When the alarm went off at 4:45am, I was tempted to roll over and go back to sleep. I was really tired, it was really cold, and it was really windy. When I got up at 2:30 to take the dogs out and I saw how strong the wind was blowing, I actually said "holy shit" out loud. I'm not sure who I was talking to, but the wind was so strong that I felt it necessary to say it aloud. I started to get really nervous about how the wind was going to affect me on the race course.
My husband and I got up, ate some breakfast and dressed in as many layers as we could and still able to move. The temperature was in the upper 30s, with 20-30 mph winds, with wind chills making it feel in the 20s. It sucked. I wore tights and a pair of yoga pants on the bottom, and 3 dri-fit shirts and my windbreaker on top; plus gloves and a headband to keep my ears from freezing.
We took the train to the starting line at the Dallas Convention Center. It was full, but it was warm and we had seats; I actually fell asleep for a short while. We arrived at the start about an hour before it began and opted to hang out inside the convention center instead of looking for a friend of ours. It was just too cold to spend any extra time outside. It was nice to have flushing toilets and a break from the wind. I had nervous pee syndrome and had to go twice before we left to drop our bags off. And I felt like I had to go the entire race--in fact, I almost stopped at a port-o-pottie, but didn't want to put a PR finish in jeopardy.
Bag check was well organized, with DISD school buses doing the duty. I hated to part with my ski jacket, but I wasn't going to run 13.1 in it. Then we headed over to the tents to grab some last minute snacks before lining up in our corrals. Last year the food was completely gone by the time we made it over to the tents, but this year, the food was plentiful. It was either good planning, or some runners stayed home in bed because of the weather.
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| Batman was there to keep us all safe |
My husband left me in corral 10 as he went up to 5 with the fast runners. I wish there was a running etiquette booklet that they would hand out at race expos. #1: Walkers move to the side of the road. #2: Control your gas. #3: Toss clothing out of the running path. #4: Move out of the way once you've grabbed your gatorade/water. #5: Do not attempt movements requiring great amounts of space when you are in the corral. Some stupid girl kicked me in the shin as she was trying to do a crazy yoga move. She apologized, but should have known better.
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| Brrr! It was freezing! |
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| Packed corrals |
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| The start line!! |
Though this was my 3rd time running this race, it was the first time that I've run it alone, and I was a little sad about it. I had no one to talk to and no one to push me. But it was great running the familiar course, though they changed it a little from previous years. My 2 biggest fans, my parents, braved the cold weather and came out to support my husband and I. It was awesome seeing them on the course, holding signs for us and giving out high fives!
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| My biggest supporters! |
The wind wasn't as bad as I had thought it was going to be. We were shielded from it for most of the race, thank goodness, and it was at our backs for the last few miles. I felt good running today, despite the cold, and I was actually passing other runners. They may have been old or sick, but they were legitimate runners, and I passed them! I did get passed by Elvis though-white jumpsuit, gold glasses, mohawk, and blow up guitar. It was too funny to be disappointed about being smoked by him!
There were a couple of inspirational runners on the course this year. A guy dressed in Army fatigues, carrying a full pack, an American flag, and wearing a gas mask was out there today.
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| This dude is my hero! |
I also ran into Joe Taracani, of The Marathon Show, on the course today. Joe is such a joy to talk to during a race. His excitement is contagious! He also interviewed me for his show! I'll post the footage once it comes out.
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| This dude is also my hero! |
A huge thank you goes out to all the spectators and volunteers today. Your signs, cheers of support, and high fives are great encouragement to me! It was a cold race for the runners, I can't imagine how difficult the conditions were for people that were standing still. My fave sign of the day was: You can't quit now, you aren't the Pope!
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| My favorite fan! |
Also, big props to the Rock 'n Roll series for having race times up quickly today. I PR'd at 2:19:41. I've been pushing to beat 2:20 for almost 2 years!
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| Happy runners! |
Miles logged: 13.1
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