I did it! I was way slow (so slow, I don't think I'll mention my time), but I finished! It was super-humid and kind of warm for November; so warm, in fact, I'm not sure I'll do another long fall race, since Texas falls tend to be temperamental and you never know what you'll get (apparently, the 2008 Rock n' Roll San Antonio was extremely cold and rainy). But anyway, I made it, and learned some lessons along the way.
The day before the race (Nov. 14), my dad drove to my place, and then we drove together to San Antonio. My mom and brother were also supposed to go, but, in true teenager fashion, my brother remembered he had a band function at the last minute, so my mom stayed home with him (nerd). When we got there, we first went to the expo at the Alamodome to get my race packet. This was my first full-blown expo experience, so it was a little overwhelming. At one point, I remember kind of turning around in circles in place, trying to figure out where to go (with my dad laughing at me, of course). I did manage to score various granola bars, olive oil, balsamic vinegar, and Subway lip balm (???). After that, we checked into the hotel, which was really nice and connected to the Riverwalk (I've always wanted to stay in one of the Riverwalk hotels!). We then walked downstairs to get lunch/dinner at about 3. We stopped at a Mexican place along the river, with lots of other race people (there were expo bags everywhere). I got enchiladas and was pretty full, and didn't really eat for the rest of the day (which I would come to regret the next day). We walked around the Rivercenter mall for a little bit, then went back to the hotel and chilled for a little while (Dad napped with the remote, so I had to watch football and read magazines). I then laid out my race gear for the morning (I decided on a short-sleeve shirt and shorts, though it would be in the 50s in the morning), including my iPod, took a shower, and went to bed (meaning I got in bed at about 9, but fell asleep about 11, and proceeded to toss and turn all night).
Race day (Nov. 15)! I got up at 4 and got dressed. I wasn't really nervous, but mostly because I didn't really know what to expect. I just knew that I'd be running for a substantially long time. My dad got up with me and walked me to the shuttle stop, which was a few blocks away. I got there at about 5:15, and the line was already pretty long. However, it magically doubled as soon as I got there! I still wonder how all those people got to the race on time. The shuttle ride was about 10 minutes, and then we had to walk about a mile to the race start area, which was a little annoying. However, there were porta-potties everywhere! So that was a good thing. :) Once we got to the start area, I got a bagel, a banana, and a bottle of water, and sat down for about an hour. I still wasn't particularly hungry, and only ate half the banana, but maybe that was just nerves, or over-caution. Then I went to the porta-potty (the lines were pretty decent, from my limited experience), came back and sat down some more. The race was slated to start at 7:30, so I went over to my corral (22) at about 7:10. A mistake! Since I was so far back, we ended up standing there for about 45 minutes before we actually started, and my lower back started to hurt (as it does when I stand still for a long time). But, at about 8:15, corral 22 finally got to the start, and we were off.
Now, to be honest, the race itself has become a bit of a blur in the past 3 weeks. I ran for the first two miles (through downtown, so the crowds were out and it was pretty exciting), then took my first walk break to preserve energy. The first water station was at about mile 3 (maybe? I'm not sure). I made sure to get a little water at every station, just to keep myself hydrated. I remember thinking that the course was awfully flat for San Antonio (they weren't lying when they said "fast and flat" on website), and we ran through several neighborhoods. It wasn't the most scenic route, but it was relatively flat and there were several residents out cheering us on.
Around mile 6, I think I started walking much more than I wanted to. I was starting to get a little worn down, and the sun was rising in the sky. It was probably almost 70 degrees at that point, and still humid, so it wasn't so great. I tried to run as much as I could, though. Around mile 9 or 10 it got pretty tough, mentally. I remember thinking that I just wanted to stop moving. Propelling yourself forward for 13.1 miles is kind of intense, much more so than I realized. My back was still hurting from standing so long at the start, and I'm sure salt was starting to show on my face (I discovered this particular physical phenom after my 10 miler the week before). The thought of stopping definitely crossed my mind, but I knew I could finish, even if I walked the rest of the way. Somewhere between 11 and 12 we split from the full marathoners, and I remember feeling soooo sad for them, and wanting to give them hugs (delirium, anyone?). However, we also met up with the super-fast marathoners who were almost to the finish, so that was inspiring/annoying. They were also handing out GU at this point. I kinda wanted to take some, but I've never used it before, so I didn't want to risk a stomach upset. At mile 12 we got wet sponges, so away went the salty face. Finally, the Alamodome was in sight, and after an annoying uphill right before the finish (wtf?!?) we were done. Medals, water bottles, wet towels, get your picture taken, get some snacks, and there you go. I found my dad, and we rushed (or, he rushed me and I hobbled) back to the hotel so we could make our check-out time. Some friends of mine had come to watch me, and had seen me finish, but I wasn't able to meet up with them because of the checkout business (if you're reading this, thanks again guys!!! Love you!!!).
Now, I'm 98% sure I fainted sometime after I got back to the hotel. Though I did get some snacks in the after-race area, I didn't really want to eat anything (I have a really hard time eating after I run). My dad was trying to take pictures of me with my medal, and I remember feeling light-heading, breaking into a cold sweat, walking into the bathroom, closing my eyes, opening my eyes, and being on the floor. I got my dad to bring me some sports drink, after which I felt a bit better. I've had these pseudo-panic attacks a few times before, but usually only after someone tells me a really intense medical story (once it happened when someone was telling me about a graphic ski accident). But this is the first time I've lost consciousness. But, I was able to take a shower, pack up, and make it out by checkout time (you're welcome, Dad :-p).
We drove back home, got barbeque, and then my dad left. I think he had a great time being a spectator, for once. ;)
Overall, it was a great first major-race experience. I definitely learned that I need to eat something the night before, even if I'm not particularly hungry. I also shouldn't go stand at the start too early, since it will wear me out a little. And, in the future, I will probably take off my headphones near the finish line. I couldn't hear anyone calling for me, though my dad and my friends said they did. :-D
Since the race, I laid off running for a little bit, but I'm back at it because I'm kind-of, sort-of, maybe training for something in January. However, I'll keep mum on that for now since I haven't actually registered. I went for a super-chilly run on Thursday, for which I regret not wearing gloves, but which was also one of the best runs I've had in a really long time. I'm also trying to focus more on my overall fitness and working on the strength-training business. Although I'm still losing weight (though my grandmother made a point of telling me not to lose anymore at Thanksgiving :-p), I definitely need to work on toning. Tonight I'll hit the gym for some cross-training, and tomorrow will be a long(ish) run.
So, yup, there you go. Epic-ly long post, but epic updates too. :)
