Reality Check: March is still WINTER out here in the Mid-Atlantic.
Guess I haven't acclimated to east-coast living all that well after all, I said to myself as I hit the road Friday afternoon in a nasty little rain/sleet/snow storm enroute Virginia Beach. Silly me, I had actually packed the wetsuit and goggles, visions of an early spring dip in the ocean which I have so missed these long months away from San Diego! As it took me over 7 hours to go around 170 miles, I realized that swimming was not an option. I arrived late Friday night, unscathed (thankfully, as my brother-in-law had a completely DIFFERENT experience!), and pulled into the cozy cottage at Fort Story on the Virginia Beach coast. I spent an evening reconnecting with a long-time Navy buddy, and then settled in for the night.
Saturday brought more gale-force winds, sleet, snow flurries, and just the general thought that I was CRAZY for signing up for this race! Apparently the Shamrock is notorious for its howling winds and ferocious temperatures! But this Cali girl was not to be deterred! I have running tights, dammit! I met up with my fellow buds from DC Tri club, Wayne, Brent, Hermes and Tara, and we headed to the famous "Hot Tuna" for dinner. It was fantastic, and since it was St. Patty's Day, we had our share of beer and wine as well! Poor Dave our waiter, he had no idea what hit him! I think we left a nice tip though!
Sunday morning arrived WAY TOO EARLY! Tara, poor Tara, was awoken by the not so subtle "quietness" of Brent, the smell of coffee, and the general mayhem of pre-race routine! We headed off the base at the very dark hour of 0545 (that's 5:45am for you non-Navy types). The temperature was a BALMY 32 degrees, with a windchill of about, oh, ZERO!!!! So we sat in the car until well after 6:30. Race time was 7am sharp! And I had to pee!!!! Boys, let's go! Brent forgot his timing chip, Wayne forgot his--what did you forget again Wayne? I forgot! Anyway, with exactly 10 minutes to gun time, I HAD TO PEE! We waited what seemed an eternity, but we finally got to the head of the port-a-potty line, and all of a sudden we hear the gun go off! Shoot (literally!!!) I'm supposed to be in the first wave! LET'S GO BOYS!!!!!
OK, forget the boys, it's time to run! Darn it's cold! The sun's not even up, WHAT THE HECK AM I DOING!!!??? Mile 1--9:20, you've GOT to be kidding! I better step it up--get outta my way people!!! Mile 2, Mile 3, Mile 4, Mile 5! Holy Cow!! How did I just do 5 miles and not even remember! Oh yeah, my hands, starting to feel them again. Keep going, you're gonna catch that 1:45 pace runner I know it! Mile 6--oh there's the cottage! Tara, where are you? Oh, I'm sooo cold!!! Mile 7, Mile 8--what's that I hear? Y-M-C-A Oh yeah, I can get into this! Hey hot cop guy--where's the Indian, the construction worker and the Sailor? Don't have a sailor? I'll be your sailor! Mile 9, oh my goodness, I feel so good! This is insane. How can I possibly be having fun running a Half Marathon!?!?!
Mile 10. Crap, I've got exactly 25 minutes to run 3.1 miles and beat my goal time. Now, normally, running a 5K in 25 minutes would be a piece of cake! But not after already running 10 miles previously! And did I mention it's about 30 degrees outside? Oh, and the wind. Yeah, that wind has finally woken up! Morning Sunshine! Concentrate, you've got to "focus, focus, focus". Keep running. What did that street sign say? 86th street? Wasn't the finish line at 31st St? Don't even do the math. Just run. Run. Run. Who's that fat chick in front of you? How'd she get there? Those darn boys making me start late!?!?! Road kill; get her, get her, get her!!!!
Oh, WHERE is that mile marker???? Mile 11. OH. MY. GOD. That was the longest mile--EVER! Keep running. Why is the road so straight? Who are all these people?! Why are they running faster than me?! Run. Run. Run. Left. Right. Left. Right. OK, it's hot now, I'm sweating, start shedding--oops, there goes my headband. Keep running. Did I miss the mile marker? Oh no, don't look at your watch. Just RUN!!! Mile 12, darn, didn't miss the marker. 1.1 to go! Go Nikki Go!
Wow, those must be the full Marathon folks--sucks to be them, the wind is crazy now! Wait a minute--what the. . . .no way, is that girl REALLY running in a string bikini?!?!?! You don't even see that in San Diego! Hunny, you know your nipples are going to get frost bite, right? You're a needy gal aren't you?! Whatever. I'm sooo glad I've got running tights, a sports bra, two long-sleeved shirts and plenty of fat to keep me warm! But you go on looking pretty!
Wow, 37th Street, turning towards the boardwalk! 6 more blocks! You can do it!!! Run. Run. Run. Oh, lungs are hurting. Man that air is cold! The boardwalk!!! King Neptune! I see you at the finish line! I hear COW BELLS! WE NEED MORE COW BELLS! Oh crap, long straight stretech--finish line farther than I thought! Keep running. Kick it in. Beat those people in front of you! Run. Run. Run. Go. Go. The clock--what's the clock say?
I finished at 1:44:36, exactly 24 seconds faster than my goal time! YEAH!!!! The half was perfect. Now, where's the beer, it's 9am!!!!
