Harlot Reporting In

Race Report - Gasparilla 1/2 Marathon

Let's start with this:

WE DID IT.

I'll start at the end and then recap.

I fought hard for that last .5 mile. There was a local celeb/radio personality who - God bless her! - is always at the Gaparilla series races and just knows the right things to say. Today she said the right thing at the right time and I heard it. As I had about .75 left she said, "Half Marathoners, you are almost there - you are deciding how you finish right now!" It was just exactly what I needed to hear. What if I walked - stopped - and missed my goal by a minute or two? Just a minute or two - but still ... it would be goal missed. I really had to dig deep for the last 5k of this race but I also knew this is where my speed training, endurance training, and conditioning would all intersect. I wasn't going to let those hours of training go to waste.

I had a lot of miles already on board at the right pace. With Mark's guidance, I had been conditioned through the beginning of the race to run at a specific speed or faster and therefore I felt like I was moving slower than I actually was. In retrospect, it was a good feeling. While it was happening, I felt defeated. It's another point of race maturity for me - something new I learned today, which I will use again and again, I'm sure.

Back to the beginning - the stars were aligning for an awesome race day. A reinforcing cold front arrived last night and wiped out all the humidity. I didn't have my usual nerves (I was nervous, but usually I'm completely unbearable). If I was worried about anything, it was that my 4:30am chatter was driving Mark and Jenny over the edge. The only fly in the ointment was that I'd fought a cold - HARD - and I wasn't sure I was winning. I woke with a sore throat but it was not enough to hold me back. But it was enough to serve as a handy excuse, LOL. We arrived to the Convention Center just in time, and to the start line for just the right amount of time. With hardly any fanfare, the race started!

I was pretty comfortable through the first 2 miles, but then again we were averaging a 9:40ish pace. This was expected and I knew we'd be paying for it later. Mark picked up the pace for the next few miles and it was uncomfortable but not horrible. Jenny was remarkably strong and comfortable. Of course, she wasn't running her mouth like I was (I need to learn how to shut up, really). When we'd stop for water/Gatorade, we'd have to pick up the pace to resume our goal pace. I began to wonder if I should just opt for an IV at the finish line instead. The water stations stopped holding their usual appeal and became a dilemma instead: Drink and sprint, or skip? That also was a new experience for me.

About mile 5 or 6 I started to have an attitude problem, but it was mental and I worked myself right through it. Around 7 we hit a series of bridges that really kind of mentally did me in since I was sitting on the edge anyway. That combined with the fact that my tummy was really starting to give me grief and I was starting to abandon my goal.

I decided a potty stop was an absolute necessity, and Mark let me know that we'd actually banked some time. I sprinted ahead to bank more, and he waited for me since the agreement was that he was the "9:08 guy" and since Jenny was ahead of the 9:08, I got him. :) Still, I was not well, so the second time I stopped I urged him to go ahead with her. He was unsure but he went and I am so glad. I hadn't thought of it at the time but poor Jenny was out there with no Garmin and no pace guy. I thought they were WAY ahead of me but they weren't by much, and I thought *maybe* I'd be able to catch them but it was now mile 10 and I was really not in a good way. There was a 5k left and I thought it would have to be a sprint 5k - and I was not feeling it, at all. I decided that anything less than 2:05 (my PR) would be acceptable, and kept trucking along.

There were a group of strangers all kind of feeling the same way and we pulled each other along. One coach-like-looking guy standing on the sidewalk looked me straight in the eye and said, "Come on, you can do this." Not in a cheerleader way - in a coach way. Like I had no choice. I was walking then, so I immediately hopped-to and started running to the finish.

Good spectators rock. I need to work on being a better one myself.

Mile 12 and the clock read 1:50:xx. Crap. I'd need to run a straight-up 9-minute mile to finish make my goal and I didn't have that in me. My beloved Garmin was my enemy at that moment (mocking the fact that I was falling short of my goal (I thought)) so I had no idea I'd actually picked up the pace and was rolling along averaging 8:50. Also, being that it was heart rate math, I forgot I had 1:50 to subtract. I had no idea - NONE - that I was, indeed, going to make it.

For once, the finish line came up faster than I was expecting it (I think in my 20-some races, this is the first time I've ever experienced that phenomenon). I was at the beginning of the finish chute and .... for real? That clock says 2:00:xx? Can I get there in a minute? Or less? REALLY? After the potty stops and not catching up to Jenny and Mark and walking some of that last 5k - I'm going to do it?? I couldn't have been more surprised - sophisticated Garmin and all.

I turned on the jets and fired through and managed to see 2:00:36 as I ducked under. The boys and Chuck saw me finish and I squealed "I DID IT!!!!" (over and over - I was pretty obnoxious). They walked alongside me as I skipped through the chute. (Seriously, I skipped. Probably not the best post-race move.) I thought I saw Jenny's blue shirt and I couldn't wait to find her to see how she did. OMG, she did INCREDIBLE. They are her numbers so you'll have to go to her blog but -- she exceeded her goal. I happily concede this race. She was strong and focused and committed throughout. I was yucky and discouraged and difficult, but she never, ever was. I'm so proud to be her running partner! She hit the finish with some to spare, too!

Mark was awesome, too - what a blessing to have someone who was focused and knew what we needed time-wise and kept us on pace. I would have given up long before the point where I did had he not been there. Jenny said - and she was right - that he's encouraging and strong but not bossy or pushy or demanding. He just sets the pace and it is what it is. I'm trying to explain it but I'm coming up short ... he doesn't let up on you, doesn't back down to your time, but you don't feel as though you are being pushed. You just go. And when it's tough, you say it's tough, and he agrees, but he keeps going and reminds you that we have a goal. I cannot thank him enough for his willingness to spend a Sunday morning helping us like he did.

So now I have a new PR of 1:58:49. WOOT!!!