reposted for SeeEricaRun - My 1st Race Report of any kind which just happens to be a HM (Read 563 times)

If you read my previous report - this one is only slightly different so please disregard - reposted for Erica The Sun HM was my first race of any variety so it was a much bigger deal to me than I would have let on to anyone. My goal was a < 2:00 finish and i did it. my official time was... 1:59:58. the baystate/sun expo people were amazing, especially the actual race volunteers. having said that, however, if i had to hear one more person tease me good-naturedly for choosing a hm as my first race i was tempted to take my ball & go home. i was a nervous wreck to begin with and left the event feeling as if i had perhaps made a huge mistake showing up at all - probably didn't help that i was unaccompanied - my son was back at the hotel. race morning, i was so concerned about going out too fast that i under-ran (if that's a term) fearing the worst. when i do my training runs daily i usually run a 8 - 8:30 mile. up until this point, i haven't mastered the slow leisurely pace. as a novice runner, i had heard so many horror stories about finding yourself at mile 8 or 10 or 12 feeling like death and i was desperate to finish at all cost. i can honestly say that i never ever felt fatigued in anyway (except climbing the stairs of the arena at the end!). at the halfway point, i was at 1:01:40 which for a normal run would have been about six minutes slower than usual. this distance felt i suppose like what my normal daily runs should have felt like all along. i had hardly broken a sweat and was thoroughly prepared to push the second half now and make it to the finish. i will admit, however, my hope of reaching my goal was shot. in a weird way, i think this took the pressure off me to just run the distance and not stress - it's my first race, just finish and don't puke. i never increased it much just waiting for something yucky to happen which never did, and the last 3 miles - i kicked it. when we hit the arena and the guy said over the loudspeaker, "if you plan on an under 2:00 finish - you have 30 seconds...", i bolted like never before. when i crossed the finish line and saw my time i hope to christ no one got a picture of me because i just know that i look profoundly "special" as in a blackmail opportunity just ripe for the pickin'. my one big lesson learned of many is if you are a mother and a novice runner, leave your ^&*&&$@ apron at home. there is a girl wearing black tights & a red shirt who is drenched and likely very pissed & even more cold because of me. yeah, i know (now) - when at a water station throw your cups to the right... well, what if you are a mother and used to picking up after people in your house and you are sure you see a garbage can just up ahead on the left and your equally sure you can hit it? well, then you hold on to the gatorade that you thought was water that you did not drink because you hate gatorade and didn't train with it... and you peg it at said can and miss by a mile and soak the previously-mentioned 20-something pretty girl in red & black. i'm sorry young girl. i'm even sorrier for apologizing profusely and then speaking to the advantages of not procreating & creating the very progeny that makes you feel the need to throw cup in can instead of on the ground like they do just knowing that you will pick up after them. i am definitely planning on training for a full in 2009 and this time i'll remember about the throw to the right rule! dari 2:00="" finish="" and="" i="" did="" it.="" my="" official="" time="" was...="" 1:59:58.="" the="" baystate/sun="" expo="" people="" were="" amazing,="" especially="" the="" actual="" race="" volunteers.="" having="" said="" that,="" however,="" if="" i="" had="" to="" hear="" one="" more="" person="" tease="" me="" good-naturedly="" for="" choosing="" a="" hm="" as="" my="" first="" race="" i="" was="" tempted="" to="" take="" my="" ball="" &="" go="" home.="" i="" was="" a="" nervous="" wreck="" to="" begin="" with="" and="" left="" the="" event="" feeling="" as="" if="" i="" had="" perhaps="" made="" a="" huge="" mistake="" showing="" up="" at="" all="" -="" probably="" didn't="" help="" that="" i="" was="" unaccompanied="" -="" my="" son="" was="" back="" at="" the="" hotel.