Yesterday was the A1A Half Marathon. It was the event I put my blood, sweat and tears into training for. (Ok... no blood, but a broken bone..that counts, right?) Of course, all of my regular readers know I didn't run it because I am sporting the sexiest air cast you've ever seen. :)
My husband Charles had to go it alone. I asked him to give his version of the race. I'll give my spectating version at the end.
CHARLES:
So, what they say is true: You don't sleep the night before a big race. Sure it could've been the nerves, but I'm blaming it on the fact that there were three of us in a double bed. We waited too long to book a good hotel room.
Parking was easy and I was on the shuttle to the starting line by 4:45am. By 5 I was at the starting line. I got caught up in a conversation with an older gentleman when I remembered Tricia telling me I needed to use the bathroom even if I wasn't feeling the urge. Luckily there were plenty of porta-johns nearby. After taking care of business I walked around a bit to warm up. And then headed back to the porta-johns again.
I made my way to the corrals and easily found my 1:50 pace group. I was listening to my ipod and trying to get my mind right for the race. A saxophonist placed the national anthem and the Achilles athletes took off.
About 10-15 minutes later the crowd surged forward and I got concerned about having to run in such a tight group. There was a loud roar and the race began. It was 6am and the moment was finally here. There was no turning back.
MILE 1-5
Within the first 300 ft people were darting off to go use the restroom on the side of the road and in the alley ways. I was thankful I had listened to Tricia's advice. I tried to stay with my pace group but it felt too slow.
Mile 1:The last thing Tricia said to me before the race was "Start out slow. Then slow down even more." But I didn't listen. I blame it on adrenaline.
Mile 2:We had to cross a bridge. Even though it was early in the race I could see people struggling with it. I leaned into it and used it as an opportunity to stretch my legs.
Mile 3-5: As we turned onto A1A I started looking for Tricia and my son. I spotted them easily and slowed down for my photo op.
(That's me in the back)
Crazy sightings:I ran past a man running carrying a serving platter (like a waiter would). On top of the platter was liquor bottles and two martini glasses. I wished I ran with a camera. We ran parallel to the beach for awhile before turning off into Birch State Park. This is where I hit my first hydration stop. And them promptly went off into the bushes to pee. I jumped back onto the course and met up with my pace man.
Mile 5-8: The course took us back to A1A by the beach, we had missed the sunrise while off in the park but the views were still amazing. I was feeling pretty good and was just listening to my ipod. I made the decision to stick with my pace group.
By mile 7 my ocean front view was replaced by high rise buildings and I could feel my calf muscles getting tight. Soon we came to the turn around point and headed back south.
Mile 9-11: A motorist tried to drive onto the course but the cops seemed to be handling it as I ran past. We then ran past a group of guys sitting at the end of their driveway passing out cold beer. They had clearly had a few themselves and were wanting to share. I took a pass on the beer, it was only 7:30am. I briefly wondered if the beer would help my aching legs. I was trying to keep up with my pace group. They skipped the water stop at mile 10 but I had to stop. By this point the calf pain was excruciating. At mile 11 I had to briefly walk. (maybe 20 seconds) I was worried if I didn't take that small break I would cramp up and not be able to finish. People started passing me and I was motivated to run again.
Mile 12-13.1: By mile 12 my arms were feeling numb and I was lightheaded. It was hard not being able to see the finish line but I kept going. I just put one foot in front of the other. As I came up to the finish line I heard the announcer call my name and that gave me a boost. I put my arms up in the air as I crossed the finish line. Tricia had been telling me I needed to put them up at the end. I knew she'd be watching and taking picture.
I crossed the finish line. The clock said 1:54:38. Actual chip time was 1:53:30
My only thoughts were: keep moving, don't pass out, and get water. I didn't see Tricia although I later found out I passed within a few feet of her. Everything hurt, but I was proud of my accomplishment.
I found Tricia and my son and then started picking up some food. There were tons of options and even a beer truck. One of the unique things about this race was the photographer taking picture with the finishers and a sand sculpture. (official picture coming soon)
I'm pretty impressed by the medals. They are shaped like seashells and then open up to a beach scene.
It's now Sunday evening and I'm feeling pretty good.
The only reason I signed up for this race was because I wanted to support Tricia. This was her passion, but she shared it with me. In the end, because of her injury she ended up being the one to support ME. I look forward to running next race WITH her.
Tricia: You know, I've retyped my "recap" a few times. I'll admit it originally started out with my own reflections on missing the race and then moved into all the miles I walked today (in the air cast) in support of my husband. But I have erased all of that for one simple reason: Today was Charles' day. This was his race. It was no longer about me, it was about him.
My son and I were so excited to be able to cheer Charles on. I am so proud of him and will openly admit he managed to run the race much faster than we would've if we had ran it together. He did great and I am very proud of him.
I can tell you that while he got to run the race, I have one little thing I can hold over his head. While he was detoured into the park he missed the sunrise on the beach. However, my son and I got to see it and enjoy it. There's something about the sun rising over the water that makes everything better. We had a wonderful morning, I think the pictures speak for themselves.
My son fell asleep in the stroller right before Charles crossed the finish line. We had been up since 3:30am and he was worn out.
I look forward to many more race experiences together. Great job Charles!
Do you share your passions with your loved ones?
What did you accomplish this weekend?