Wednesday, September 18, 2013

Diva Half Marathon Recap

Well I did it!  Half marathon number 2 in the books!  It was definitely quite the experience.

After getting up bright and early so we'd get there in plenty of time, the traffic was unreal.  Whoever thought it was a good idea to herd 4,500 runners into a winery on a one lane road is insane.  Traffic conditions in Northern VA are bad enough on a regular day, but this was insane.  Luckily we knew a sorta back way in so we managed to avoid a good chunk of the traffic.  Due to traffic, the race start was delayed...not once, not twice, but MULTIPLE times!  Not to mention that the road in was part of the course so they had to wait until it was cleared to be able to shut it down completely.  We started NINETY minutes late!  A lot of people were upset, but it was a damned if you do, damned if you don't situation.  If they didn't hold the race, people who missed the start would have been upset.  But people who were on time were upset because they were standing around waiting in the cold for way longer than expected.  Annoying?  Yes.  But I expected it since it was the inaugural race.  Whatever.

Oh, and I lost my headphones before the start of the race.  And no one turned them in.  So annoying.  So I had to run with my iPhone in hand with the volume turned up.  

The course?  Holy guacamole, as my first graders say!  The description was rolling hills, 2 areas of uphill running, country roads.  LIES!  Again, holy guacamole the hills!  They were no joke!  Eight major hills in the first 6 miles!  My Garmin has an elevation gain of 1,102 feet...sorry...that's not rolling hills.  It was SO hard!  We actually did quite a bit of walking because of the hills.  We knew we had to have something left to finish with.  



I guess the traffic situation getting out was pretty bad.  We happened to know a back way around the main roads so we avoided a lot of it.  Slower speed limit, but no one else on the road is fabulous in my book!


Despite all of this, my friend Stephanie and I had a good time.  She finished her first half, I finished my second.  Our official race time was 2:38 (my Garmin paused at the porta-a-potty along the way).  Not a PR by any means, but not horrible!  My legs were KILLING me Saturday afternoon and all day Sunday.  They're better today but I'm still giving it a few more days before I start up again.  Funny how you always miss running when you know you shouldn't be doing it.  haha  But in the meantime, here are some pictures for your viewing pleasure!

One of my favorite sights on the course!

Before starting...So cold!  Me on the right.

One of MANY hills!

I finished!!!

Post Race



Loved the medals!

Before the race started, at the starting line.


Next up:  possibly the Myrtle Beach half...a fast, flat course...just what the doctor ordered! :)

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