I registered a year ago. I don't usually like to register so far in advance for a race, for a lot of obvious reasons, but I had received a very good price on the race, and - I had never been to Raleigh. Why not?
As the race approached, my dread of attending increased.
I do not like traveling far from home (I really like sleeping in my own bed), I do not like trying to navigate my way around unfamiliar cities (not so much rural, but I do not like city traffic), and I really do not like super-large races. Why did I register, again?
Luckily, a friend of mine also registered for the race, so we agreed to attend together. Normally I detest driving (remember, not a fan of big city driving?!), but she really doesn't like to drive. So, I drove her car. We left Saturday at noon to be at the Expo by late afternoon - Rock n Roll races require bib and packet pick up prior to race day. We went straight to the Expo, and I managed to get us there safely, which as far as I was concerned made for a hugely successful weekend, no matter what.
The Expo for Rock n Roll races is usually quite an event. This is a large corporation - they organize and manage several national and international races. Previously, I ran the Rock n Roll USA in DC a year ago. I thought that Expo was much better - more vendors, more freebies, more energy. However, it could also have been that we got there about two hours before it closed down.
On our way into the Expo, some running friends of mine from home spotted me, and we were able to connect. It turned out that one of the other runners was the same starting corral as me, so we agreed to run together for the beginning (she was running the full marathon, and I was only running the half).
This added to my anxiety because, if you know me at all, April and May are my worst months for my allergies. As luck would have it, I had been managing quite well until Saturday morning when they decided to hit full force. I was a mess. The combination of being on numerous allergy meds and the allergies themselves makes my running unpredictable, and I didn't want to hold up a friend, if my running was off.
Then, to top it off, just because of my own brand of crazy, I didn't sleep well before the race.
So, 4am on Sunday morning, my friend and I got up, hit the road, and got to the race by 4:45am, because parking was supposed to be sold-out and packed.
LET me just say here, that when I imagined writing this blog, it was very funny - full of all sorts of weekend mishaps, silly stories, and cute moments. However, after the race, there was very sad news, which made my feelings about the race bittersweet. So I will just recap my race experience. . .
The race was supposed to start at 7am, but due to traffic and parking issues it was delayed. I met my local running friend in our corral, and it was actually really nice to have a familiar face. I warned her of my allergies, but due to timing my medications, I actually felt pretty good, although I made sure to run with a pack of kleenex.
Rock n Roll races are very, very large, which I don't like. The DC was even bigger compared to Raleigh though, so this one didn't seem as congested as I was afraid it might be. . .
We started late - but off we went. Since my friend was pacing herself for a full marathon, I just paced myself with her initially. Three miles into the race I was actually feeling really good, but the crowd was not thinning out as much as I had hoped, so my friend and I kept separating, then coming back together, separating and then reconnecting.
Finally about mile 7 - one mile before the two races split - I just ran ahead. I missed my friend, but needed to just focus on my pace and maneuvering safely around people. The day was HOT and the course was hilly. Now, training in NC, I am completely used to hills. In fact, I'd probably go into shock if I ran a flat course. However, these hills were unrelenting. As soon as you ran one, there was another one - very little, if any, recovery time. I think between the heat and the hills, many runners were struggling. I saw a lot of people using the medical tent stations provided every few miles.
In addition, I saw four people being attended to along the course by emergency personnel. One of which, it turned out, was serious.
Around mile 8 I felt done. This is normal for me, and luckily, GU was provided at this point - and I took advantage of it. The next stretch was through the NC State University campus, which was gorgeous. Following this scenic section was an amazing charity organization that had lined a significant stretch of the race with individual photos of soldiers who had died while serving our country. I ran next to the photos and made it a point to read each and every name. Following the photos was another long stretch of volunteers, wearing blue shirts (wear blue to remember), holding full size flags. Again, I made it a point to thank each volunteer. It was touching tribute, and I wanted to be sure to acknowledge their support.
Coming out of this part, I knew I was heading towards the end. Up a significant hill and. . .then another. . .and of course, another. . .Where was the end?
Finally, the end in sight, I sprinted (yes, sprinted) to the finish. It felt great to be done, and overall, I would say it was a great race. I felt much better than I had anticipated, and didn't feel like passing out at the end - bonus!
There was great volunteer and spectator support along the course, and of course being a Rock n Roll race, there were some great bands and music. One of my favorite signs:
I also made it to the Finish Line celebration in time to hear the headliner band, New Politics, play Harlem, the only song I know by them, but enjoy.
Later, after returning back home, I learned that two runners had passed away on the half course. One of them, I had seen - this was truly upsetting, and also a bit unnerving. I had found, during the run, when I struggled mentally to get through the hills or discomforts, that I would think of Boston Strong. The one year anniversary was upon us, and I know a few people who are running Boston Marathon next week - so these thoughts helped to carry me through. #WeWillRun
So, as people asked how my race went, I was unsure how to answer - I wanted to say, "Great!", but yet my heart feels guilty and my mind heavy with sad thoughts because of the two runners who passed. My thoughts are with their families.
Interestingly, another one of my favorite signs during the race, that I had found motivating was,
"One day, you won't be able to do this. Today is not that day."
But, who really knows?
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