One Moment in Time (1/2 Marathon Race Recap)

So it took me a few days to process the whole race & all the emotions I was feeling about it...then it has taken me a few more to find the time to sit down & write this.  Then yesterday at Zumba, the instructor played the Whitney Houston song "One Moment in Time" for our cool down & I started getting all choked up thinking about the race again so I knew I needed to make the time & get my One Moment out onto paper (so to speak).  This may be a little long, so bear with me.

Oct 21, 2012...Race day!  I walked 220 miles to train for this 13.1, I was ready..sort of.  OK, I wasn't ready, but I was doing it anyway.  :) 

The day started with the alarm going off 4:45am.  I had laid out all my gear the night before & was dressed, fed & ready to head out into the freezing cold by 5:30.

My shirt ready to go the night before

The race started at 7:30 & I crossed the start line around 7:50.  It was such a great feeling!  I was with about 6 other women I had trained with in my MIT group & we started out at a great pace.  There were tons of people lining the street cheering for us & different bands playing.  The first 2 miles flew by & I was so excited to see Adrian, the boys & my in-laws on the side of the street cheering around mile 2.  I got all choked up & was feeling great with the start of the race.

Everything was going along great until around mile 5.  I started to get really tired & a few of the people I was walking with started walking much faster than I was able to.  But then around mile 6.5 I again saw my family, now joined by my brother, sister in law & niece.  I cried again.  But seeing them plus my honey stinger chews gave me the jolt I needed & I kept on cruising.

That's me in the black (next to the girl in pink) approaching mile 6.5ish

 Then it was mile 9 & I was exhausted.  I honestly didn't think I could walk any more.  All of my training buddies had already moved ahead.  The course was closing around me & I was fighting with myself (& downtown traffic) to keep going.  I had decided I would get to mile 10, since I had done that twice in my training, and then I would stop & have Adrian come & pick me up.  Then I got this text from him "Go Mom!  We're waiting at the finish line for you!  We love you!"  I cried.  Again.  And I knew I couldn't give up.  I crossed mile 10 & convinced myself I could make it to 11 & then I'd quit.  :)

Somewhere between mile 10 & 11, I fell in step with 2 other women.  They were amazing!  We started talking & before I knew it we were at mile 12.  We met up with their friend who was on a bike for the ;ast mile or so with us & she cheered us on the whole time, especially up the huge hill on High St.  It was great to have company for those last few miles.  I don't know if I would have made it or not without them.  I know they wouldn't have been as much fun.

I finally made the last turn onto Nationwide Blvd.  Both sides of the street were filled with people & I could see the finish line.  I was excited!  I saw my family on one side cheering for me & I cried.  Then I saw my friends on the other side "screaming like crazy" for me (their words, not mine) & I cried some more.  I finally crossed the finish line, got my medal, chocolate milk & cookies & headed for the recovery zone!

Me looking good heading to the finish line...never would know I was ready to give up 3 miles ago

Me & my biggest supporter!

My brother Carl & I at the finish line - he helped me train, was at the race & cooked our recovery dinner!

My amazing family!  So glad they could be there to support me!!

So this race almost felt like 2 races for me.  I loved the first half, hated the second half.  I was upset that my training partners left me behind & also that the course was closing around me.  I am still confused why that happened, the website said I had 4 hours, I finished in under that.  But it also said you had to do a faster than 16:00 mile, I didn't do that.  I know everyone else that did this race loved it, so I would recommend it.  I won't be doing it again...until I can be under that 16:00!!

My final stats:
Finish time:  3 hours, 40 minutes, 16 seconds
Average pace:  16:49/mile
Overall place:  9790 out of 9931
I passed 31 athletes overall

Now, what's next??  I am already signed up for the CapCity 1/2 marathon the first weekend in May.  I spent all week going back & forth if I would do it.  I have decided...I will!  I'm going to take off the next 2 months from official training & start back up around Jan with the New Albany Walking Club.  My goal is to go faster & finish in 3:30.  For the next 2 months I will continue with my exercising, including doing the 30 day shred with Adrian in November.

Thank you all for reading & supporting me on this journey!!  I could not have done it without all of you!!