I had been thinking of running the See Jane Run (I Run for Chocolate and Champagne) 1/2 marathon for awhile and never signed up. When I finally started thinking about it seriously, the registration cost had increased to $95 (from $75) and I didn't think it was worth it to pay the extra $20...until yesterday. I don't really know what got into me, but I couldn't get this thought out of my head: I wanted to run the 1/2. After talking to Josh, we decided the $95 registration fee wouldn't break the bank for us and off I went to my local See Jane Run shop to register.
I awoke early this morning, enjoyed a cup of coffee, and made myself some eggs for breakfast before heading to the run. I was there plenty early so I took some time to drink a full Nalgene of water and about 12 ounces of Powerade then walked over to pick up my race packet, bib, and timing chip. Last night I decided to make a new music playlist and took out my old iPod Shuffle to use instead of my iPhone to avoid having to wear my runners belt (aka fanny pack). Of course, using the Shuffle also meant I wouldn't have any way to know my pace other than my heart rate monitor watch. More about that later.
I stretched and walked around a bit before I heard, "Miranda? It's Leslie!" I expected to see two girls I knew from high school, but not this one. It was a pleasant surprise to see someone else and take some time to chat before the group warm up.
Speaking of the group warm up, it was pretty cheesy. If I had been there with a big group of girlfriends, it probably would have been a little more entertaining. As it was, it was pretty awkward. The race started not too long after that. The announcer said something about water stations every 2 miles and I thought I heard somewhere that there would be markers at every mile, so not having my iPhone to check my pace wouldn't be too bad.
I typically don't drink a whole lot of water while I run to avoid getting side cramps, but at mile 4 I was hot and thirsty and was really looking forward to the water station. Unfortunately, the guys at the station were very much behind on filling the cups and I didn't feel like waiting around for them to get a glass for me, so I continued on. Before I knew it I was at the mile 6 marker. I grabbed some Gatorade to drink right away and grabbed a Gu for later. Miles 7 and 8 flew by. I choked down the Gu (I hate that stuff but didn't have time to stop to by some Clif Shot Bloks last night) and chased it with some water at mile 8. FYI, mile 8 was at Bown Crossing and the volunteers at this station were amazing! They cheered and yelled as everyone approached the station as if no one else had come through yet. It felt great!
The greenbelt turned into a gravel path just after mile 8, which slowed me down a lot. Not cool. We finally wove through a neighborhood and got back on pavement which, I realize, most people don't like, but that's what I've trained on and I was glad to return to it. A woman came up behind me between miles 9 and 10 and struck up conversation. It turned out she had been right behind me for most of the race. It was nice to have someone to talk to. We commiserated together for a short while about not knowing how we would make it through the last 3 miles. I really wasn't sure. I could feel myself weakening but didn't want to walk yet. She eventually slowed to walk and I trudged on.
It felt like it took forever to get through the next 3 miles. I had been following a gal in a pink tank top for most of the race and she was slowing down too. I slid up next to her around mile 11.5 because I couldn't believe we hadn't seen the marker for mile 12 yet. She swore it would be coming soon. Again, it was nice to have someone to talk to. We stayed together through the end. I won't lie, I walked a little. I kept thinking to myself that I could run another mile and then my body just wouldn't let me so I'd walk for a few minutes. We finally hit the marker for mile 13 and I still couldn't see the finish line. That last 1/10 mile felt like the longest stretch imaginable.
I finished in 2:31:19, just over my goal of 2:30 and 9 minutes faster than my first 1/2 marathon time last November in Indianapolis. My average pace was 11:33/mile. I was so happy to have my sister waiting for me at the finish line; it would have been a little lonely otherwise after the race!
I do wonder if I would have finished sooner if I had kept track of my pace throughout the run and kept a more consistent pace. I'm a little disappointed in myself for walking because I know I would have met my goal of 2:30 if I had pushed through. That being said, I'm still elated that I shaved 9 minutes off my 1/2 marathon time!
The after race expo was OK. They gave out a champagne glass with 3 chocolates inside and a glass of champagne. There were a few vendors including massages, but the line for a 1 minute massage was a little long for my taste and I didn't partake. I waited around for my official results and then headed out, sister in tow.
Now, for my review of the race:
**I didn't see much food. I had a fruit strip/snacks and I saw some bagels but didn't partatke. I really could have gone for a banana but I didn't see anyway.
**I got a glass of champagne, and that tasted great (!), but I think I heard while waiting for my results that they had run out of champagne. Really? I thought the theme was "I run for chocolate and champagne" and they ran out of champagne?! Also, I paid $95 for this deal and I got ONE glass of champagne?
**The t-shirt is really nice. It's nice and light and purple (oh, how I love the color purple)! The best part is that it seems like a good fit and it's not too short, which is my main fear when picking up race tees. Good work, See Jane Run.
**Overall, I think $75 for the race is a bit steep for what you get: ONE glass of champagne, 3 pieces of chocolate, a champagne glass, and a t-shirt. Just sayin'. I'm thinking I probably won't participate next year based on this bit, especially since there are so many 1/2 marathons in the Boise area at a much cheaper cost and for which I can be reimbursed for race fees. I can do without the champagne and chocolate and will get booze and dessert wherever I go to lunch after the next race.
The best thing about this race? My time :)
Next weekend is the Meridian Barn Sour 10K and then I'm going to try to focus on rafting for the summer instead of running races.
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