Building up to the race in San Diego, it was ugh..interesting to say the least. I had reached an all time high of extreme fatigue and stress. I was lucky if I completed 50% of my workouts. I decided to limit my social media to reduce further distractions. I don’t know about you but some days social media is an energy sucker and because I had limited energy, I was trying to conserve all that I had left.
Going into race weekend, I was abnormally calm. Someone I highly respect recently wrote about running for yourself and not for others. This has been a hard concept for me. I hate the thought of letting someone down and often find my value in others. Well did. This weekend was going to be about having fun. If I hit a PR, awesome, but because I’m planning to take time off from running my #1 priority was to have fun. For some, this means running fast. Others it is a destination race. For me, it is taken in my environment, sharing the pavement with once strangers.
I arrived in San Diego on Friday. With race day Sunday, I would have plenty of time for PPU, see a few things and catch up with friends. Danielle arrived on Saturday. It was the first time meeting her in person, but it’s as if we’ve known each other for ages. We caught up, grabbed dinner and caught a few zzzz’s.
Race morning I was probably the most calm I have been before any race. It was a no pressure race, perhaps that is why. Sure I still have the goal of a 90 minute half but I knew it would not be this race. I didn’t study the course map. Or look at the elevation changes. I went into the race with minimal knowledge of the course but all the knowledge of myself and for me that’s all I needed and will ever need.
Our day started around 4 am. We left the hotel around 60 minutes before the start time. Once we arrived, I saw a few familiar faces, briefly caught up and then it was race time. Danielle ran with me for a few miles before she would take a side road to meet me around mile 10-12. The course was hillier than I expected yet fitting for my word “climb” to keep me focused. I turned my watch off and only checked my watch with mile alerts. Running felt easy. Perhaps it was due to training in the heat and humidity in Austin? Perhaps it was my cool and collected mentality. Whatever the reason, I did not feel like I was working. One spectator yelled at me, “Honey, you’re not even sweating!” Thank you? sir 🙂
The miles were being ticked off, 7:43…7:31….7:34….7:44….7:35…. The course was not my favorite. The route consisted of never ending residential areas. I was slightly disappointed considering I was in San Diego, but I’m sure there are certain areas that are off limits to keep the city up and running. I started to reach a point where I wasn’t having fun. My right sock felt bunched, half of my right foot was numb, my arches were killing me. Around this time I was saved by Danielle. I believe my words were “I’m over this shit” when I saw her. I stopped. I walked. I took off my shoe to fix my sock. She kept me company until I found a bit of spark.
The last few miles were not my best miles but I was happy to be out there. Funny how quickly your emotions can change in a race. Earlier in the race, running through the blue mile, I read every card. Each had a name with a picture, age, death. How lucky am I to be running a race? I thought to myself. Some of these soldiers never reached the age of 25 because they were selflessly fighting for our country. I had been running next to a father and a son for most of the race. The father was pushing his son in a racing chair. I pushed the pace up the hills. He closed the gap on the descents. It was a f*cking honor to share the road with this duo. It took every ounce of me to keep it together. The finish line was insight and I was ready to cross it. As with most races, the crowd was electric at the finish line. I fed off their energy and clocked my 3rd fastest time.
San Diego was exactly what I needed. It wasn’t my fastest time but all things considered (taking off my shoe, cough) I’ll take the time I earned. Do I believe I have a sub 1:40 in me? Yes. Could it have happened this weekend? Probably. But this race was not about times. I needed a race to get back on my running feet and find my passion for running. Prior to San Diego, running started to feel like a chore. This race reminded me of why I love running. It’s about connection. Racing brings us together in a way like nothing else. We accept each other. We put aside our differences. We cheer on other runners who were brave enough to toe the line.
As I mentioned in a previous post, I am taking a break from formal running. Aside from Monday, I have ran every day though. I’m not sure what my next race will be, but I can guarantee I’ll be back stronger and more ready than ever!
Cheers!