

What an experience!  I ran the SLC Half yesterday morning on a cool, 49 degree cloudy day at 7 AM.  The days prior, I had to take over as lead of a phase I first in human drug trial so I was so stressed this past week and I was running around on my feet for 12 hours each day.  But I carbo loaded starting on Tuesday (I was using a guide, I wasn't just being a fatty and eating extra early haha) and it culminated with a spaghetti dinner with some friends.  We exchanged our training plans, morning-of plans, and our nerves.  These girls are on a whole different level then me though.  They ended up finishing the race all around the 1 hour 50 minute mark.  Maybe one day I'll be like them.

But back to the day of the race.  I walked to TRAX and met my co-worker, Codi at 6:20a.  When the TRAX came, it was packed like a Tokyo subway.  I didn't care.  I was not waiting for the next one.  So I convinced the people already squashed on the train to make a little extra room, because hey, this was going to be a funny memory in the future, and luckily, people bought my plea and let us smash in.  We got to the Olympic Bridge/Starting point and music was blaring, people were downing GUs, and there were 20 people in each line of the Port-a-Potties.  Suckas!  They obviously didn't read that you drink water during the hours of 3a-5a and then stop drinking, and then drink 15 minutes before the race starts so you don't run into this!  Unless they all had the nervous poops, then I understand that.  (What?  I can't say poop in a blog post?  I'm a nurse!)

Codi and I lined up at the start and waited for about 10 minutes.  They were playing music so I pretty much just danced like a retard the whole time to get rid of nerves.  The gun went off, and amid 8,000+ people we were off.  The first mile, I was so pumped with all the people that my time was 8m 40 sec.  That's like the fastest mile I have ever run.  But it didn't feel like it.  When you are in the middle of all those people, you feel like you all are in the manic phase of a bipolar disorder.  I wanted to throw my arms around and just yell.  But I suppressed the urge.  Around mile 5, I saw Austin.  He threw me sports beans and they were quite tasty.  Hard to chew though when you are running.  Next time, I will have practiced slurping down GU.  But the night before I tried some and it was DISGUSTING.

Oh, and at this point of the race, a couple full marathoners went the wrong way and I saw them running back.  THAT SUCKS.  I would re-read the directions over and over again because if I went down the marathon route, I would just give up and stop.

I was still averaging about 9:20/mile until about mile 7.  I felt fine, but it was just like my legs wouldn't move any faster.  I got to mile 11 and was running north on State Street towards the downtown "skylines".  (I'm sorry but SLC is hardly a city)  It was slightly uphill the whole way which SUCKED.  Austin was on his bike and rode next to the sidelines.  He kept saying, "Keep going! You are doing great! Keep this pace!"  I think he thought he was like my 'pace car' and that I would like it, but it only took a couple looks of death toward him to know that I wasn't digging it.  I felt bad after doing that because he did keep me going, but come on, I'm just trying not to die.

Throughout the race, and even more so at the end, there were bystanders everywhere with signs, cow bells, and outstretched hands for high fives.  I loved it.  It's like a fast moving parade, and I'm one of the stars!  The last stretch was down South Temple (and in front of the temple) and through the Gateway mall.  Cheers and music were echoing down the street and I saw the balloon lined arch with the time.  I made it there and threw my arms up with a leap and cheered.  I made it!  2 hours, 12 minutes!  My last half was 2 hours 33 minutes.  I actually chopped 21 minutes off my time.  I attribute it to no huge inclines, proper nutrition (I dropped about 6 pounds for the race), more than 2 water stations, and running at least once a week.  Now if I actually stuck to a training schedule and ran 3 times per week, I wonder how fast I could be for my next half. 

It's me!  I won!  I won the whole thing! What...that doesn't look like me?

After refueling with chocolate milk and cookies, I headed home and went to a massage right after. (Thanks Groupon!)  My body got even more beat up, but it was glorious.  My body is sore from the run and the massage, but I feel fantastic.  It's good to know that hard work paid off.   Now to begin training for Disneyland Half in September!  Sub-2 hours here I come!