More Race Day Details

Original details are here.
I did not sleep well before the race. I was so nervous.
Getting ready in the morning took longer than I expected. I got to Christina's 5 minutes late.
We made really good time getting downtown. We parked in Mellon Square. It was a good lot. It wasn't bad to get to. It was easy to get to the race. We just followed everyone.

We made our way to the start and I got to the corral for 8:47-9:00 miles.
We got there just as they were starting the wheel chair part of it.

I constantly texted Haley to figure out where she was. Right before the start my text to her read, "So nervous, Feel like I'm going to throw up." That pretty much sums it up.

I crossed the start line about 2:30 after the gun went off.  I saw Haley a little later. I got all happy to actually see her. You can tell based on my face.  I couldn't take steps as big as I wanted. Everyone was too close together.

After 11:30 of running, it started to rain. I anticipated rain so I brought a ziplock for my cell phone.  I also told others my idea.

I looked at my watch at each mile but it was hard to remember.
8:50
17:45
26:30
35:30
45
54
103
112:30
122 something (too slow)
133 (too slow again) - 10 miles.  I wanted to hit 10 miles at 90 minutes because I knew I would be slow after that.
142 (i picked it up)
152
201ish
and 2:02:48 at 13.1

I really wanted to hit 2:00 and I failed.

My fans

Heading towards the finish

After I went down the shoot after the finish I got water, an Eat 'n Park cookie, and a banana.   I went under the 10th street sign to stretch and wait for Haley to find me.

The banana was gross so I threw it away. 

There wasn't enough water and I couldn't find more. 

I stretched and took my picture while I waited. I needed to tweet about my medal.  It was a surprise. I had no idea I was getting a finisher medal.

I got a medal!

Note my face is not nearly as red is it normally is.  Haley said they had trouble picking me out because of this.  I was so wet that I could wring out my clothes. At one point it rained so hard that I couldn't see.   

3 Westinghouse people (but I didn't know who the guy on the left was/is)

After I get the originals from Haley I will try to lighten these up.  It was too bright behind us. The flash didn't go off. I will be able to fix them up a little but wanted to put something on here now.

Pointing to my name on the huge board

In the Expo

With Christina (also my gym buddy)

Christina pointing to her name (you can see her muscles from Body Pump)

I got home and wanted to immediately shower. I didn't. I wanted to check my email. I knelt on my chair. I gave up at one point and sat for 1 minute. This is what happened to my chair because I was still soaked. 

I wore a band type thing on my foot. it is good for plantar fasciitis. But I mainly wore it to try to stop my orthotic from ruining my foot again. Well that didn't help.  I have run with the thing on before so it's not like it was something "new" I wore for a race.  (it's like a band that just goes around the arch of your foot. it is maybe 3 inches wide.)  I ended up with 2 blisters though... instead of 1 if I would have not worn it. But perhaps I would have gotten the blister earlier. 

Post Race Meal

Course 2 (cheese) 

The Race Shirt

How I should have gone the rest of the day.

Later that day I wanted to go for a walk but Dave was putzing and then it started to rain.  I think we went to dinner and then grocery shopping. At Giant Eagle we saw someone in her race shirt. Dave said I should have gotten out my medal to one up her. I didn't though.

I was so tired.   I fell asleep on the couch at 8:50 while we were watching a movie. I liked the movie too. I forget the name.  I knew I would fall asleep but thought I would fall asleep easier while watching TV than if I tried to fall asleep in bed.   Dave woke up me after the movie to go upstairs. i said OK. Then I went back to sleep on the couch...oops.  30 or so minutes later, he called on the phone to wake me up.  It worked and I went upstairs to go to sleep.

During the race I did math in my head about my progress and my finish. At one point I felt like I was running forever and I did the math and I was only 5/6 done. I thought I had to be kidding myself.   A few weeks before the race, I decided training was too time consuming and I wouldn't do it again.   Then near the end I decided that someday I should do a full marathon. How things changed.
I'm going to do another half around September 11 I think (11th or 12th... Montour Trail or in Erie)  and possibly one October 16 but then I wouldn't do the great Race on October 4.