="" race="" morning,="" i="" was="" so="" concerned="" about="" going="" out="" too="" fast="" that="" i="" under-ran="" (if="" that's="" a="" term)="" fearing="" the="" worst.="" when="" i="" do="" my="" training="" runs="" daily="" i="" usually="" run="" a="" 8="" -="" 8:30="" mile.="" up="" until="" this="" point,="" i="" haven't="" mastered="" the="" slow="" leisurely="" pace.="" as="" a="" novice="" runner,="" i="" had="" heard="" so="" many="" horror="" stories="" about="" finding="" yourself="" at="" mile="" 8="" or="" 10="" or="" 12="" feeling="" like="" death="" and="" i="" was="" desperate="" to="" finish="" at="" all="" cost.="" i="" can="" honestly="" say="" that="" i="" never="" ever="" felt="" fatigued="" in="" anyway="" (except="" climbing="" the="" stairs="" of="" the="" arena="" at="" the="" end!).="" at="" the="" halfway="" point,="" i="" was="" at="" 1:01:40="" which="" for="" a="" normal="" run="" would="" have="" been="" about="" six="" minutes="" slower="" than="" usual.="" this="" distance="" felt="" i="" suppose="" like="" what="" my="" normal="" daily="" runs="" should="" have="" felt="" like="" all="" along.="" i="" had="" hardly="" broken="" a="" sweat="" and="" was="" thoroughly="" prepared="" to="" push="" the="" second="" half="" now="" and="" make="" it="" to="" the="" finish.="" i="" will="" admit,="" however,="" my="" hope="" of="" reaching="" my="" goal="" was="" shot.="" in="" a="" weird="" way,="" i="" think="" this="" took="" the="" pressure="" off="" me="" to="" just="" run="" the="" distance="" and="" not="" stress="" -="" it's="" my="" first="" race,="" just="" finish="" and="" don't="" puke.="" i="" never="" increased="" it="" much="" just="" waiting="" for="" something="" yucky="" to="" happen="" which="" never="" did,="" and="" the="" last="" 3="" miles="" -="" i="" kicked="" it.="" when="" we="" hit="" the="" arena="" and="" the="" guy="" said="" over="" the="" loudspeaker,="" "if="" you="" plan="" on="" an="" under="" 2:00="" finish="" -="" you="" have="" 30="" seconds...",="" i="" bolted="" like="" never="" before.="" when="" i="" crossed="" the="" finish="" line="" and="" saw="" my="" time="" i="" hope="" to="" christ="" no="" one="" got="" a="" picture="" of="" me="" because="" i="" just="" know="" that="" i="" look="" profoundly="" "special"="" as="" in="" a="" blackmail="" opportunity="" just="" ripe="" for="" the="" pickin'.="" my="" one="" big="" lesson="" learned="" of="" many="" is="" if="" you="" are="" a="" mother="" and="" a="" novice="" runner,="" leave="" your="" ^&*&&$@="" apron="" at="" home.="" there="" is="" a="" girl="" wearing="" black="" tights="" &="" a="" red="" shirt="" who="" is="" drenched="" and="" likely="" very="" pissed="" &="" even="" more="" cold="" because="" of="" me.="" yeah,="" i="" know="" (now)="" -="" when="" at="" a="" water="" station="" throw="" your="" cups="" to="" the="" right...="" well,="" what="" if="" you="" are="" a="" mother="" and="" used="" to="" picking="" up="" after="" people="" in="" your="" house="" and="" you="" are="" sure="" you="" see="" a="" garbage="" can="" just="" up="" ahead="" on="" the="" left="" and="" your="" equally="" sure="" you="" can="" hit="" it?="" well,="" then="" you="" hold="" on="" to="" the="" gatorade="" that="" you="" thought="" was="" water="" that="" you="" did="" not="" drink="" because="" you="" hate="" gatorade="" and="" didn't="" train="" with="" it...="" and="" you="" peg="" it="" at="" said="" can="" and="" miss="" by="" a="" mile="" and="" soak="" the="" previously-mentioned="" 20-something="" pretty="" girl="" in="" red="" &="" black.="" i'm="" sorry="" young="" girl.="" i'm="" even="" sorrier="" for="" apologizing="" profusely="" and="" then="" speaking="" to="" the="" advantages="" of="" not="" procreating="" &="" creating="" the="" very="" progeny="" that="" makes="" you="" feel="" the="" need="" to="" throw="" cup="" in="" can="" instead="" of="" on="" the="" ground="" like="" they="" do="" just="" knowing="" that="" you="" will="" pick="" up="" after="" them.="" i="" am="" definitely="" planning="" on="" training="" for="" a="" full="" in="" 2009="" and="" this="" time="" i'll="" remember="" about="" the="" throw="" to="" the="" right="" rule!