- Get a haircut
- Run a half marathon
Just like I said I would in my last post, I did it! I know I'm a little late with the update, but it has been a busy few weeks. First the 13.1 miles, then exams, then moving out of my apartment, and now I'm effectively homeless for a week and a half. So understand why it has taken me so long to get around to posting what an outstanding experience this was.
Bear with me because I'm just going to relive the whole experience beginning to end.
The half marathon started in Perrysburg .1 miles away from the 13 mile marker for the full marathon runners. I got there about a half hour early and really had to pee. Unfortunately there was a huge line to get to the two port-a-potties (I think that's the first time I've ever typed "port-a-potties" and it's making me a little bit uncomfortable). So I decided to hold it.
I met John Amato's friends that he talked into running. All of us were first timers. eventually they started ushering us up to the start line. the race was slotted to start at 8AM but at 5 till, we heard that they were starting us ten minutes late. So I decided to try my luck at the now dwindling bathroom lines.
I was on my way back to the start line when the gun went off. Not being in the crowd of 400 runners when they took off was probably my only regret of the day. I was far from being alone though. The general excitement made it difficult to keep from running to hard at the start, but I found some people going at a good pace and just followed them for the first two miles. I met up with John at the first water station and he ran with me for about the next 3 miles or so. after mile five, John went on ahead and I started walking the 0.1 mile between the full mile markers and the half mile markers and running the other 0.90.
When John finally ran up ahead, he left me an energy gel and told me to eat it right before an aid station and then wash it down with some water. It's like a power bar, but in gel form. I'd never eaten one before and was expecting some kind of fruit flavor. ... it was like squirting a tube of chocolate toothpaste into my mouth! I gagged a little, drank some water, made a mental note to never eat an energy gel ever again, and waddled on.
At about mile 8, there was a big hill. I say big from the perspective of someone from the flat lands of north west ohio who had just run 8 miles. It just about killed me. I felt like I was going to throw up afterwards. Essentially, I had to walk for about the next 3 miles because every time I tried jogging, I started feeling sick. It was during this leg that I got passed by a 12 year old girl.
at about mile 11, I caught a second wind and was able to start jogging again for the last 2.1 miles. At the last aid station, all the volunteers were dressed up in lederhosen and one of them offered me a beer! apparently this is pretty standard at some marathons. I declined.
at about the last .2 miles, John met back up with me, surprised that he didn't have to backtrack further. He ran with me to the home stretch and then let me finish on my own.
I crossed the finish line three hours, one minute, and some odd seconds after I crossed the start line. I had hoped to make it in under three hours, but my real goal was simply to finish.
Most of the pictures are on facebook, but Here's pKa exclusive link to a picture of me approaching the finish line... the smile was completely involuntary
