I really feel good after this race. It may have been that I was taking it easy and having a good time the whole way pacing Wyatt to her first marathon finish, or just the confidence boost I got from running the full distance after being 'injured' for the last six weeks and running less than 26 miles between SGM and OBX.
This seriously was one of my all time favorites!! I will write more later and when I have splits from the garmin. I just had to get this posted to see my name at the top of the mileage board...for once in my life :)
Just an FYI - 18 months ago (nearly today) I ran my first marathon. In the meantime I have run 5 full marathons and had a baby...not too shabby! *********************************************************************** Okay, so I'm home and have a minute or two now the kids are in bed and I wanted to get my thoughts about this race down before they were gone. I had a wonderfully lazy weekend with QP and family, the best entertainment of the weekend was that my niece got her 'think it over baby' (robot babies to help you find out what it is REALLY like) the same weekend she had a REAL baby. The car drive to Outer Banks was quite entertaining with the babies playing tag team with the teenager in the middle trying to help them both. She was such a good mommy to both of them, I honestly don't know how she dealt with both babies while we were running all morning, but she did a great job and both babies were happy when we got back. However, I don't think she'll be having babies any time soon!!! We got in late Friday and it was fun to meet all of QP's running friends from back East: Terri and Katie and Wyatt. It was nice not to have the only baby in the room waking up in the middle of the night :) The hotel had a great breakfast and then we hit the expo which was VERY well organized and the normal stuff around to buy. That afternoon we went to a lighthouse near the hotel and we hit the top right at sunset - we couldn't have planned it better if we'd tried. It was stunning and beautiful, the Outer Banks are SO amazingly beautiful. Since we were on the island off the coast you could see the ocean on one side and the sunset over the inner-coastal waterways on the other. If I'm lucky QP may get me some of the pictures, it was breathtaking! For dinner we hit a local pasta/pizza shop and had a great pre-race fuel. Back to the hotel for an early bed time for race the next morning. Baby cooperated beautifully and I was able to feed him just before leaving and since QP wasn't able to run she drove us right to the start! SO different than races here. Since the race started in town, right off a highway, there were families and lots of people lingering around the start, no need to bus all the way up the canyon. We didn't have to linger an hour or more...waiting, waiting and waiting. It was more like a local 5K, smaller than other marathons I've run as well - probably only 20 pops and the line moved quickly, probably only 5-10 minute wait. We headed to the start after the pop and after a quick prayer, and National Anthem we were off....oopps, not yet. They started waves of people every 2-3 minutes, and they controlled how many people went through each start. So, it was about another 10-12 minutes until we got OUR start (they had you line up in corrals according to your pace). The start of the race was through a beautiful little neighborhood and everyone was out cheering and supporting the runners, it was SO much fun! They had names on the bibs, so they would call out your name and give you a shout. The race is pirate themed so we'd "aaarrggghhh!" at people or "ahoy!" at the spectators. BEAUTIFUL scenery, fun people and amazing company as I ran with Wyatt and Katie. This was Wyatt's first marathon, so since I couldn't run with QP I decided it would be a chance of a lifetime to run with her on her first - you never forget your first! QP and Terri were there at the beginning and then just a few miles down the road cheering us on with personalized signs and an amazing rendition of Turkey in the Straw. My sign was "Moody, let me see you shake your Booty!" So, I'd give 'em a good shake every time we passed by. We got to run on a parkway by the inner coastal waterways and then up a hill (as much of a hill as you'd get back there) to Kill Devil Hill (a city along the Outer Banks) then to Kitty Hawk (Wright Bros) monument and then down to a sandy woods trail where you got the best hills of the course, but it was such a beautiful path to run on and the sand was nice and soft on the legs and feet and I only got a bit of sand/mulch in the shoes. At mile 13 they pushed us out onto the main highway, well that got boring quickly. We did get to jump into some neighborhoods from time to time, but the amount of people out and cheering decreased. It was still more than I'd ever seen before, but just less than the first few towns/neighborhoods. There was a dad we'd met at the start line and his two daughters