5th Annual Run to the Sun.

So this was my 3rd time doing the Heather A. Freeman Run to the Sun race, and it was my 4th half-marathon. 

As I’ve been saying, I knew that I was totally unprepared for this race physically and mentally. 

The half marathon started an hour earlier then the 5 and 10K’s but Marc got up with me and rode in knowing that he would have a wait.

So 6:30 in the morning we are up and it is already 72 degrees and humid.  Coffee ingested, morning chores complete and we headed out.

Under the Captain Obvious files, milling around, talking to other runners, stretching, waiting for the race to start is MUCH more pleasant when it is in the 70’s versus 36 like last year!  BUT, I also immediately noticed a warm but STRONG wind.

I noted more runners this year – possibly due to the much nicer conditions.

And then we were off.  I tried to pace myself but started off way too fast.  By only mile 3 my quads were burning.  Perhaps biking 87 miles the week of your half marathon – including 20 the day before the race – is not smart.

By mile 6, I was streaming sweat and we made a turn directly into extremely strong winds.  We got to run into the winds for the next 4-5 miles.

I am ashamed to admit – I started walking at about mile 8.  I have never once walked in a race before, and here I was – giving up and giving in.  Although, I must say that I was not the only one feeling the effect.  I saw more people taking walk breaks then I have ever seen before in a race.

And part of me just didn’t give a shit.  I knew there was zero chance of me finishing with a competitive time, so why kill myself?

At mile 11, I blissfully made a turn out of the wind, but by then the temps had climbed to 78 degrees and you could almost CHEW on the humidity.  But I knew there were only 2 more miles.

We met up with the 5 and 10 kers coming from the opposite direction at mile 12 and I finally took the turn heading towards the finish.

I looked at the timer clock – I knew I sucked ass, but holy shit, did I ever!  2:02:17.  That is OVER 20 minutes LONGER then I ran it last year!!

Yowza!!  32nd YES 32nd place out of 99 runners.  12th place for females.

So, my utter fail is complete.

Marc fared much better then me coming in at 57:02. 

I will cut myself a little slack – if I ran the same speed as last year I would have come in 4th overall.  So the heat, wind and humidity seems to have effected more then just me.

BUT, my weight gain plays a huge role in this, like it or not. 

And after we got home and sat outside relaxing, a thought came to me – I said to Marc, “You know, I know I told you that I the biking we did last week wasn’t smart, but I’m not a professional athlete.  It’s not my job to come in first place every race I run.  There was no large prize money on the line.  We spent a lot of wonderful, quality time with one another and isn’t that better then if I could have shaved 10 minutes off my finish time?  And in the end, I did mostly run another half marathon…”

I think Marc was thrilled to hear me say this, but he tried not to make a big deal of it.  He is always trying to walk a line - telling me how hard I am on myself while still trying to support me and my goals.

So my friends, that is where I’m at tonight.  Tomorrow I might hate myself.  And in some respects I feel that I am looking to justify my total collapse…