My 1st Half Marathon, Recap with Pictures

The day was Monday September 2nd, 2013.  Labor Day in the United States.  At 8:30am, the little red car pulled into Marymoor Park in Redmond, WA for The Labor Day Half and 4 Mile Run/Walk.  Temperature was mild in the upper 60's, but it was certain to heat up to the estimated mid 70's.  Over 1300 people were lining up, stretching, and other last minute pre-race business.  In this group was me:  a little nervous, very excited, and secretly thinking, "Am I really doing this?".

The gun went off at 9am sharp!  Most of this group went running past me, but I was not bothered.  One foot in front of the other.  That was all I really had to do.  My plan was to just keep walking because I knew that the moment I stopped, I would be done.  If you want a small idea of what was going through my head, think Dory from Finding Nemo, "Just keep swimming...", but I changed the words to 'Just keep walking', with Dory still singing it. 

Mile 1 was hard, but this is something I always say.  My first mile of anything is always hard.  I call it my warm up, shaking off cobwebs, that sort of thing.  With Mile 1 a thing of the past, I can pick up and go like this is the real start.  Just as we were about to hit Mile 2, there was the turn off for the 4 mile route.  I could have turned there.  Most other people walking around me did turn there.  But no, I kept going forward!  I did not come all this way to chicken out at the last minute.  Mile 3 was also easy.  Remember, I had done a few 5k's over the summer, so walking 3 miles should be easy by now.  Mile 4, still no problem.  And then just before mile 5, I had a boost of confidence by seeing this drive by...
I knew I was doing okay for the simple fact that I was not in the back of the ambulance. 

I keep saying that I was doing great, and this picture proves that. Somewhere in Mile 5, this picture was taken.  I look so smiley and fresh.  Now, remember that post where I said I was an idiot?  Look at the picture again and check out those great sandals I am wearing.  They are also the same sandals I was wearing when I was climbing the slippery rocks to get to the waters of Puget Sound just 2 years prior.  I destroyed my 10 year old tennis shoes at Dirty Dash 6 weeks before the half marathon.  I hadn't gotten around to buying myself new shoes, so I wore my Keens.  Trust me, my Keens are my favorite sandal ever for active adventures.  They also hold up very well for all the abuse I put them through.  That includes the frequent swims the sandals do in the washing machine. 


Mile 6 was nice as I got to see a new side of Redmond, or really wherever in Washington I was at the moment.  In the Seattle area, one typically sees so much city life:  tall skyscrapers, Starbucks, cars galore, traffic jams, pedestrians, taxis, tourist stuff, and another 400 or so Starbucks.  I was seeing farm land!  A grass farm to be exact.  This was my first realization that I had walked a long ways and was still going.  Insert banana for some energy, a bit of water and Nuun for hydration, and away I went!

Mile 7 was a great moment for me.  First of all, the route started to head south which means back towards the starting/finish line.  Secondly, I was more than halfway done!  Third, I was alive, more than halfway done, still walking, and that ambulance from Mile 4 did not have me as a passenger!  But this is also where things got HOT and HUMID!  Walking along the Lake Sammamish Trail was beautiful.  The water running along side me was tempting to jump in or float down as I saw many other people doing.  The heat of the day was blaring down on me.  Estimated mid 70's whatever!  It was mid 80's!  Marsh land makes for horrid humidity!  Mix the two together, garnish with a potential half marathoner, and you have one nasty mix that can cause heat exhaustion and heat stroke.  Being from the hot part of the state was actually in my favor.  I can walk in this heat.  Sadly I saw some people where the heat took them down.

Mile 8 was hot.  Nothing notable other than the goo.  Goo?  What is this you are referring to?  Goo is the gel packet stuff that runners and other distance athletes often consume to give them a shot of energy.  Some of these taste like crap in my opinion.  Sugary, salty, a bit of caffeine (there are some without which is my preference), and a texture of what I imagine caulking for your bathtub would be like if it were on your tongue.  I would not be purchasing it to spread on toast, but it does serve its purpose when needed.  Clif makes a Vanilla flavored goo that I would say was decent.  Sort of like vanilla frosting but without the overly sweet after taste.  I am on a quest to find a more natural goo that contains real ingredients but is still non-caffeinated.  If anyone has suggestions, please let me know! 

Miles 9 and 10...oh how I loathed you!  This was the point where I started to really wonder, "Are we there yet?"  These were the longest miles ever, even longer than the first mile.  Just before Mile 11, I saw a ray of light:  these fish...    

I saw this piece of art back in Mile 3 and remembered liking them.  Seeing them now reminded me how close I was to the end.  I can do this!  At this point, The Wall, as frequently mentioned by seasoned marathoners, crumbled away!  I was going to finish this race.  Just keep walking!

 

And here I am, still walking, in the middle of Mile 11.  Yes, it was hot, and no, there was barely any shade.  I kept going.  Nothing was going to stop me now.  I was too close!  I could feel the weight of the medal around my neck that I would earn in just a short walk.  At this point, if I had suffered an injury or heat exhaustion, I would still roll the rest of the way through the race just to finish!  Luckily, it was my own two feet that carried me the rest of the way.


I DID IT!  Done!  Medal earned.  Bragging rights earned.  Self confidence through the roof!  I was so incredibly proud of myself for completing the half marathon.  I didn't run.  I didn't have some stellar record breaking time.  But at the end of the day I can say, "I am a half marathoner."

And now, let's talk about my Keens again.  Two year old sandals, half a size too big, worn near daily, and still, I came out with only ONE blister after walking 13.1 miles in them.  I swear that I do not work for Keen, nor do I get any money or product for mentioning them here, but I really do love my sandals!  I still wear them several times a week, and this includes training walks that I am doing for my next half marathon.  For the record, I do own tennis shoes now which I have broken in and will wear next time.