were running with him as a father's day gift - this was a first for all 3! We leap frogged a lot here at the end, and it was always fun to encourage them or give a bit of advice here and there. I felt great the whole time, and I was just going along with Wyatt (who was GREAT company, fun times and good memories! I'm glad and jealous that QP has her around to run with). I was encouraging her and giving her tips about when to fuel and relaxing and getting through to the end. There were a few people around us that we had a good time chatting with (or passing) along the way as well. After mile 21 the road turns and you go across a bridge about 2+ miles over to Roanoke Island (remember that one from history class?). This is the main HUGE hill on the course, it's no veyo, but it is a good hill, especially at mile 23! You hit the 23 mile mark just before the crest of the bridge. Traffic was SO backed up on the bridge that people would cheer you on as you passed by their inching along vehicle. One van I challenged to a race over the bridge, sad thing is - I beat them! QP and Terri were also driving up and over the bridge as we were running it and we beat them as well, but a few times when we leap-frogged I would open it up and race the car, it felt good to go a bit faster and 'shake' out the legs. Wyatt's goal was to NOT stop on the bridge, and she didn't we got up to the crest feeling good and ready to enjoy the only downhill on the course. Seriously, this race is more flat than I have ever run in all my miles in all my life! SO different from what I'm used to. The last 5K was all about talking Wyatt through the last few miles and keeping her mind tough and focused. I'd tell her "look at that young kid, walking - HA! He's got nothing on you!" She did hang tough and ran the whole way. She was even able to pick it up to finish strong, she left it all on the road and finished her first full in a great time of 4:29:21. Since QP had to drive all the way to the other side of the island to get to the finish she was there just shortly after we finished. We got a great medal and some bagels and PB and fruit. I really needed this race. I've been doubting a lot of my running with my calf injury and honestly was VERY hesitant about this race. I was afraid I would not be able to finish or hurt my leg again and have to take weeks off again. I had such a wonderful time and felt good the whole way! This was such a confidence boost for me, I learned to love running again - I needed this. Afterward I was tired and sore, but NOTHING like SGM or even the Halloween half. I could walk down stairs normal and after some stretching felt good to walk Monday and today (Tuesday) I have very little residual soreness and am ready to get back at it tomorrow!! I won't run until Saturday, and will take it slow, but I simply feel great - in and out! I'm glad the leg held up and doesn't hold anything against me for pounding the crap out of it this weekend. After the race we packed up and headed home. My sweet niece had just about had enough of all the babies, but got stuck in the middle of them for another 5 hour drive. Like I said...I don't think she'll be considering children any time soon! Monday she was so tired she came home and slept all day. Oh how nice it would be to give a baby back after a weekend and get some good sleep :) Later Monday she did still want to hold and take care of Adam though, so I don't think she holds too much resentment toward him. It was nice on Monday to hang out with QP and visit Wyatt's house and see their running routes and then go to a yummy lunch. I had a great time and it is SO beautiful back there right now: weather, trees, fall flowers and just the HUGE change from here. The weather was SO perfect, you really couldn't have ordered a more perfect day to run and then enjoy walking in recovery the next day. I kind of didn't want to come home...well, at least to the cold. Spent Tuesday on the plane coming home. It IS nice to be home, I missed my family and it will be nice to snuggle into bed tonight. I think Heaven will feel like snuggling into a warm bed after a long hard day! AP: 10:10 Splits: 9:51, 9:29, 9:32, 9:34, 9:36, 9:07, 9:29, 9:58, 9:37, 9:49, 10:14, 10:17, 10:43, 10:23, 9:44, 10:10, 10:26, 10:38, 10:39, 11:12, 10:27, 10:41, 11:03, 11:01, 10:20, 10:34, 9:35 (last .47 measured on Garmin)
See, we started out pretty well. The first few 10's were on the sand trail, but after that I think we just started slowing down. Wyatt has an iron will, but not about speeding up; which on her first marathon I can't hardly blame her. She was still passing people and pushing hard, so I wasn't going to complain or whine at her to pick it up. The first 11mm was a long walk at the water stop and the other two were on the bridge. However, I'm proud to see the last bit she really did pick it up quite a bit! SUCH a strong finisher, I am SO proud of her!!
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