http://808racehawaii.com/races/
I wasn't planning on running this race but a friend of mine was going to be on a trip and offered his bib and another one. Free run? No runner would ever turn this down, right Kara?!! A free 15.5 mile run is every runner's dream. Haha.
Because of work hubby couldn't run with me so my friend Kara agreed to keep me company (thanks Kara!). I knew this was going to be problematic because I don't know the Kailua area very well. So a few days before the race I asked hubby to show me how to get to the race. We drove all the way to Kailua but when we got near the road was closed for construction. He told me to, "just go down that road and the beach will be right there across of Buzz's." Red lights were flashing for me and at that point I should have just called the race off...but again, free race?!! Gotta run!
Sunday morning came and I got up at 3 am to get ready and go. Like always I packed everything the night before. I thought that 30 minutes would be enough time to get changed, eat, and get out the door. Especially since I had blow dried my hair the night before to avoid having to straighten the frizz. I was wrong. I was a little frazzled and ran out the door and pointed the car in the right direction. I tried to stay calm, tried to be confident. But in my mind I had a few doubts. It was after all, pitch black and I never made it all the way to the race start.
On the H-3 I passed a boat and chuckled. I was up even earlier than the fishermen to run 15 miles. I was surely crazy. As I sped along I realized that I wasn't really sure where I was going because I wasn't paying attention when hubby was driving to Kailua. After the tunnel and at the bottom I took a left turn and realized that I wasn't supposed to have done it. I now had two choices: Kahekili or Likelike. I frantically called the hubby who took forever to answer the phone and so I had to stop in the middle of the road so that I didn't have to choose. I yelled into the phone, "Kahekili or Likelike?!!!" "Don't take Kahekili!" he said and so I took Likelike. I was lost. Hubby guided me by phone and I somehow got to the road that led to the beach park where the race was to start. But by that point parking was a mess and as I tried to stay calm I made a U turn and parked on the side of the road. Everyone else was doing it so I did too.
As I parked and tried to stay calm I realized I had an hour till race. I was already outta sorts and not thinking right though and decided my most important thing was to get my gear ready and use the bathroom. So that's what I did. Walking to the bathroom at 4:30 in the morning across a field to the beach meant that the grass was wet and my shoes were getting damp. I refused to think about running 15.5 in wet socks and I pushed it to the back of my head. After I used the bathroom I realized that I forgot to put my chaffing cream on and headed back to the car through the wet grass. Back at the car I put my chaffing cream on and some sunscreen that I also forgot. That's when I realized that I had forgotten the water bottles for my fuel belt in the fridge at home. 15.5 miles without my own water. I told myself that that wouldn't be a disaster so no worries. Still I could not believe how many things were going wrong. So I began to fuel as much as I could drinking water and gatorade that I had brought for after the race. Again, I tried to stay calm. Panic would not be good before 15.5. Furthermore, I could easily drink my gels without water if I needed to and the course was supposed to have water/gatorade every 2 miles. I once again headed to the start to wait for my friend Kara. I found my timing chip, used the bathroom again and sat down to wait.
Kara arrived and we joked around and chatted and I felt a little better. Thank goodness for running friends!!! We chatted then looked up and kinda startled. It was a surreal scene. All around us runners were stretching together. I felt as though I was in the middle of a Qi Long (or whatever it is) routine. Talk about weird! Darkness, a few lights, and a bunch of people moving together in sync. The day was just getting weirder and weirder.
Someone was talking over the loud speaker and Kara and I moved to get a listen. We were told that we had to be quiet since Kailua was sleeping and that we'd walk to the start and it would be a rolling start (no horns or guns to wake anyone up and no starting matt). Like the good Iolani graduates we are we followed directions and walked slowly with the masses of people talking up a storm.
When the crowd began to run I did too and started my Garmin. I took off at a nice comfortable pace around 9:30-10:00 per mile. That was my target and I felt good. That is until I realized I needed to use the bathroom. I knew that we'd pass the beach bathrooms and I planned to go to the last one before Lanikai since it seemed closest to the road. As I got closer I veered off course with another woman. When we got to the door it was LOCKED! UGH! I sprinted back on course and began the uphill incline to Lanikai. I was going to push the feeling of needing to pee outta my head and enjoy running through this upscale community. The houses were beautiful and I enjoyed house, beach, and people watching. I kept a steady pace and felt good. As we made the turn I began thinking about the bathroom again. I was hoping that enough time had passed that the bathroom would now be open. As we began running out of Lanikai I spotted a house under construction with a porta pottie in the front yard. Did I dare use it? I couldn't make up my mind fast enough and I ran past it. Was that the right decision?
