1st ever race report!!! (Read 695 times)

Well gang, here it is. My first ever race report. I will try to be brief. Original plan, be on the road for 7:00am for the 2 hr. drive south to pick up race packets and such. Actual plan, left at 7:38am. (Not too bad) It snowed overnight and we had about 5" in the driveway and State and Town crews were out plowing and sanding roads almost all of the way down. Something I forgot to add in to our planning was the umpteen toll booths we had to cross to get to our destination. So, 2 hrs. and nearly $5.00 later we were pulling in to the race site. 9:30am, 35degrees F, partly cloudy. Ran in to pick up packets and hit the bathrooms. DW had been nervous all morning, rather anxious bout our endeavor, surprisingly I didn't feel all that bad. Between 10:00 and 11:00am we kept changing our wardrobes so to speak. We dressed more towards the warmer side figuring we were on the seacoast, but then the sun came out!! Well, when the starting gun went off and we took off, we both decided we were overdressed!!! The race had pacers running with us so I fell in with the 9:30 group. ( a little ambitious in hindsight ) DW opted to run with the 10:00 group. ( a little more realistic ) At this point I was feeling great! I was running pretty strong, not fast, but strong, things felt good, I'm running with about 1000 other runners, the sun's still out, life is good. I find myself running in the 9:00 pace group. At about mile 4, my left foot starts hurting a bit. Im like, this isn't good, I've got like 9 more miles to go, Things aren't supposed to hurt yet. So i keep on running, I start reciting names from the EX-smokers group in my head. Sullly.. ow ow Kris ow ow Obie ow ow. Now I'm running in the 9:30 pace group again. The first water stop had gone pretty well at mile 4, I managed to get some of the water in my mouth and pretty much wore the rest. At mile 6 there was water and a bathroom!! ( Did I mention that I've had to pee since the gun went off! ) As I enter the little green box I see my DW nearing. I quickly take care of business, grab another water, and run off after her. She was surprised to see me, but glad I was running with her again. We start comparing aches and pains, had a few laughs, and broke out the Hammer gel. shortly there after s we were rounding a bend, we hear sirens and horns up ahead. My initial thought was support for the runners. Well, it was, but not what I wanted to see. There was a runner down with emergency crews doing full blown CPR on him!! This is not good I think to myself. What the hell am I doing out here!! It's only mile 7 and there's like 14 miles to go!! By mile 8 DW has passed me again, I"ve grabbed another water and a GU. Somewhere in here is where I slow down to a walk. My left foot is screaming, my knees ache, quads are getting tight, but hey at least the weather is holding.....wait minute.... it's spitting snow!! By mile 9 I'm running again. I catch DW yet again. Hey, there's only 20 miles left to go!! we are now running right down the seacoast, into a headwind, driving snow but at least I'm moving, sort of. More walk alittle, run alittle. Have now officially lost sight of DW. Mile 11, only 25 miles to go, last water stop of the race, drank too much too fast, everything hurts, can't run anymore, start walking. Mile 12. This is it. Must make one final attempt at running. OWIE OWIE OWIE!!! My run looks like something out of an early Frankenstein movie, and my face is twisted in agony, oh wait a camera man! Must... smile... for... picture. Ow. Where the hell is the finish line? OMG there it is, around the bend on the other side of the bay!!! Mile 13 yeah!! It's ov....Damn! Another tenth of a mile to go!! There's DW! She runs in with me. I finish with a 2:22:08. She gets in with 2:16:39. We grab a couple of bites and some water and head for the car. Totally frozen to the core!! we sit in the car wit the heat on, got out of our wet clothes, in to some dry ones and head back in for the race results and a beer! We all get finishers medals. She actually places in her age group as a newbie ( or would have if her registration listed her as FEMALE!) It didn't, my bad or theirs who knows, they threw her a prize anyways. It's all good. Overall, in hindsight, very happy with results. I mean c'mon, I did just quit smoking 6 months ago, right? Next one is in May, hope to do better! There you have it gang. 1st race. ( well 1st BIG race) Andy

Andy, that is awesome! I know that feeling too well that the closer you get to the finish line, the more miles you have yet to go--funny stuff! Kudos to you and the wifey...nice work, guys! So what's next on your plate(s)?

Great Job dude! Thanks for sharing your race report with us.

Overall, in hindsight, very happy with results. I mean c'mon, I did just quit smoking 6 months ago, right? Next one is in May, hope to do better!

I'd say your doing well for quitting 6 months ago.

Way to go!!!! 6 months post puffing and tackling a HM....where is the bowing smiley

Way to push through to the receeding finish there Andy! Didn't see it in your post, was this race the inagural Half at the Hamtpons in Hampton Beach today (Sunday 2/10)?

Yes, as a matter of fact it was. Were you there?

Yes, as a matter of fact it was. Were you there?

Nope. I was seriously considering it, then changed my mind and decided on the Mid-Winter Classic 10 miler in Cape Elizabeth, ME the week before (2/3). I was interested in your opinion of the course and the organization, etc. Having an half marathon available nearby as an option in mid-winter sounds great for next year. Mid-winter about the time of year where having something to train for would help me keep miles and pace up. - Andy

Hi Andy, Congrats on a great job in your first half! You did great, especially for only being off smoking for only 6 months. DW did great too. You two provided terrific support for each other, which is so important in races that get longer and longer as you get closer and closer to the finish! I also did the Half at Hampton (racewalking div). Here's my take on the race, based on what I saw, and what I heard from another person I know who ran the race: Check-in went smoothly if you got there early enough. But with only one table to go to for shirt pick-up (short-sleeve, tech shirts), a back-up developed there quite quickly. There was plenty of parking, but late-comers had to park about a half mile away. The course has rolling hills up until the last 4-5 miles, which are almost completely flat. There are two moderate uphills at approx. 7 and 8.5 miles, but I wouldn't call them steep. Support on the course was generally good, but I heard that the water stops were undermanned for the crowds that came along later on (the walkers started half an hour early, so we had the first 5-6 miles completely to ourselves). There was reasonable food just past the finish line (banana halves, bagel quarters, chips, water, and a sports drink), but inside at the post-race festivities there was only soup and beer. Everybody got a finisher's medal when they exited the finish area, which was nice. Given what can happen in coastal NH in February, we were pretty lucky with the weather. Yes, we had wind-driven snow and rain, but the temp was above freezing, the wind wasn't howling (as it was later that afternoon and night) and when the race started there were even peeks of sun coming through the clouds. This is my home course, so I'll be back again next year. Jay