Race Report: Wrightsville Beach Half Marathon

Firstly,  I have to say that you guys rock! I received so many texts, facebook messages, calls and shout outs almost non-stop today with love and support. Thank you soooo much. Every single congrats make me smile and gives me something to think about when the wind is in my face and I want to fucking cry but I have no energy. I think of you guys!! XOXO

this thing was flapping in the wind. 

So this is my 3rd half. I love Wrightsville Beach! I had to run it. In fact I was so excited to drive the 1:45 down there that I didn't look when I was backing out of my garage.

hopefully just paint but never my luck

Major bummer but I said, F it and just continued backing out. I'll deal with it later. So fast forward to race morning. All 3 alarm clocks (hotel wake up, hotel alarm clock and blackberry) went off nicely. I jumped out of bed and was so excited to race. I took my pre race vitamin pack, drank some gatorade, and had 7oz of espresso.

Guys can skip this part...but every girl knows that when you take birth control pills you have to take them at the same time every day. So in an effort not to forget I put the pill pack under my sports bra strap so I wouldn't forget to take my pill BEFORE I walked out the door. Well clearly, that method back fired. I showed up in the hotel lobby to meet my 3 friends, Brian, John and Mary with 28 pills on my shoulder and no one says anything.

I had totally forgot. So me and my BCP's do warm up to the start area and then I notice the pills!! Crap on 2 levels. One, I have to take a pill at the start and 2. I had to tuck it back in my top and run 13 miles with it. LOL! The guys enjoyed lots of estrogen-doping jokes but were clearly shocked at my pre race choice of supplement. hahaha

So, it's the start. I met Tim Surface. A legend in my book. Super fast guy I follow online who is also on my racing team Raleigh Running Outfitters. Really nice super elite dude. That killed a few minutes pre-gun.

Miles 1-11 were essentially flawlessly paced. I have my garmin set to beep at every 800. My goal was 3:21 every split. I was slowly getting beat up by the wind and the pace took work but I felt good, but then at mile 11 there was the WALL of wind that is...It didn't hurt so bad in the beginning but now I was tired. So from mile 11 to 12.5 I died. See here for death. I had paced a perfect 6:42 pace until then and now my avg plummeted to a 6:45. Oh well, it happens.

At mile 12 my friend Brian showed up to JOG me in. He ran a 1:17 then runs back to save this train from crashing further! AWESOME! But I was so delirious by then I almost followed him onto the sidewalk when he jumped aside to let me run into the chute. In fact, I believe he told me to get back over by the cones..lol Thanks Bri!

Death face. a minute post race. Brian clearly unaffected.

So now we start looking for John. He should have been with me. The clock keeps ticking. No John. I said to Brian: he fell or something. There is no way he's ok.  Brian said let's go find him. 2 seconds later he finished. Looking strong but later said, he hit a gutter wrong and twisted everything. He hurt his knee, took a curb break, walked some and then finished uh, shortly after me. okaaay. Good news is he feeling much better. Phew. In the midst of all this Mary cruises in with a PR looking fresher than ever...we need to talk!


After that we all went for massages then to the awards. I ended up 6th female, 1st age group and 28 overall runner out of 1900. I was pissed/happy. Pissed because I wanted 1:28 but happy because I paced really well. I don't think I could have done better in those conditions. And hell, it's still sub 90 and that's always my overall goal.

Awesome day. Awesome people. You guys rock! 3 weeks until my 10 mile race. Perfect! I can't die at mile 11. Beautiful!
Later!

PS..

There is about 2 seconds of video on the news of the gun. Holla!! I'm right of the center line.
http://www.wect.com/global/Category.asp?C=195960&autoStart=true&topVideoCatNo=default&clipId=5676493&flvUri&partnerclipid

Here are some random pics..

Mile 11. I kicked this trucks ass.

death march

That seemed so far away.

and of course back at the hotel..talking and typing...