=""></ 2:00 finish and i did it. my official time was... 1:59:58. the baystate/sun expo people were amazing, especially the actual race volunteers. having said that, however, if i had to hear one more person tease me good-naturedly for choosing a hm as my first race i was tempted to take my ball & go home. i was a nervous wreck to begin with and left the event feeling as if i had perhaps made a huge mistake showing up at all - probably didn't help that i was unaccompanied - my son was back at the hotel. race morning, i was so concerned about going out too fast that i under-ran (if that's a term) fearing the worst. when i do my training runs daily i usually run a 8 - 8:30 mile. up until this point, i haven't mastered the slow leisurely pace. as a novice runner, i had heard so many horror stories about finding yourself at mile 8 or 10 or 12 feeling like death and i was desperate to finish at all cost. i can honestly say that i never ever felt fatigued in anyway (except climbing the stairs of the arena at the end!). at the halfway point, i was at 1:01:40 which for a normal run would have been about six minutes slower than usual. this distance felt i suppose like what my normal daily runs should have felt like all along. i had hardly broken a sweat and was thoroughly prepared to push the second half now and make it to the finish. i will admit, however, my hope of reaching my goal was shot. in a weird way, i think this took the pressure off me to just run the distance and not stress - it's my first race, just finish and don't puke. i never increased it much just waiting for something yucky to happen which never did, and the last 3 miles - i kicked it. when we hit the arena and the guy said over the loudspeaker, "if you plan on an under 2:00 finish - you have 30 seconds...", i bolted like never before. when i crossed the finish line and saw my time i hope to christ no one got a picture of me because i just know that i look profoundly "special" as in a blackmail opportunity just ripe for the pickin'. my one big lesson learned of many is if you are a mother and a novice runner, leave your ^&*&&$@ apron at home. there is a girl wearing black tights & a red shirt who is drenched and likely very pissed & even more cold because of me. yeah, i know (now) - when at a water station throw your cups to the right... well, what if you are a mother and used to picking up after people in your house and you are sure you see a garbage can just up ahead on the left and your equally sure you can hit it? well, then you hold on to the gatorade that you thought was water that you did not drink because you hate gatorade and didn't train with it... and you peg it at said can and miss by a mile and soak the previously-mentioned 20-something pretty girl in red & black. i'm sorry young girl. i'm even sorrier for apologizing profusely and then speaking to the advantages of not procreating & creating the very progeny that makes you feel the need to throw cup in can instead of on the ground like they do just knowing that you will pick up after them. i am definitely planning on training for a full in 2009 and this time i'll remember about the throw to the right rule! dari>

Sorry, I replied earlier and forgot to hit post, apparently. Congratulations on your sub-2:00! That's awesome! The cups are a problem, no doubt. I got hit by a few flying cups before I learned to keep to the left after a water stop. If it's clear and I'm close to the side, I'll throw the cup to the right, if it's not, I'll drop it straight down toward my feet (same with spitting). You kind of run over it - I don't think I've ever landed the cup on myself. Anyway, why did you do decide to do a half marathon as your first race? (Not criticizing - just curious why you chose that particular distance).

Why did she do a HM as her first race? BECAUSE SHE COULD!!! Great job, Dari! Don't sweat the cup-throwing incident. If you come to a HM and don't expect to get wet/sweaty/dusty/muddy/exposed to bodily fluids/etc. then don't come--even as a volunteer. Tim C. (Just did my first HM last weekend--because I could!)

I'm planning on doing the Hyannis HM in

I'm also considering doing Hyannis - I haven't run a half in a couple years, and I used to love the distance, so I feel like I'm due. So, It's either Hyannis or the NYRR Grand Prix: Manhattan in January (though I'm pretty sick of Central Park loops). Maybe I'll see you there!