Boston 13.1: done and DONE.

If you want a race report that reads like a race report, hit up a runner who writes like he runs (as in well...as in wayyyy better than I do!That is us at the finish line!). My scattered thoughts on my second half marathon, The Boston 13.1, are below:

The Good:

1. The course was BEAUTIFUL. Not actually in Boston but just outside of Boston in the suburbs of Quincy and Milton. Completely paved, a couple of out and back branches and a LOT OF Hills. This was definitely far more challenging than my run through wine country. They called these hills rolling. I call BULLSHIT. These hills were lethal and I train in Atlanta so trust when I say I. KNOW. HILLS.


2. Due to circumstances you'll find below, I completely abandoned any hope of running a PR and just settled in for some fun. I did NOT run the whole thing but it was not due to the inability to do so. Rather, I enjoyed stopping and encouraging Team Challenge runners/walkers as I passed them. I walked with a girl from Team Georgia named Amelia for a while because she looked tired and lonely. We chatted about her son, James, who just had his colon removed a month ago and was one of our honored teammates.


3. My dad drove up from Jersey to watch me run since I was doing the run in honor of him. What I didn't know was he signed up for a 5K that I didn't even know was occurring. He walked me to the starting line and cheered me through the first mile and then headed to his own start. When he finished his race, he showered and changed and came back to cheer me in the last mile.


4. I did actually PR. I'll tell you the time later. Unless you're smart enough to glance right over to the right and see the time. But trust that you want to keep reading.


5. I killed the last 100 meters or so. KILLED IT. I could see the clock from there and realized I was close to the goal I had told everyone about (but far from the goal I had secretly set for myself and trained hard for) so I just kicked it in. I sprinted the last 100 meters faster than I did the 100 meter dash in high school track. I heard Luau and my dad cheering for me as well as several Team Georgia people who had already finished.

The Bad:

1. The course was hilly. Some were rolling but the hill at miles 6/7 and miles 10.5-12 were HORRENDOUS. I wanted to die. At one point, I even yelled as loud as I could "Dear God, give me a downhill." From behind me I hear, "A-FUCKING-MEN SISTER." I look around to see who it is and some little old bag of bones lady is motoring up behind me and cackling at the shocked look on my face. Just when you thought it was give you a downhill, back up you went again. And the elevation map makes me look like a crybaby but if Luau agrees it was a challenge then I don't feel bad.


2. The calves were cramping. Barbie gave me KT Tape in my cute basket but it didn't have directions for calves...everywhere but! With no internet in the rooms and a video that didn't load on my blackberry, I left the KT tape behind and sucked it up.


3. Oh did you want cups with your water? I swear on all that is holy if there is a comment in here that says "You should have brought your own hydration" I will fucking block you from this blog. I absolutely hate when people do that. Seriously? I KNOW. That doesn't mean that if water is promised, it shouldn't be provided. With 10 water stops promised by the race director (who i spoke with at a dinner the night before) I figured I was covered. I haven't found a belt I like yet and last year my biggest complaint was the belt so I skipped it. Big mistake. By the third stop, no cups. And I was running 10 minute miles so its not like I was trudging along when this happened.

The Really, Really, Really, Disgustingly Ugly:

1. Why did I give up on my PR? Well, as I like to tell it, God thought it might be a good idea for me to know what I was running for. Why was I fundraising? I ended up stopping at the first 5 bathroom stops (where only one toilet was on hand...mind you the charity sponsored for the race was CCFA. Many runners have Crohn's or Colitis and could spend 45 minutes in the bathroom. The lines were horrible). My stomach and I could not come to an agreement and it really threw my rhythm. But it also made me appreciate how good I have it. People who suffer from these diseases have stomach and bathroom issues CONSTANTLY so I can't complain too much about having it for less than 3 hours during a race. But when I say disgusting...I mean....so gross I won't get into it on my blog. EMBARRASSING.

CLOCK TIME: 2:31.12

CHIP TIME: 2:29.30 (exactly 10 minutes faster than the last 1/2 I did)

WATCH TIME (chip time minus bathroom breaks): 2:19.30