Hi all.  This is Lerch's wife here to put in my $0.02.  I envy those of you who can run.  Walking is great and all but it takes so darn long to get to the end and for a race of this distance I was afraid to set my pace too high.  I do not have a lot of race experience, just a couple 5K where a strolled along and enjoyed the view.  I wasn't totally unprepared for the 1/2.  I had done some walking around the neighborhood with my longest  being around 12 miles.  That is a guess.  I have Nike + on my phone but the phone battery died around mile 10.   I had not done a lot of walking in the two weeks prior to the race because I had a nasty callous that felt like I had a small rock in my shoe and I was doing  best to get rid of it before the race.

My biggest worry about the race was the sun.  I am very heat sensitive and I do not do well in direct sunlight.  No, I do not fear garlic.  I was relieved when the weather forecast said it would be cool and overcast.  They lied.  I was also expecting a fairly flat course since it was at the beach.   One section diverted up into the hills.

Even with all of this I felt pretty good about the race until about mile seven.  That was where I reallized that 13 miles was a whole lot longer than I though it was.

We had some cookies so I thought munching a cookie at every mile marker might be a good incentive.  I was congested and couldn't really breathe through my nose so I ended up eating them like the cookie monster, wearing more than I consumed.

As the miles added on and the sun got higher in the sky I found my inner monolog becoming increasingly more profane.  I was careful to keep it from becoming an outer dialog so when my husband would ask me a question I responded with "Can't talk, walking."

Why was I doing this to myself?  It wasn't like I could wear the finisher's medal around like a piece of jewelry for the next few months.  Then again there was that nice lady at the expo who was selling little silver charms that looked like the medal, I could wear that!  Jewelry is always a good motivator.

Around mile 10 I spotted a little retaining wall off to the side, in the shade.  SHADE!  I decided it was time for a little break.  I was wearing a hat but I still needed to get out of the sun.  After a little cool down I needed to get this race over with.  I had walked to far to quit.  My feet hurt. The piece of gravel callous was back and had grown a friend on the other foot.  I was hot and tired and the port-a-potties were out of toilet paper but I wanted my little silver trinket.

I don't really remember much about the last 3 miles except that I wanted them  to be over.  A couple very nice people gave me a banana and some pretzels which helped a lot.  The inner monologe was getting worse and when they announced my name at the finish line I had to hold back from saying something rude.  At least there was a shady bus bench on the other side.

Would I do this again?  Good question.  For now I think I would like to stick with 5K and maybe try a 10K but I don't want to do another half until I dump some weight and pick up the speed.  Four and a half hours is way to long to be walking.  I'm not sure I would have finished if my husband hadn't walked with me.  He was also kind to enough to cross after me just to make sure I wouldn't be last.

Good for you for finishing.  Did you get the silver charm?

Grats on making it through.  I'm sure in retrospect, this was a great life experience for you.

If you can put up with that guy you you can do anything, ha-ha!  Welcome to the crew!

Hi Hi Mrs. Lerch!  Love your avatar!

Good job hanging in there.  You clearly pushed yourself, and should be proud.  You might feel more successful working with 5 & 10ks for a bit more,  but don't totally write off doing a half again.  The more prepared you are, the easier it will be.  Besides now you know you CAN do it!

Congrats on your race!  Walking an event is certainly no cake-walk!  I don't think I could walk an event. My wife power-walks events she does and, wow, compared to my walking and her walking, she kicks my butt every time!  I admire you walkers who have the patience and determination to get out there and do it!  Way to go!

Don't tell Mucchlax, but I just ordered her the pendant.

 

It's a shrunken version of the finisher's medal.

 

 

Now all I need to do is find a chain.

 

RIck

That is a very sweet and thoughtful gift.

Well done Munchlax! That is a long time to be out there walking in the sun and heat. You stuck it out and finished what you had set out to do. Congratulations!