Guess I haven't acclimated to east-coast living all that well after all, I said to myself as I hit the road Friday afternoon in a nasty little rain/sleet/snow storm enroute Virginia Beach. Silly me, I had actually packed the wetsuit and goggles, visions of an early spring dip in the ocean which I have so missed these long months away from San Diego! As it took me over 7 hours to go around 170 miles, I realized that swimming was not an option. I arrived late Friday night, unscathed (thankfully, as my brother-in-law had a completely DIFFERENT experience!), and pulled into the cozy cottage at Fort Story on the Virginia Beach coast. I spent an evening reconnecting with a long-time Navy buddy, and then settled in for the night.
Saturday brought more gale-force winds, sleet, snow flurries, and just the general thought that I was CRAZY for signing up for this race! Apparently the Shamrock is notorious for its howling winds and ferocious temperatures! But this Cali girl was not to be deterred! I have running tights, dammit! I met up with my fellow buds from DC Tri club, Wayne, Brent, Hermes and Tara, and we headed to the famous "Hot Tuna" for dinner. It was fantastic, and since it was St. Patty's Day, we had our share of beer and wine as well! Poor Dave our waiter, he had no idea what hit him! I think we left a nice tip though!
Sunday morning arrived WAY TOO EARLY! Tara, poor Tara, was awoken by the not so subtle "quietness" of Brent, the smell of coffee, and the general mayhem of pre-race routine! We headed off the base at the very dark hour of 0545 (that's 5:45am for you non-Navy types). The temperature was a BALMY 32 degrees, with a windchill of about, oh, ZERO!!!! So we sat in the car until well after 6:30. Race time was 7am sharp! And I had to pee!!!! Boys, let's go! Brent forgot his timing chip, Wayne forgot his--what did you forget again Wayne? I forgot! Anyway, with exactly 10 minutes to gun time, I HAD TO PEE! We waited what seemed an eternity, but we finally got to the head of the port-a-potty line, and all of a sudden we hear the gun go off! Shoot (literally!!!) I'm supposed to be in the first wave! LET'S GO BOYS!!!!!
OK, forget the boys, it's time to run! Darn it's cold! The sun's not even up, WHAT THE HECK AM I DOING!!!??? Mile 1--9:20, you've GOT to be kidding! I better step it up--get outta my way people!!! Mile 2, Mile 3, Mile 4, Mile 5! Holy Cow!! How did I just do 5 miles and not even remember! Oh yeah, my hands, starting to feel them again. Keep going, you're gonna catch that 1:45 pace runner I know it! Mile 6--oh there's the cottage! Tara, where are you? Oh, I'm sooo cold!!! Mile 7, Mile 8--what's that I hear? Y-M-C-A Oh yeah, I can get into this! Hey hot cop guy--where's the Indian, the construction worker and the Sailor? Don't have a sailor? I'll be your sailor! Mile 9, oh my goodness, I feel so good! This is insane. How can I possibly be having fun running a Half Marathon!?!?!
Mile 10. Crap, I've got exactly 25 minutes to run 3.1 miles and beat my goal time. Now, normally, running a 5K in 25 minutes would be a piece of cake! But not after already running 10 miles previously! And did I mention it's about 30 degrees outside? Oh, and the wind. Yeah, that wind has finally woken up! Morning Sunshine! Concentrate, you've got to "focus, focus, focus". Keep running. What did that street sign say? 86th street? Wasn't the finish line at 31st St? Don't even do the math. Just run. Run. Run. Who's that fat chick in front of you? How'd she get there? Those darn boys making me start late!?!?! Road kill; get her, get her, get her!!!!
Oh, WHERE is that mile marker???? Mile 11. OH. MY. GOD. That was the longest mile--EVER! Keep running. Why is the road so straight? Who are all these people?! Why are they running faster than me?! Run. Run. Run. Left. Right. Left. Right. OK, it's hot now, I'm sweating, start shedding--oops, there goes my headband. Keep running. Did I miss the mile marker? Oh no, don't look at your watch. Just RUN!!! Mile 12, darn, didn't miss the marker. 1.1 to go! Go Nikki Go!
Wow, those must be the full Marathon folks--sucks to be them, the wind is crazy now! Wait a minute--what the. . . .no way, is that girl REALLY running in a string bikini?!?!?! You don't even see that in San Diego! Hunny, you know your nipples are going to get frost bite, right? You're a needy gal aren't you?! Whatever. I'm sooo glad I've got running tights, a sports bra, two long-sleeved shirts and plenty of fat to keep me warm! But you go on looking pretty!
Wow, 37th Street, turning towards the boardwalk! 6 more blocks! You can do it!!! Run. Run. Run. Oh, lungs are hurting. Man that air is cold! The boardwalk!!! King Neptune! I see you at the finish line! I hear COW BELLS! WE NEED MORE COW BELLS! Oh crap, long straight stretech--finish line farther than I thought! Keep running. Kick it in. Beat those people in front of you! Run. Run. Run. Go. Go. The clock--what's the clock say?
I finished at 1:44:36, exactly 24 seconds faster than my goal time! YEAH!!!! The half was perfect. Now, where's the beer, it's 9am!!!!
I maintain: I WILL NEVER RUN A MARATHON!!!!
1 comment:
I'm pretty sure you will do a marathon one day. Just think, now that you're almost 35, you only need to run a 3:45 to qualify for Boston. I KNOW you can do that! :) If I move to Chicago, we can walk to the marathon start....
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