The Life and Times of the Rambling Muse: Jan 31, 2006

Lots of details in this post. It's more for me than for you, but I'll share anyway. Enjoy. :-)

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I dunno where to start or what to share...there's so much...

It was an awesome experience...just awesome!

Run day I woke up around 3AM. Roomie and I got dressed and had breakfast. We made our way down to the lobby/shuttle buses around 4AM.

I got one last pep talk with my coach who just told us to have fun and not to worry about anything. She said to listen to our bodies as we run and just get out there and do it. At this point I tell myself I can't do anything about anything anyway and all I can do is go run. So there's no point in worrying or fretting.

The buses dropped us off at the starting point about an hour and a half early. A lot of that time was just spent walking around and catching up with everyone I hadn't seen the day before. It was great to run into the gals from my pace group and to see many other familiar faces. As other runners started to show up, I could feel the anxiety increasing. The place was swarming with people. I was just amazed at the sight!

5:30AM I made my final bathroom stop before the run began. They had the American Airlines Arena open for the runners, so I checked it out. It's a really cool building.

5:45AM I make my way down to the corral for the bib number I have. I'm right at the front of my running corral, but still quite a distance behind the rest of the pack of runners, and I can feel my heart racing. I look around but can't find the girls in my pace group. I figure at some point I'll see them during the run. I'm not sure what to expect. There's so much excitement and anxiety in the air.

6AM the gun goes off. There are so many people that I shuffle along for some time. It seems like *forever* until I get to the actual starting line. But I get there, and as soon as my leg crosses the start line, I begin running.

Within the first mile I think, crap. I gotta pee. This sucks. What am I gonna do?? Already there are men who are peeing in the bushes. I curse being a woman. I curse my bladder. But I tell myself I'll be "sweating it out". No biggie. It's not so bad.

The first mile or so it takes everything in me to stick to my training method of alternating between 2 minutes running: 2 minutes walking. There are so many people passing me by and I've got tons of energy, but I remind myself that I'll be glad I stuck to this method when mile 10+ come along. I'm focusing on endurance - not time. But still...a part of me is freaking out as I see all these people pass me up. I'm thinking I'll be last to cross the finish line for sure.

I see the first set of port-a-pottys but there are long lines. Daggit. Do I wait in line too? Or risk it and keep going? I have no idea when the next set will be around. Screw it, I tell myself. I'm not gonna stop now.

I keep going and soon there's a water stop. No gatorade. Sucky. I grab water and keep on.

I keep running and haven't seen any mile markers. How far along am I?? I have no idea. I hear someone in the crowd say they think it's mile 3, but I don't believe them. It doesn't seem like I've gone that far. So I keep running.

The first causeway we pass (bridge) is awesome. It's still dark and the sun hasn't risen. The cruiseships are docked and all lit up. It's gorgeous on the dark water. I take a deep breath and still can't believe I'm in Miami doing this.

A second set of port-a-pottys...daggit...long lines again. I check in with my bladder. I would like to go, but the momentum is good. So I keep running.

Somewhere along the way the sun rises. I don't remember when or where, except that it's getting brighter.

I'm feeling kind of tired, but it still doesn't seem like I've gone that far. Just to be safe I decide to eat some GU. Gross stuff, but I figure it's better to eat GU while feeling so-so than feeling totally depleted and then waiting for it to kick in. Dunno if that strategy was right, but it's what I'm going with at this point.

A 3rd set of port-a-pottys. Lines are short. This looks like a much better place to stop. I'm strategic and go stand behind a line of men. They are SO much faster than women. Even faster than the shortest line of women. Good move on my part! I'm in the port-a-potty in no time! It feels weird to sit down for a few minutes. My head is throbbing. Uh-oh. What's going on? Dizzy? I shake it off. I'm ok. Doing good. I grab water at the stop and keep on going.

Still no mile marker. Where the heck am I??

I keep on going and there it is. A big orange 6! I've completed 5 miles!!! And the time is 00:54:xx!!! I can't believe it!! I've been running for nearly an hour! It doesn't feel like it at all! About 11 minute miles at this point. I'm in shock at how well I am doing, but also concerned that I'm pushing myself and will be too exhausted later in the run. So I slow down a bit even though I feel ok.

I'm thinking "wow"!! I can't believe I'm almost halfway done and it's amazing how good I'm feeling. Tired, yes, but still going strong. I'm thinking, 'not bad'. Doing good! :-)

I turn a corner and uh-oh...what's this? A twitch in my left thigh. What's going on? I'm worried. This has never happened during training, and I definitely didn't expect any sores to happen this early. Maybe at mile 8, but mile 6? This can't be good. The only pains I ever got in training were my knees, but both of them are doing fine. What's going on?? Don't think about it, I tell myself. Don't focus on the pain.

