The day started great, I woke up about 5:30, walked the dogs with my wife (who was doing an 18 mile training run). Got to Ryan's at 6 and drove from there. I think this was the latest I have ever woken up for a half before. It was nice! The parking was easy, picked up bibs and we actually had time to go to the bathroom twice before the race started. Wow, is that how it is supposed to be? The last couple races I have been to it was so crazy that we ended up in the wrong corral or didn't have time to go to the bathroom. I didn't write a dedication card the night before the race because I decided I would write it on the back of my bib when I got there. I also wrote #run3rd on the front.The race was well organized even though there were only about 5 people running the show. I only have a small complaint about the bag check being slightly unsecured. But other than that it was very well put on. The race it self had a 5k, 10k, and half marathon. Everything was well marked. I think the best part of the race was that there were 6 water tables but the course was a down and back (meaning you run to about half the distance and then run the same way back) so in total there were 12. So hydrated!
We all started in the back of the pack because all of our goals were about 2:30 and under. I quickly fell into my pace which is very odd for me. I usually go out too fast in the first 3 miles then slow down but I was feeling comfortable where I was and just kept the pace I was at.
We ran along the bike paths of Old Rincon Highway which is on the beach. The view was spectacular. I love the smell of the ocean so I was in a great place mentally for this race. I passed some railroad tracks at about mile 2.5 and thought to myself,"I wonder if these are real railroad tracks?"
Mile 4 disaster struck. I felt a sharp pain in my left knee. I have been having trouble with it since I hurt it at work a year ago. It has been doing better since I have started working out but every so often it feels "wonky." This was bad though. Sharp 10 out of 10 pain. I had been running the same pace the whole time and wanted to push through but knew I had to walk for a minute. I looked down and it looked funny. Not swollen or dislocated, just funny. I did a high step to bend my knee all the way back and felt a horrible pop. The only thing I was thinking was,"Don't put any weight on it!" So I did exactly the opposite and set my foot down. Wait, no pain. None at all. Ok, time to run again. After that I didn't have any trouble with it.
When I got to the turn around I looked at my watch and saw I was at 1:02. Holy moly! If I go negative splits I could break two hours! OK, lets do this. Well my body was feeling tired but not exhausted. I pushed to run a little faster but my body pushed back. I was only able to maintain my pace the rest of the race. I went about 3 miles and realized I may not be able to break 2 hours but I will smash my PR(2:20) if I push it.I started pacing behind this couple for the last half. I was pacing them before but I hadn't realized until the turn around. No I was purposely staying on their heels. I saw Sue a few minutes after the turnaround and gave her a high five while she called me a speed demon. Ryan a few minutes after that. High fives are not my thing outside of a race but in a race I will take every one I can. For some reason it keeps me connected with everything and motivates me to keep going.
There weren't too many people along the course to give high fives to. Most notably though were these two dressed as ghost busters that seemed to be driving around the course just to cheer. Even when I was coming to the finish line, there the were again.
I forgot to mention this awesome downhill in the early part of the course. If you haven't figured it out yet, that downhill turns in to an awful uphill on the way back. Energy zapped. All hope of breaking two hours was done. Stay steady. Keep running. I envisioned a text conversation I would be having with my wife after the race about my time of 2:05 and how she would think I miss typed it. I kept running steady.
I wanted to sprint the last mile but I had nothing left. I only had enough to push the last tenth of a mile. Someone on the course yelled, "Push all the way passed the finish line!" So I did. I realized I might be able to get 2:05.
I crossed the finish line and forgot to stop my watch until after I got my medal. The coarse clock said 11:38. I was too tired to realize that meant 2:11:38. My watch said 2:05:15. What did I get??? I walked over to the gearcheck grabbed our bags, basically fell on my butt, and tears started streaming down my face. I don't know if it was an adrenaline dump of joy of running such a great race or maybe a combination of the two. I grabbed my phone and texted my wife and sure enough she thought I mistyped it. But she soon figured it out and was astonished.
Sue came in next and she told me that she thinks she PRed but she isn't sure because she got stopped at the train tracks. They took her bib number and timed how long she stopped and were going to take that time off her total. She ended up getting the PR. She also made a friend on the course and by the time they finished they each knew each other's life stories. Ryan did great too. She said it was one of her fastest.
