Green Thumb 1/2 Marathon

Got up shortly after 6:30am and started my 1/2 marathon pre-race routine. I don’t usually shower before a run but on race day it is a must, it’s a personal hygiene thing (ever notice how bad it smells at the start line? It ain’t me, I have cleaned my 2000 parts). Grabbed a coffee, got dressed, ate my breakfast of champions, took full advantage of the friendliest of toilets, repacked my change of clothes for after the race (just wasn’t happy with my choice from last night), gathered all my gadgets from their respective charging stations, put my runners on (chip attached last night) and met my fam in the car. At last check the weather network was calling for clouds, but it was raining in my driveway.

I didn’t want to jinx anything, but my body felt great, with the exception of the knuckle of my left bird finger, but I was reminded that I didn’t need the knuckle of my left my bird finger to run. Even with a quick stop at Starbucks en route (I knew that this would be the difference between Bill having a good morning and a great morning, I was going with great) we were still on schedule. I knew roughly where the race was starting from, but printed directions from the race website anyway, you never know. The directions said go east on Bateman, but Bateman was closed due to an event (maybe it’s just me, but if I was giving directions to a group of people and I was closing off a certain road, I would probably amend my directions, like I said, maybe it’s just me). Since we were part of the event, we went around barricade, we found out later that we weren’t the only one’s to to take that approach.

Parking karma was on our side, even in the truck (we don’t usually have it in the truck) and we parked right next to the start line. It was still raining, so we sat where it was dry, I programmed my Garmin and found my song that I would start to (Primal Scream, Motley Crue…not too fast and I am always comforted by Tommy). I know that I advise 30 minutes before the race starts to find the friendliest toilet, I waited until 15 minutes before (when will I learn).   Not a big fan of port-o-potties I found a fairy toilet, but not before being attacked by some blackberry brambles, which drew blood! We made our way over to the race compound, Soraiya was already there, Christine arrived a few minutes later as well as my parents and later found David. Instead of traditional pre-race music there was a bagpiper, and when the pre-race warm-up started the bagpiper played along with a techno beat…a bit unusual, but we went with it, I tried to talk Rylee into doing her rendition of Scottish dancing but she wouldn’t give it up, not even for $20.

It was time to run, I made a last minute decision to go without my long sleeve, making Soraiya and I the most under-dressed of the entire group of runners, but it was a decision that would pay off, because the rain stopped.

I was a bit nervous about the course, it was a 10.55km double loop, I have only ever ran point to point or an out and back, so the thought of passing by the finish line when I was only half way was a bit of a concern (finish line = done). And we were off, I placed myself a bit far back in the pack so I spent the first few minutes passing, but after that I found a nice pace and had a great first km. The course description said that we would be running on some groomed trails, and being a trail runner at heart I felt completely at home when we kicked off the road. We spent about 3km on the trails and then kicked back onto the road and headed back up towards the start line, I wasn’t going to see the finish line twice, I was going to see it four times…ugh. By this time the 5km and 10km race had started and the racers were approaching us, saw some familiar faces (Anna and Nicole). Our first passing of the start line went fairly unnoticed, we hit the 5km mark and into the second half of the first loop…the hilly part. I tackled both of the hills without much of problem, by the time I hit the top my heart rate was up, but still felt great.

At about the 7km mark we started to go back down and I suffered a MAJOR technical malfunction with my watch…I had set it for 12 sets of run 10 minutes/walk 30 seconds, but it was now flashing with several screens saying my workout was over and that I had only been out for 30 minutes. I knew that there was nothing that I could do about it, and I certainly wasn’t going to pull off to the side and reset my watch, I was feeling way too good…I was now running solo.

I passed the finish line (and the half way point) for the second time, Bill and my Dad were there to give me a wave, nothing like seeing your peeps to give you a boost, chin up, chest out shirt down I passed by, threw up the horns and started my second loop of the course. I passed the 11km marker and the tweak behind my knee that I had not felt for the last 2 runs reappeared. I knew that I had two big hills to run again to I decided to make the most of the flat and cover as much ground as I could. Into the trails again and then back out on the road, passing the finish line for the third and final time. I had a basic idea of what time the race had started and according to my calculations I was still on track for my sub two hour goal but I still had the last two hills and my knee was really talking to me now.

I hiked the hills instead of running them, but was convinced that I had lost time so when I hit the downhill and let go. I have been working on my downhill for the last few months and it really paid off today, I felt fantastic, could have definitely shot for the cover of Runner’s World here! I tried not to over think the last 2km, other than my tweak I still felt strong, my music had been fabulous (just the right combination of 80′s hair band, top 40 and Nickelback, not top 40 Nickelback). As I was heading into the finish line I could see my Dad (I can always pick him out of the crowd), I got a little closer I could see the rest of my gang cheering me in. I rounded the corner and saw the finish line for the fourth time, I was not passing this time I was going through…mission accomplished.

I love a race that finishes with a medal, I don’t care that it is a participation medal, I have said it before, bling is bling, and I wear it proudly! Finish time 1:55:something (at the time of publication, the official finish times for that matter even the unofficial finish times had STILL not been posted) a personal best I think, woohoo! So yeah, I am pretty happy with myself, I don’t think that I could have ran it much faster, but yes, I could have kept going…I marathon is definitely on the horizon.

Congratulations to everyone who ran today and a big thank you to all of the volunteers. Big woohoo’s to Soraiya, she was 2nd overall woman, her training certainly paid off!

PS – Money eventually ruled and Rylee gave in and gave her full five second version of “Scottish”.