At this moment I hear everyone's advice run through my head: Walter's "whatever you do, don't stop"; b's "good luck!!!!!!!!!!"; SM's "go go go go"; and other voices who aren't part of my blogging circle. :-)

I keep on going. For the next 4 or 5 2:2 minute intervals I walk a bit more than run. I don't want to risk any major injuries and just to be here is enough. Who am I competing against anyway and why? I'm here just to do it. To complete it for myself. That's enough for me. Don't overstrain. I'm doing good.

Pep talk to myself is over. Twitch seems to be gone. Ok. I'm doing ok. I keep going and resume my 2:2 run/walk ratio.

A couple of more bridges. I walk the inclines to save my energy, so that slows my time down. I take a moment to look out over the water. Miami skyline is gorgeous! "Take it all in", I tell myself. This is a moment in your life you won't forget. I look around some more. This area looks familiar...hey...MF and I drove around here. It's near my hotel. This is where we got lost looking for the grocery store. Wow. Cool. This IS far. I've run a lot! A fair distance! Wow.

I keep on going. I'm starting to feel pretty tired. I grab GU again. Where the heck is the next mile marker? I have no idea where I'm at. I see my coach! She gives me a high five and tells me how great I'm doing. What a boost! Seeing familiar faces along the way does wonders to a person's mental state. Thanks, Coach C!! :-)

Still no mile marker. Where the heck am I??

I go through a neighborhood and soon I'm entering a toll bridge of some sort. And there it is!

A big orange 10! I've completed 9 miles!! Time is 1:54!! About a 13 minute mile at this point. Wow. I can't believe I'm almost done!!

Mile 10 begins with us running through a toll plaza. I chuckle. Sign says $1.00 for pedestrians. Am I gonna have to pay the toll? Ha ha...

I keep on going. Feeling pretty tired. I'm walking more. At this point we're entering the "slums" of Miami. Even the homeless are cheering us on! That's cool! And amusing. :-) I wish I could go back and thank the man on the corner. He was awesome!

The twitches. I feel it in my right calf. What's going on? Coach said maybe over hydration. Ok. Feeling thirsty, but won't drink for a bit. I remind myself to listen to my body, so I walk a bit more.

Feeling ok again...but very tired. I grab GU again and gatorade at the next water stop. I see this older woman in front me. She seems to be struggling. Dunno why, but I ran up along side her and a said, "You're doing good. Almost finished". She gives me this huge smile. I ask if she's doing ok and if she's feeling any pains. She says she's ok and not hurting anywhere. That's good. I ask if she wants me to run with her for a while and she says yes. So I tell her we'll take it easy. I explain to her my 2:2 run ratio, and we keep on going.

It turns out Ines is from Peru. She's 49 and also running her first half marathon. Her english is very limited and she has no family in Miami at all. She's got no one there to cheer her on. I told her none of my family or friends were there either so we'll just have to help each other out. My 4 years of spanish were slowly coming back to me, and it was great to know we could communicate the basic way we did.

We pass mile marker 12. Wow! 11 miles done! Only 2 more to go. There's no clock with this marker and I didn't dare look at my watch. I tell Ines *only* two more miles! We're almost done! Her demeanor changes. I can tell she can't believe it either.

We continue on. We're both feeling tired. I feel more twitches. Yikes.

The next 1.5 miles are a blur. Ines and I chat about our jobs. Our families. Our training. We talk about SF, Miami, and other things.

With about 0.5 miles to go, we turn a corner and see the finish line. From that point on, the two of us just sprinted to the finish line.

I can't believe I did it. I was so excited to finish that I didn't even look at the clock or know my time. Who cares! I finished! And I wasn't last! Ha ha...it's funny the kinds of things that go through your mind through all of this. :-)

I wasn't expecting it, but once we crossed the finish line, Ines gives me the biggest hug and tells me, "I love you"over and over. :-) I can tell she's overwhelmed and since her english is limited I know those are the only words she knows that can express her relief and gratitude for finishing the run. It's funny and touching at the same time. I know we're bonded for life. :-)

It was an amazing feeling to have that medal put around my neck, to walk through the finish area and to know that I did it.

Yay me! :-)

The Life and Times of the Rambling Muse

Tuesday, January 31, 2006

Half Marathon Results

My Run - The Play By Play

Back In SF!!

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