I trained for this for over 4 months - almost 5, I think, so I was definitely prepared. But the last two weeks I took almost completely off, for various reasons. So, on race day, I really wasn't even sure if I would be able to complete the distance. Other issues were so much more demanding on my emotions, though, that I really didn't care. Perhaps that was a good attitude to approach it with. I was not nervous. I placed no pressure on myself to finish within a certain time or achieve any particular goal. I just set out like it was any other Sunday morning long run.
There were 12,000 people running the half and about 5,000 running the full. We all ran the first 10 miles of the course together, so needless to say, it was crowded. That gave me plenty to look at, and the first few miles just flew by. There were bands of all varieties along the course - Japanese drums, Mexican mariachi, solo guitarist, teenager garage bands in their front yards, etc. - which also provided entertainment. I'm glad I didn't bother bringing my iPod; I did not miss it in the least.
I saw one blind runner, two different one-legged runners (you can see one of them behind me in one of the Brightroom photos - he ended up beating me), one Teletubby, several fairy princesses, and lots of people out to have a good time.
I don't know how long these shots will be available on Brightroom, but here's a link, while it lasts: Brightroom Videos and Photos
After the first 5 miles, I was distracted by seeking a portapotty and envying the guys who kept running off to the sidelines to relieve themselves in the bushes. My next diversion was knowing my mom would join me after mile 7. She and my dad both ran with me for a bit, then my dad took my jacket (I think it had warmed up to about 46 - perfect running weather), and my mom stayed with me for a couple of miles. My brother joined us at mile 9 and he ran all the way to 13 with me. Having distractions and company made the whole race fly by. Maybe because I did all of my training alone this time around, this felt like it went by more quickly than any of my long training runs.
My dad took this picture. I'm on the left, in the great Skirt Sports outfit. My brother is on the right, keeping me company:
Speaking of the outfit, I had at least 5 runners come up to me (mid-race) to ask where I got it. Even one man commented, "Nice coordination!" Thank you, Skirt Sports, for the great race day attire. You got some advertising in return!
I'll try to come back and add a link to my Garmin page after I'm home and can upload that. Basically, I believe I started out at about an 8:30 pace, slowed down after a couple of miles, slowed down significantly on some of the hills, and averaged out to 8:59 for the race.
John ran much faster than I did (around a 7:40 pace) and was waiting for me at the finish line.
John and I post-race:
