7.10.10
given that i've always wanted to go to smith rock you can just imagine how excited i was for the event. we were encouraged to be there by 5:45 since the run started at 6:15...yes, in the morning. we went the wrong way on our way out of town so we had to turn around. normally this would have been anxiety inducing, but given that we were able to turn around and drive directly into the sunrise-one of the most electrifying displays of fuchsia, orange, purple, and bits of yellow and blue...all in a powder like formation--i was grateful for the logistic mishap. absolutely stunning !!
there wasn't a lot of event signage but it helps that smith rock is the reason most people are in that area. the night before when we picked up our packets, they showed us a map. we were looking for parking lot 2. we found it and parked. it was nice that there weren't a ton of people. we were able to get into the honey buckets (very much a pre race tradition for me) only having to wait for a brief minute or two.
some guy who was 85 and had just set a record for the fastest half marathon for that age group sang the national anthem. oh by the way, his half is still faster than mine. by a lot.
during the anthem i always get pumped up. not sure if it a patriotic surge of adrenaline or what but the tears well up and i start to shake my legs and bounce around. you would think i was at a cypress hill concert jumpin’ around like that…
though my nerves started to act up, i was ready to do my best. the only game plan i had was to finish. i tried to be nice to myself since this was the longest trek my foot had been on since the break…i was running into the unknown.
kelsi, my friend and fellow crossfitter ran the event with me. we hadn't trained together so we both said that we would partner up but if one or the other wanted to go ahead ---they would.
we both were listening to music and had agreed that we wouldn’t talk much. it worked out well. we even managed to learn sign language…well, running partner sign language. if i wanted to use the water station, i would tap her on the shoulder and act like i was taking a drink out of a cup. if her knee was bugging her she would tap me on the shoulder and point at her knee. when we started out i kept thinking, holy crap why did i sign up...but we maintained a nice pace. and i kept breathing.
and my calves didn't punk out the entire run. a freakin’ Christmas day miracle!! more on that later.
the course was nice although i can't say it was flat as they promoted. nothing major just those long extended rolling hills. as far as aesthetics go...this course was so serene!! horses would run up to the fence and gallop next to us. cows grazed and chomped their grass. snow peaked mountains saluted us...irrigation sprinklers baptized the land. the sun was not bashful at all and by the halfway point I was sweating good and plenty.
the 12th mile marker came and i knew i would survive. it was such a good feeling! the photographer was at 2 spots and we decided to act like the goofballs we are at the last one...a big "thumbs up” and cheesy smiles... i will share the photo later.
as we ran to the finish both of our knees were killing us but when we looked to our left we could see smith rock and i'm telling you what, it was one of the best backdrops to any finish line i’ve ever crossed. we finished in 2:04...i was really happy with this given i hadn't trained at all.
and the best part is…we got medals! i was stoked and exclaimed! “i get a medal” the guy who handed it to me just started laughing. i said, hey…the medal is the only reason i run these things. ha ha! and while that’s not completely true, i do like having something in my hand to remind me that yes, i did just run 26.2 miles or 13.1 or... and though none of them say 1st place it is a symbol that i finished-- and even when i know i could do better…sometimes it simply is enough.
i can’t wait to run this event next year. i highly recommend it.
given that i've always wanted to go to smith rock you can just imagine how excited i was for the event. we were encouraged to be there by 5:45 since the run started at 6:15...yes, in the morning. we went the wrong way on our way out of town so we had to turn around. normally this would have been anxiety inducing, but given that we were able to turn around and drive directly into the sunrise-one of the most electrifying displays of fuchsia, orange, purple, and bits of yellow and blue...all in a powder like formation--i was grateful for the logistic mishap. absolutely stunning !!
there wasn't a lot of event signage but it helps that smith rock is the reason most people are in that area. the night before when we picked up our packets, they showed us a map. we were looking for parking lot 2. we found it and parked. it was nice that there weren't a ton of people. we were able to get into the honey buckets (very much a pre race tradition for me) only having to wait for a brief minute or two.
some guy who was 85 and had just set a record for the fastest half marathon for that age group sang the national anthem. oh by the way, his half is still faster than mine. by a lot.
during the anthem i always get pumped up. not sure if it a patriotic surge of adrenaline or what but the tears well up and i start to shake my legs and bounce around. you would think i was at a cypress hill concert jumpin’ around like that…
though my nerves started to act up, i was ready to do my best. the only game plan i had was to finish. i tried to be nice to myself since this was the longest trek my foot had been on since the break…i was running into the unknown.
kelsi, my friend and fellow crossfitter ran the event with me. we hadn't trained together so we both said that we would partner up but if one or the other wanted to go ahead ---they would.
we both were listening to music and had agreed that we wouldn’t talk much. it worked out well. we even managed to learn sign language…well, running partner sign language. if i wanted to use the water station, i would tap her on the shoulder and act like i was taking a drink out of a cup. if her knee was bugging her she would tap me on the shoulder and point at her knee. when we started out i kept thinking, holy crap why did i sign up...but we maintained a nice pace. and i kept breathing.
and my calves didn't punk out the entire run. a freakin’ Christmas day miracle!! more on that later.
the course was nice although i can't say it was flat as they promoted. nothing major just those long extended rolling hills. as far as aesthetics go...this course was so serene!! horses would run up to the fence and gallop next to us. cows grazed and chomped their grass. snow peaked mountains saluted us...irrigation sprinklers baptized the land. the sun was not bashful at all and by the halfway point I was sweating good and plenty.
the 12th mile marker came and i knew i would survive. it was such a good feeling! the photographer was at 2 spots and we decided to act like the goofballs we are at the last one...a big "thumbs up” and cheesy smiles... i will share the photo later.
as we ran to the finish both of our knees were killing us but when we looked to our left we could see smith rock and i'm telling you what, it was one of the best backdrops to any finish line i’ve ever crossed. we finished in 2:04...i was really happy with this given i hadn't trained at all.
and the best part is…we got medals! i was stoked and exclaimed! “i get a medal” the guy who handed it to me just started laughing. i said, hey…the medal is the only reason i run these things. ha ha! and while that’s not completely true, i do like having something in my hand to remind me that yes, i did just run 26.2 miles or 13.1 or... and though none of them say 1st place it is a symbol that i finished-- and even when i know i could do better…sometimes it simply is enough.
i can’t wait to run this event next year. i highly recommend it.
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