Who would have thought that Runner Girl and I would have managed to pick two 1/2 marathons in a row that had deplorable running conditions? Our first was about 18 months ago and was on the hottest most humid and disgusting day the Deep South had offered at that point. My run included a 2 mile walk in the middle so I didn't pass out alongside the race trail.
White Rock was this past weekend. It was low 40s and rainy. Another humid disgusting day, except replace the hottest with the chilliest. If we hadn't signed up for this together there was no way either of us would have gone. The day was the type where the only thing you wanted to do was to curl up on the couch, sip hot chocolate or tea and watch movies or bad TV. Instead we were all up at 4 to eat some breakfast and head to the Big D in time to beat the crowds. This race had 25,000 people registered to run this year. A rough 9700 finished the race. I don't know how many actually started. Enough ran that it took us 25 minutes just to cross the start line from our corral position.
It started really raining as we were shuffling toward that start line and It. Did. Not. Stop. Not for 13.1 miles. Not even after those 13.1 miles. It had been raining here for 2 days before the race. That equals a lot of standing water in these parts. So within the first mile we had damp clothes and soaked shoes and socks. That pretty much sums up the way the race went. I don't think I ever really warmed up, even over the end of the race.
Once we finished and made it inside for our medals and finishers shirts we cooled down fast. Like, fast. I was trying to stretch and basically every muscle in my legs seized up into little rocks that were not allowing any further movement. My running jacket (a poor choice of cotton blend) weighed an easy 7 pounds if not more and my shoes probably a couple pounds. Interestingly, my shoes don't stink all that much since they dried out.
Other than the rain and a section of hills, it wasn't a bad race course. It wound through some beautiful neighborhoods, the locals even stood out in the rain cheering us on and a few ambitious frat boys were handing out shots of beer in mile 9.
I am sad to confess that I totally was making fun of how Runner Girl was walking when we finished lunch....until I tried to stand up. If any of you are fans of How I Met Your Mother, it was pretty much like Barney on the subway, except I managed to get up just barely. I probably would have taken up DH on the offer to carry me to the car except I'm sure I smelled like a man.
Does it make me crazy that DH and I are considering running another 1/2 in April? Well, I'm ok with that because I know I can do it. Super proud of us, Runner Girl!
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