The problem with most events in DC is the crowds. There was a humongous line at packet pick-up and the expo was packed. I felt like we waited in line after line this weekend.
The race itself went pretty smoothly. Tristan and I woke up at 5am, took the metro to the start area, and got in our corral by 6:30am. We were in the middle of the 9- 9:59 pace group, so it was a good starting place. Unfortunately, they closed the gates to the corrals and Tristan's friend Connie couldn't get in, so we decided to wait to the side for her. We weren't worried about pace, so it wasn't a big deal. The problem was that there were a LOT more people in the 11-12 minute group and we ended up stuck behind them. We started the race going so slow we were barely running, and there were a lot of walkers (very frustrating!) The course remained pretty packed for the first 3 miles. We were hemmed in by people and had to weave in and out for at least 4-5 miles. I lost track of Tristan and Connie, tried to look for them for awhile, and then just decided to run on my own.
After about 5 miles, the course became a little less crowded and a lot more enjoyable. We ran over a bridge and alongside the water (parts of the course were the same as the Cherry Blossom race). It was so pretty and we had beautiful weather. I was worried I was going to hit a wall due to my lack of training, so every mile I made it without feeling too tired felt like a victory. When I made it about halfway, I thought I could probably run most of the way. I decided to see how far I could go before I had to walk.
At mile 7, I started to get a little tired. I figured I'd probably hit a wall at mile 8, but if I pushed through, I figured I might get a second wind at mile 9 or 10, and that would push me through to the end. Well, I missed seeing the mile 8 marker, and when I saw the mile 9 marker, I figured I could push on to mile 10. After mile 10, it was just a 5K, so I figured I'd keep running as long as I could for those last 3 miles. I didn't ever really hit the wall, but I definitely didn't get a second wind either. I just progressively got more and more tired until the end of the race.
Right after mile 10, there was an uphill stretch that took a lot out of me. I didn't stop, but I slowed down some. Then there was a nice downhill stretch and we ran through a tunnel, then there was a nice breeze. Those things kept me going for awhile, but I was fatiguing. I walked through a water stop at mile 11, and told myself I'd keep running till mile 12. I got to the mile 12 marker and stopped and walked... for about a minute or two. Then I realized it was ridiculous to walk, I only had a mile to go and walking was only making it go by more slowly!
Even though I was getting really, really tired and my legs felt heavy, I ran again (slowly) the last mile. When I saw the finish line, I tried to pick up the pace a little, but I felt like I had nothing left! I think I was still running pretty slow when I crossed the finish line. During those last few miles, I really wished I had trained better. But I finished! And I love running! And it was beautiful! And I felt awesome that I could still run 13.1 miles!
Plus, the finish line bling was worth it! I got a finisher's shirt and a Tiffany necklace!
5K 10K 15K 20K Half
| 0:32:11 | 1:01:44 | 1:32:49 | 2:05:09 | 2:11:58 |
My only other complaint about this race (besides the crowded start), was the bag check pick-up. I wandered around trying to find where I had checked my bag since there were three different bag check areas. Then I had to weave back through the crowds in the opposite direction of traffic to get to my bag check table. It took forever! I miraculously found Tristan again in the crowds of people (super lucky since I had forgotten my phone!). Tristan and I both agreed that it was a fun race!
It's my slowest half marathon time yet, but considering the crowds and my lack of training, I'll take it!
Official time: 2:11:58
Overall pace: 10:04
