I've been hesitant to write a race report til all the marathoners were in - especially Deb's, but here's my little bit.
This was my 1st 1/2 marathon since last spring so i was very excited and even more excited for all my MVS friends running their 1st marathon!! I did portions of some of their long runs with them and we do a lot of smaller races as part of our running group race series and their Grand Prix iron runners series so I had to be there for them.
we were very fortunate that one of our group is a Mason and they have a building right near the start that was open for us to gather, take group photos and stay warm and dry before the start - unfortunately we were underestimated the forecast and many of us took off a layer which later proved to be not such a great idea
fashion finale: long sleeve red under armour type shirt with my MVS singlet over that, black capri length fitted champion pants, black beanie, purple gloves............did start the race also with a maroon thermal long sleeve that i ditched at mile 2
the start was so congested but so fun -- i read some reports in the racing forum about ditching the 1/2 marathon because the full is a popular BQ and for the past 2 years has been the final race in the grand prix series, but i love the 1/2 distance and would rather see a staggered time so that the marathoners could go out first, get going, then the 1/2 marathoners could have an official start mat which we disappointingly didn't have
i started off with 2 of my friends - so fun -- posted a pic on facebook of us at around the 3 or 4 mile mark where we had an MVS tent set up and many supporters -- you all know how techno illiterate i am so i doubt i'll be able to add photos here - lol
we started off slow with a 9:40 1st mile - then gradually picked up to an 8:48 pace at 5.5 miles but i knew that was too fast for me so i told them i was dropping back a bit -- still did an 8:50 avg pace for mile 7 but pulled back after that my avg paces ranged from 8:48 - 9:14 but i felt great most of the time..........the weather definitely worsened as the minutes went by but that's how it goes in New England - just dont expect it in October!
fun thing about a local race is seeing so many familiar faces along the way ........at the point where the marathoners and half marathoners separate i saw a friend and her son from the Lowell striders -- they are both super fast but were out there in that weather volunteering, smiling and cheering -- such a boost!!
best part for me -- as i was coming in to the home stretch just before going in to the stadium finish i saw my 19yr old who goes to college in Lowell ---- was SOOOOOOOOO COOL!! he was screaming -- YA YOU'VE GOT IT MOM!! FINISH STRONG!! I just screamed back I LOVE YOU - I'm sure i was beaming!! thought about Lou and his blazing last mile a couple weeks ago and i was pouring it on to finish with an 8:50 avg pace for my last mile!!
official time 2:00:18 -- slightly disappointed with no start mat as I really wanted to come in under 2 hours
garmin 1:59:51 and 13.2 miles ..........so in my head i know i have an under 2 hour 1/2 marathon but so want it for an official time
found my son - grabbed a banana and chips - my favorite post meal snack -- then he walked me to my car so i could put on some dry clothes..........he wanted me to go back to school with him and have breakfast but silly me thought how could he want to be seen with his mom like this and i was also a bit afraid if i warmed up too much i wouldnt go back to wait for my friends to finish -- foolish of me -- should have had breakfast with my son!! but i made sure he knew how much i appreciated him being there!! such a good son!!
then i waited for each of my friends doing their 1st marathon to finish -- a few were over 5 hours in that miserable weather - rain, sleet, hail, snow but they did it and earned their Iron runners jackets!! so proud of them!!
so............thinking about another 1/2 Nov 8 -- the Maine Coast all women's field and One lucky guy!
thanks for reading -- ended up being longer than i planned
denise
Carolyn
I hammered down the trail, passing rocks and trees like they were standing still.
Rose Colored Glasses
Congratulations on running a sub-2. I would love to do that. (I am calling this a sub-2 too)
Definitely run that Maine half! It sounds like a blast.
(Go back to Lowell and take the boy out to dinner!)
"Anytime you see the word "inflation" in the news, replace it with "record-breaking corporate profits" and you'll get what's happening."
One day at a time
Great job, Denise! I did the Maine Coast HM last year. It was fun. Hillier than advertised, but fun! I talked to the One Lucky Guy last year. He looked pretty happy, lol.
Fantastic run Deez !
No sense on waiting for posting your RR. You've had a pretty damn good year running and racing and 1st time Tri's. Awesome job......Awesome Master Athlete !
Congrats to you Denise,
Under tough conditions you hung in there. Good luck with the next effort.
Larry
Chumbawamba: I get knocked down But I get up again You're never going to keep me down
Mr. Chip & Mizz Rizzo
Looks like a sub-2 hour 1/2 marathon to me Denise!! Congratulations to you!
How sweet of your son .... I agree, go back and take him to dinner.
~Mary
"My sunshine doesn't come from the skies,It comes from the love in my dog's eyes."
~unknown
http:www.rawleypointkennel.com
Sue Running is a mental sport...and we're all insane! Anonymous
If they don't have a start mat we don't care what they "officially" think. You KNOW you ran a sub 2-hour HM and so do we.
How cool for your DS to cheer you in!
Bill
"Some are the strong, silent type. You can't put your finger on exactly what it is they bring to the table until you run without them and then you realize that their steadiness fills a hole that leaks energy in their absence." - Kristin Armstrong
Be safe. Be kind.
Great job on your sub 2 half, deez. It's really neat your son was there to cheer for you at the finish. Congratulations.
TomS
Marathon Maniac #957
best part for me -- as i was coming in to the home stretch just before going in to the stadium finish i saw my 19yr old who goes to college in Lowell ---- was SOOOOOOOOO COOL!! he was screaming -- YA YOU'VE GOT IT MOM!! FINISH STRONG!! I just screamed back I LOVE YOU - I'm sure i was beaming!!
I love this part! Great job, Denise, and you are so upbeat and uncomplaining about weather that most people wouldn’t dream of going out in. I know you had the under-2-hour time, just not official, and that November race sounds like a great time to prove it officially. I hope to be seeing you again in April when I'm up your way!
Life is a headlong rush into the unknown. We can hunker down and hope nothing hits us or we can stand tall, lean into the wind and say, "Bring it on, darlin', and don't be stingy with the jalapenos."
If you can run a sub 2 in that weather, just be prepared for a sweet surprise on your November race.
I am so glad you wrote this report. Your upbeat spirit came thru and thru it and it was a hoot to read.
Great job.
"Champions are everywhere; all you need is to train them properly..." ~Arthur Lydiard
i'm lovin' it... MM#1949
Upbeat when running through all that? Can't get your spirits down! Great job! Hello Sub 2.
Steve
Perch's Profile "I don't know if running adds years to your life, but it definitely adds life to your years." - Jim Fixx "The secret is to make in your mind possible what was not possible before. The secret is to make easy what was difficult, instead to make difficult what really is easy." - Coach Renato Canova