CMM Recap

One day I will run a half marathon and everything will go swimmingly. Until that day I will continue to try to see my races as a glass half full experience no matter what. I actually went out to run this race with very few expectations. This race was mainly about the trip and included many firsts. My first time booking a flight, my first solo flight, and farthest south and west I've ever been in the United States. The trip was foremost about having a cool adventure with one of my friends of eight years who goes to school at Vanderbilt University. Secretly, however, my goal was the ever elusive sub two hour half. On paper, I know I can run this fast but a steady stream of injuries and inconveniently times illnesses have kept me from peak performance on race day. My current PR- 2:08:13. I put zero pressure on myself from Thursday night when I got on the plane to Nashville to the morning of the race on Saturday. I ate whatever I wanted, I walked a lot, I went to a party late- all things I would normally neurotically avoid before a big race. But the thing was, race morning I felt great. And I had the training to back me up. I tend to avoid longer runs because the sad truth is that my knees just can't do it. I'm saying it right now, I will never be an ultra marathoner. But I had run five days a weeks starting in February with speed workouts, a longish (7-9 miles) run on the weekend, and the week before my race I had gone to Rockefeller state park to do some hills. Bottom line, when I got into my corral at 6:30 am I was already thinking of calling my dad at the finish to tell him that I had finally broken 2:00 while eating ice cream the day before. I was basically a medical marvel.

Picking up the world's largest bib and my pint class BECAUSE I'M 21 NOW

I'm pretty sure Meb won Boston last week because he ate ice cream on a deck the afternoon before. And yes, it was warm enough to wear shorts. I now understand why people want to live in the south. 

As you can probably guess by the way this is going, things took a turn for the worst pretty quickly. By mile two I discovered I must have gotten food poisoning. How I have no idea because I'm pretty sure the symptoms would have shown up long before two miles into a race but one thing is certain, when you are having serious stomach pains, running hard for two more hours is not a good idea. I know, I'm basically a doctor. I somehow managed to finish the race. I had to stop four times total during the race, I was unable to eat anything and could basically only stomach gatorade in small sips which I stopped at every water station to get. I was becoming one of those stop/ start runners I loathed. Upside was the course was beautiful. I 100% recommend this race. The course is fair with not too many hills, tons of support, and lots of spectators. You go by Belmont and Vanderbilt, lots of residential areas with people sitting in lawn chairs playing the Rocky theme song, and also the more populated city areas which reminded me a bit of racing in Philly. There are also tons of really fun bands playing. I used all this to keep my mind off how I felt.

By the time I crossed the finish I was at 2:16:53. I had stopped my Garmin, however, every time I had to make a full stop, bringing me to just over 2:05. I was pretty devastated. If I hadn't had to stop, it definitely would have been a PR day at the very least, if not a possible sub 2 day.

When all else fails, do it for the medal.

But this trip wasn't really about that. It was about experiencing a new place through running and being brave trying something I've never done before. In that sense, I succeeded. I also have to be proud of the fact that even while feeling pretty terrible, I was able to keep moving at basically a 9:30 pace. My last half in Philadelphia had been slower than that and I had only had a cold to bring me down. (Yes, if you ever need any advice about running while potentially really injured or really sick, I'm your girl. ) I KNOW I have sub 2:00 in me. Today was not that day but I stuck it out, I never quit on it, and when I got back, my friend was there with a diet coke and more ice cream. Bring on the adventures and the PRs because I'm ready for them. :)