My first half marathon

Not so bad.

5:45AM wake up. Bathroom-check! Standard Nature's Valley granola bar and cup of tea. Bathroom- check!! Re-read a race day advice email on the course. Take it easy in the park. Looked at the course again. Made last minute decisions with MJ on outfits, bibs, meeting points, etc. Watch or no watch? No watch. Good. Last minute coaching, Don't go out too fast. Jogged over to 95th St and 5th in a sweater that doesn't fit me anymore and I was meaning to donate. Left the sweater behind, regrettably because after Mary Wittenberg's plethora of announcements and speeches I started to get cold. I was in the second corral. I had no reason to be there, everyone around me had raced before...probably really well. Everyone around me was wearing a Garmin. The good one with the GPS. I know cause I sell them.

Horn goes off and I start to jog to the start line. I can't believe I am running the same race as Olympic athletes. Personal mantra- keep your emotions in check. When I watch marathons I get so inspired I cry. I see the little kid shouting Run Mommy!! and I get the lump in my throat. But now I'm running and that lump is blocking my airwaves and I need the salt from those tears goddammit. SO I have to NOT get excited, NOT get emotional. I have my medical info on bib. Next to Mitral Valve Regurgitation I should have put: Tendency to have emotion produced panic attacks when inspired by signs and little children.

I go out too fast.

I slow it down after 2 miles. More because I don't want to hear it from MJ later when he looks at my splits. My hands start to swell. They swell so bad I have to put my engagement rock-of-a-diamond into my running shorts pocket. They swell so bad they look HILARIOUS. They stay that way for the rest of the race. I don't understand why. At mile 4 MJ joins me for the rest of Central Park. He runs 6 miles or so with my backpack on giving me water and affirmations. I make him take the subway at Times Square because I want to finish this, "by myself." Running through Times Square in that state of mind reminds me of the feeling I got in Taos when Jill Lauren and I were doing some yoga in that canyon: I may be 5'2 and 105 with my shoes on, but I felt the same size as the skyscrapers around me. I legit felt taller. Times Square looks different when running, there is a quaintness it adopts as the runner says, "I just matched you in craziness, bitch."

I almost had an asthma attack from the excitement. My breath shortened and I tried to ignore all the people and focus on the sky. Haile Gebreselassie of Ethiopia was probably not used to the ravine that is 7th Ave, and actually had an asthma attack and pulled out of the race. He has never lost on American soil.

West Side Highway. I consider pushing it and making qualifying time. 4 miles left and 30 minutes to qualify!! I could have done it easily...if it was my first 4 miles. The debate was do I push it or not. Then a man jogged up to me and said, "A little advice. You are getting tired and you're swinging your arms across your body like crazy. Forward and back, forward and back, don't forget your form." Then he sprinted away. I have no idea who this man was necessarily. Maybe the ghost of Steve Prefontaine. But he saved my ass. I fixed my form, took it easy and enjoyed the sunshine as my body slowly broke down.

I kept pace but the last 3 miles were hard. HARD. My legs felt heavy, I felt an ache in my chest that was my heart saying, Screw you I'm tired Dude. (My heart has a California accent.) Like a snare drum in my chest. Not a kick drum. A nasty snare. And I begged for Mile markers and the finished. I ran through my mantras, Always be passing (I was passing no one at this point, my legs wouldn't do it), Get them on the hills (Shit, there are no hills), and I resorted to my last one: Just finish. Over and over and over. The last 400m, I thought Just once around the track, just like the old relays. Then at 200m I saw the finish line and just sprinted it home at 1:44:19. I don't know where, I don't know where my legs got the juice to sprint and what I perceive as a print might have been akin to a motivated gr I wanted to run it in under 2 hours, and I did so with gumption. No GU, no power bars or salt tablets, one two moments of hydration at Miles 5 and 6.

1:44:19
7:58 pace (I wanted it under 8! Yes!)
Out of 557 women in my age group (20-24) I came in 57!!
Out of 6,071 women, I came in 578!!
I didn't have negative splits, but I that is a matter of training. I built my base and I intend to CRUSH the next half.

After the race MJ and I had a big brunch at Community where I crushed this HUGE omelette so hardcore that the waiter actually laughed at me. My body is so sore and I am limping all around and can't walk down stairs, but I feel great. I got an extreme Gift Certificate from MJ to a spa for a massage and I can't wait to use it.

All in all I'm happy with my performance and ready for next time. Stay tuned for race day pictures.