Cascade Half ----Debrief

Most people's first race is not a half marathon.  It really shouldn't have been mine, but I did it..... I FINISHED!!!!!! In other news I think that one of the reasons why we run is to atone. I am not sure why we think we can atone for our sins by running, but it hit me right around mile 9 that this was a lot like tithing. It also occurred to me that I have never done anything bad enough to deserve the pain I was experiencing.. Anyways I digress.

So here was what it was like.

I woke up at 4:00 am and packed up my gear and I don't know.... I felt kind of like a badass. I seriously underestimated how much stuff was involved in running a 13.1 mile race. As you can see I took pictures. 

1. Running Shoes

2. Wind Breaker

3. Socks

4. Gatorade

5. Super Sports Bra

6. High Powered Snack for run

7. Water bottle

8. New timex watch to track my splits

9. Headband

10. Running outfit

11. duffle bag

12. deodorant 

 13. change of clothes

14. Towel

About 5:00 I got on the road and drove to Turner Oregon which is in Salem. Upon arriving I discovered that I hadn't been registered for the race. For some reason my online registration did not show up on their roster. So we straightened that out, and I changed my start from the early start to the late start.  It was so cold outside, and there was so much rain, and so much wind. The weather forecast used words like "torrential downpour"  "tropical storm" "flood warning" and "high winds". It was almost comical standing out there in the pouring rain jumping up and down trying to keep warm at the start point. To give you an idea, over 500 people did the half marathon and I was right in the middle of it all. Also, if you are doing a half marathon in January, chances are you are a serious runner, so I was running with some pretty stiff competition. Very few people showed up to "just finish". 

Perhaps the most impressive thing I saw, beside the University of Oregon runners,  was these old athletic men who kicked my butt. I mean seriously annihilated me, this young 24 year old kid. WOW!!! I have seen the light. My new goal is to be 60 years old and wipe the road with some snot nosed 20 year old. What was also pretty cool was how many husbands and wives I saw on the road keeping each other going every step of the way. It really made me miss my husband who is in Afghanistan  a lot. I really wish that he could have been there by my side, or at least there to cheer me on. It made me incredibly sad that in this sea of people who were surrounded by their loved ones, I was all alone.  

The race itself was very beautiful. It went through the countryside, winding along farmlands, but at some point it all began to look the same. The weather was horrible, the wind was the worst, but I think that it was way better to run in that kind of rain than in blistering heat.

Here is a summary of the race from my attack-point log http://www.attackpoint.org/log.jsp/user_8773:

Running (half marathon race) 2:10:00 [4] 13.0 mi (10:00 / mi)

Cascade Half Marathon - Turner Oregon

1st miles split 7:30
3 mile split 26.30
3-6 consecutive 9 minute mile splits
7-9 10 minute mile splits
(Lost track after that) but it felt very very very slow

- Lost my feet around mile seven
-My legs didn't give until mile 10
-Cardiovascular/lungs and heart rate felt good throughout the race. In fact if anything my lungs and heart could have ran farther or faster.

-The weather was horrible--torrential downpour with high winds. Salem has a flood warning out right now until noon tomorrow. 52 degree temp. Course was flat and on pavement. 500 some people ran the half.

The finish was wonderful. I felt spent, and when the guy reached down to tear off my little tab from my race sticker I felt so grateful that I didn't have to bend down to do it. 

My goal for the next race is to keep a better pace, finish under 2 hours, train more efficiently, and not do it alone/have someone there to cheer me on. 

Below I have posted before and after picks. As you can see i look way better at 4 am than I do post 13.1 miles

Before 13.1 miles 4:00 am

After 13.1 miles