If you've been reading my blog, you also know that I signed up for a whole ton of other 10K races. All in all the May schedule was 10K, 10K, 13.1 miles; three consecutive weeks. Add Sunday Marathon Clinic practice runs ranging from 8-11 miles and you can see that there was a lot of running in May.
I wanted to do the Hibiscus Half Marathon because the course was totally different from the course we ran on Diva and also one that I was familiar with. Starting at Kapiolani Park, we run around toward Waikiki, turn up on Paki and run toward Diamond Head. Diamond Head hill is a challenge with a daunting incline but fabulous views. From there you head down to Triangle Park and into Kahala, at the Chevron Station you get on the freeway and head to Aina Haina then turn around at mile 7 (which seems like it takes FOREVER).
I was training nice and strong through April and May then all hell broke loose. The two kids got really really sick and so of course I caught the cold. I've had a bad cough the last two weeks which has resulted in poor sleeping, minimal training (although I managed to keep the streak alive, 144 days straight in 2012, 680 miles run) and all over malaise and fatigue. Being the type A that I am, I was very nervous heading into the race and just wanted to finish.
Last night was the night before the race and I did everything I could to keep the coughing fit to a minimum: gargling with salt and warm water, drinking tea with honey, steam shower, Vick's on the feet with socks on. I took my cough medicine with Coedine and went to sleep at about 9 pm due to the 3 am wake up call. Thankfully I was able to sleep pretty well. I packed my race belt and pockets with 4 gel packs, filled my bottles with Gatorade, and packed about 20 cough drops. I wasn't taking any chances.
To my dismay, as we headed down to Diamond Head a strong rain started to fall. I refused to let the rain get in my head and I kept reminding myself that it rarely rains in the area. We got to the start a little late but found parking. From there it got a little crazy as we had to pick up our timing chips (thankfully these were more modern than the ones we got at the Gecko Gallop) and stand in line with about 50 women for three toilet stalls. We ended up getting to the Start Line with only a few minutes to spare. By this time the rain had stopped but a strong wind had picked up. As we squeezed into the starting lane the wind stopped and it got suffocatingly humid with all the bodies.
I started running with the hubby who was running his first Half Marathon. I looked at my Garmin because it seemed as if we were running fast. The Garmin showed that it was only a 10:15 pace. About right if I were healthy but being sick I was worried that this would be too fast for me. We made it around the park and headed toward the steep Diamond Head incline and I was able to run it strong. As we got to mile 3 I told myself, only 10 more and then remembered to break the race up, only 4 more miles and I would be halfway done! At this point I was the 5 mile runners making their turn and I sorta envied them. They were almost done with their race, they were the smart ones!!!! A few more inclines and a downhill and we were at the highway. This was the only part of the race I had never run and I wasn't sure what to expect. Just a straight run on the highway until the turn around. I figured that the turn around would be somewhere between 6 and 7 miles so I kept glancing at the Garmin. We were running a pretty quick pace but my body felt strong, the cough was in control with the cough drops so I continued to run strong. I kept looking for the runners who had made the turn and it seemed like forever before I spotted them. I looked for my friend Tomo and to see who the first female runner was. After we saw the lead it made me again focus on wondering when the turn was. Not good, because it seemed to take forever. Even with my good eyesight I could not see far enough ahead to see where we were turning!! Finally, after what seemed like forever, the 7 mile marker and the turn was in sight. I looked at my watch and saw that my time for the 7 miles was 1:09. And that's when I realized that if I continued to run at this pace I would be able to get a new PR. I wasn't sure whether to go for it, run conservatively, or what. So I just told myself to run within myself and stay strong. Miles 7-9 went well and I stayed on pace.
As we entered back into Kahala I began to notice that the hubby wasn't looking to well. He was red and more sweaty than normal. I was worried as I hadn't seen him take any water at any of the stops. We slowed the pace down here and I told him to walk if needed. We ran through Kahala withe me constantly looking at him and asking if he were okay and approached the second to the last incline of the run. I was worried for him but knew there would be an aid station right afterwards. He made it up and I made him walk and drink three cups of water. One more hill and two more miles. We run this route all the time. We can do this.
The last hill at mile 11 was a KILLER. Run 11 miles then climb that hill when the sun is blazing above in the Hawaii summer heat?!! It's a test of will power. Many people were walking up the hill. I refused to. At this point hubby was a little behind so I kept turning to check on him. Luckily he had a bright neon yellow shirt so I could keep him in my view. In my head I was staying strong and focused. Normally I would be F Bombing but I was strangely calm, pushing myself forward and looking at the Garmin. The Garmin told me that PR was in sight. I was running at under a 10 minute mile and the body felt strong. No aches or pains, no cramping, breathing was easy and no coughing fit. When I got to the top of the hill I was ready to take off down the hill and to the finish. That's when I looked back and noticed that the hubby was not in sight. I panicked and turned around to find him. I began running back from where I came, searching for the neon yellow shirt. I saw him coming over the crest of the incline and he looked okay. I decided that he'd be okay and turned around to run and finish.
At this point I wasn't sure if I would be able to beat my time. I was doing the math in my head and knew I had to run the last mile under 10. Although my Garmin was spot on with the distances I wasn't sure how looking for the hubby had messed with my data (after the race I looked at my splits and that was the longest mile ever at 11 minutes [hill plus lost hubby equals an xtra minute!]). I decided that I felt strong enough to try and decided to run strong. I got to the entrance of Kapiolani and received a boost of energy when I saw the Lululemon Cheer Squad with their crazy signs. I knew at that point that I had less than a mile, but I also knew that the last stretch was a killer from previous races. I dug as deep as I could and got another boost when a friend joined her friend with her Beagle on that last stretch. Hellll noooooo was I going to let a Beagle beat me so I ran hard again. In the back of my mind I was also hoping that hubby was okay and didn't need a medic. As I neared the finish line I looked at the clock and saw 2:11. A PR was in sight! I also saw my friend Tomo and his wife who were shouting my name. I ran hard through the finish line with a huge smile on my face.
After I crossed the line I doubled back to look for hubby. It took a bit but I saw him coming down the stretch. I could either stay and take a finisher pic of him or I could jump on the course and finish with him. I decided to do the latter and cheered him on. I looked up at the clock and he was in the 2:13 range. Yikes! He may have beat my first Half Marathon time!!!
We got our goodies and sat down to meet our friends. Of course at that point my coughing fits started and I was choked over in pain coughing my guts out. It was worth it!!!
We met up with friends, had a fabulous breakfast at Sam Choy's BLC and when I got home I saw that my official chip time was 2:11:45, a new PR by about 2 minutes. The type A in me started thinking and the what ifs started dancing in my head....and that's when I began to search for the next Half Marathon race. :) There are a few coming up but for the time being I am signing up for the 2013 Hapalua Half in March. Only 48 bucks Kama'aina Special and 13 miles is a great distance to run!!!!
And this is the story of my 2nd Half Marathon and the last race I will run in the 35-39 age group. I'll be 40 in two days and moving up. Today I placed 53rd in the 35-39 age group...but had this run been 2 days later with the same result I would have been top 10. Ahhh...the possibilities.
Van mommy signing out, we're going to the beach tomorrow cuz that's how I roll!!!
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