I started the run a the starting line of the race course- Grafton High School. Phil acted as my pit crew today, and was an amazing supporter. The last time I was at the high school it was to drop him off for his lakefront race. Being there actually made me nervous! How funny is that- I was just doing a training run. As I said in yesterday's post, I knew that was going to happen so I kind of laughed at myself. I'm so predictable.
Phil dropped me off, and drove the course to the 14 mile marker. He had chalk with him, and marked out the turns I needed to take. Once he got there, he jumped on his bike and road back through the course to meet up with me. (Could I have a better boyfriend?) He wore a backpack with water, maps and my gummys for me. Of course, he had a water bottle on his bike easily accessible as well. As a side note on this- Phil went out last night and got just a few hours of sleep....and still did this for me. Seriously, BEST. BOYFRIEND. EVER. Some bikers even told his so! We got a couple "Wow, what a great support team!" comments. He was so happy during it all, which gave me a lot of energy.
The first couple of miles in Grafton is through the country. I had the smell of cow, and sound of wild turkeys with me. The weather was beautiful; it was cloudy, with a breeze and not too hot. Getting to mile three was quick. During Phil's race I stood around mile 3 to cheer him on and I kept picturing that. It's such a trip to be the one running!! I continued on and at mile 5 I saw a mark for it on the road! It was spray painted in red, LM/5. Checking my watch, I realized I was at a 9 min/mile pace. That's what I ran my 1/2 marathon at, but am comfortable running at. I hit it again at 6, and then found Phil around mile 7. The halfway point was so refreshing-he had water and was excited for me giving me a load of energy.
The route is right along the lakefront, and very scenic. The feedback is right- it's flat and fast. Getting to mile 10 wasn't really a problem, I still felt pretty good. Miles 12-14 were the hard part for me. With 20 minutes left on the run I started to get anxious to finish. That's pretty typical, so I just tried to relax and finish at a comfortable pace. 20 minutes goes by quickly when you just ran for a couple hours. My official stopping time was 2:07! We think it was a little short because didn't see the LM/14 marker so I did a couple of strides to stretch my legs out and add some time.
People have asked me about the runners high, and I definitely got it today after my run. It felt amazing to run that far and be just fine! And, before 10 a.m.! I feel very strong right now and confident that I'll be able to do this marathon, and with some speed. I don't want to just finish the race anymore- I want to run it. Next week is 15 miles, and I'm not nervous about it anymore. In fact, I'm looking forward to furthering my distance again.
Have a great Sunday everyone!
-Haylea
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