Repost of Half Marathon Report - 2007

This is what a 61 year old former 300+ pounder looks like at the end of a Half Marathon.

Exhausted, sweaty, and totally out of her freakin' mind with happiness!! I DID IT.

I had doubts right up until the day before, but my mind settled down and I knew I would finish no matter what. The elements threw me every curve they could think of. It was pouring rain when I woke up at 3:30 am, and it stayed that way pretty much all day. The race was across town, and started at 8 am. I left home at 6:30 to be sure to get a good parking spot. I'm a tad obsessive and I readily admit it.

I picked up my race package the day before, so I was wearing my race specific tech shirt and a matching hat - it's all about style ya know...lol Went to the sign-up tent to find out about a timing chip and was informed that we weren't using chips, they'd just tear the bottom off our race bibs as we crossed the line. Okey dokey. Now I have over an hour to kill in the rain.

The nerves started to get the better of me so I thought I should find a washroom. It was located 1/4 mile from the start line and I should have just stayed there once I arrived because I had to go 5 times in the hour. The good news is that I didn't have to for the entire race. My sister was coming from Toronto to observe, and I kept looking for her, but no luck. The race was about to start and I still had my jacket on, and no place to leave it. I tied the arms around my waist and tucked the loose ends into the arms and got into the lineup - at the back of the pack.

The gun went off and the pack took off and I felt like I was standing still. There was not ONE single person moving at my pace. I'm guessing they were all doing 8 minute miles from the get go. I lost them at the first turn and never saw them again until they were on the return leg. My sister showed up at about mile 2 and I was able to give her my jacket and whine a bit about how I was SO last. She gave me encouragement and joked that maybe somebody ahead would fall and I could catch up. She didn't mean it in a mean way - she was just trying to make me laugh. It worked.

By this time the 5k racers caught up to me and they all passed. I was truly alone. I kept plodding along at my own pace - which was constant at between 13 and 14 minutes per mile. I felt good except for the rain which by now and soaked me to the skin. Blessings on the makers of Body Glide. Without it I think there would have been some serious chafing going on.

I believe I was at about 4.5 miles when the elite front runners came around a corner - to the tune of a police motorcycle siren - on their way back in. I stopped to admire their grace and fluidity as they blew past me. The first 6 miles of the race were all uphill. Some steep parts and some gradual slopes but all uphill. I kept thinking how easy the return route was going to be. Mile 7 was a water stop and when I stopped to drink, both my calf muscles siezed up into knots. You know those really evil charley horses you get in the middle of the night? Just like that but worse. Everything seized from my toes right up to my hip on the right side and just the toes and calf on the left.

I did some stretching and loosened my shoes and started walking. I was able to run for short spurts, but it wasn't looking good for me but I was determined to finish the race. My hands and feet were both really swollen, and I have no idea why. I've done the distance before and never had those problems - in fact I've never had any problems. Too bad they all had to manifest on the same day. The medical team was two guys on bikes that were supposed to stay at the back of the pack. I was so far back by now that one of them stayed with the others, and the other one became my personal escort. He never for one minute stopped encouraging me. I would run for a bit, and then walk for a bit. He asked me if I wanted him to call for help. I told him I would break his walkie talkie and deflate his tires if he even tried it...lol

On the return route, all the water stations were closed and packed up, but they had left 4 cups of water for me at each one. They knew I was coming, they just didn't want to wait any longer in the rain. My sister and grandsons met me at mile 11 for more encouragement. A race official told me to just keep moving and I'd be fine and it wasn't far to the finish. Not far my A$$!! It was another 2.1 miles!!!

I finally made it, and my oldest grandson ran the last 100 meters with me to get me across the finish line. That was the hardest 100 meters I have ever run. When they put the medal around my neck I started to cry. A few people had stayed behind in the rain to cheer me over the finish and that was a wonderful feeling to have people other than family wish me well. The food was packed up, the water was long gone, but I could not have eaten anything anyway. My goal was to finish 13.1 miles in about 3 hours and 15 minutes. I finished in 3 hours and 30 minutes. The last person to cross before me did so in 2 hours and 10 minutes. The winner was 1 hour and 11 minutes. I was definitely in the wrong race - everyone was obviously much more experienced than I. But you know what? I don't care. Not one of those runners enjoyed their race as much as I did. It will never mean more to anybody than it does to me. I got the medal AND I came first in my age category!! HILARIOUS!!

I got a Saucony tech shirt for that but I had to go to the store to pick it up because the prize ceremony was over long before I got there. My husband had an engraved trophy waiting for me at the finish. I will wear my medal until everybody is sick of looking at it or I can't find anybody else to show it to, and then I'll have it framed with my number and hang it on a wall somewhere. I hope I never get used to this feeling. Without the help of my virtual running friends I would never have done this race. I would never have had the fortitude to stick to running all this time.

If you ever think you can't do a half marathon - think of me. You can do it if you believe in yourself and work hard. Oh - and drink lots of water. Running 13.1 miles when you're dehydrated is painful and no fun.