As I neared the bathroom that I tried to use earlier I decided to chance it as I saw a lot of others heading there too. STILL CLOSED! How much freaking time was I losing having to use the damn bathroom!!! At this point I noted to myself that I had to learn to pee squatting and that one of the drawbacks of running skirts with attached tights is that it's hard to squat and go!!! Sigh...and so I was off and running to the next beach bathroom. I finally got there and was the third in line. There was also no tp in one of the stalls and that was a hold up too. At this point I really tried to stay calm and reminded myself not to have any expectations. Any finishing time would be a great time so no worries!!! I used the bathroom and sprinted back on course. At this point I glanced at my Garmin and was happy to see that I was somehow still at a 10:00 mile for total pace. With that I settled down and began to run my race. Nice and slow and steady. I knew that my training has been rigorous and that I am strongest at the end of a race. If I continued to run smart, fuel up, and not worry about the silly sprinters I would be okay.
So, I ran and ran, and ran some more. Not knowing Kailua I had no idea where I was going and just kept up with the irritating lady in the red skirt who seemed to be running with a plastic bottle of pills. The rattling was annoying the hell out of me but she was running at my pace so there was no way I was going to be able to ditch her. I tried to tune her out and did so by people watching. I recognized people from other races, I looked at all the pretty Lululemon clothing (Wee are From Space April Speed shorts, Milky Way pace setter, Flash No Limit Tank) and at the different styles of houses I was passing. I also kept looking at my distance because I knew at mile 9 there would be a hill.
As I approaced Kaneohe Marine Corps Base I looked up to see the mountains ahead of me and realized that the hill that we drove up last week for the Air Show would be the hill that I needed to climb. A friend of mine on Daily Mile, Korwin, had told me about the hill. He said that it was steep. I needed to conserve my energy and I needed to be smart. At the next water stop I took water, gatorade, and my second GU and continued to feel good. I had also been taking GU Chomps on the course so I felt strong with no twinges of sugar issues that I sometimes have.
At this point the lead runners began running toward me and it was inspiring to see people like Dave, and Brigette who was the lead woman!!! I cheered them on and continued to push on.
At the foot of the mountain I was intimidated only to a point because everyone flying down the hill was looking good. I concentrated on looking at their faces and not on the hill I was climbing. I reminded myself of my training and all the hills I run on: Diamond Head, Nob Hill and told myself that I train very hard for this and to own it. I attacked the hill forcing my legs to run hard and kept my breathing as steady as I could. I got to the top of the hill, looked at my Garmin and was estatic to see that I was still at a 10:00 pace over all. I ran down the hill safely and giggled when I saw that the turn around was at the bass of the hill and that I basically needed to turn around and re-run up that damn hill again. WTF?!!!!!!
Ok, but I got this. Again, I willed myself to do it and reminded myself that in the marathon I would be faced with Diamond Head at mile 24. I needed to own this hill. I needed to be mentally stronger. My mantras got me back up the hill and as I reached the top I saw how beautiful it was to look out into the ocean. I also looked at the faces of the people running up the hill and I told myself to be strong. Only 4 more miles. I got this!!!
I ran down the hill and out of Kaneohe Marine Corp reminding myself that I had less than a 10K. I eat 4 miles for lunch. I got this. I have run 15 miles before. I have run 17 miles before. My pace is killing!! My legs were fatigued from the hill but I stayed as strong mentally as I could and knocked off miles and runners. I train to run hardest in the last few miles and I remembered what my friend Scott told me, "Don't get passed on that last mile!" As I closed on mile 12 I saw a lot of people walking, a lot of people winded. I knew that I had trained for this, worked hard, and had been putting in the mileage to finish strong. And so I began to run hard. I began to pick targets and knock them off one by one. I know I had told myself to count how many I passed but that took a little too much energy and I'll have to work on that the next time. All I know is that in the last two-three miles I was only passed by one runner. That made me happy!!
As I got to mile 15 I reminded myself that Kara said 15.5 and I turned on the gas. I sprinted hard and passed more people. I crossed the finish line and was amazed. 2:32!!! Had I not had to use the bathroom my time would have been sub 2:30! WOW!!!!!
I headed to the refreshments and was stunned to see a box of Hokulani cupcakes. REALLY?!! How was I going to pick?!! I chose a red velvet and grabbed some of the other treats including Starbucks coffee. I then went to the Finish Line to see the other runners coming in. After Kara had finished we took pictures and headed home. I took a few at Kailua beach then headed to my van wondering how the hell to get home. As I drove out I saw a Jamba Juice and decided to stop. As I headed out of Kailua I had no clue where the road would take me but kept my car pointed toward home. I ended up in Liliha, then Kalihi and when I finally got on the freeway toward home wouldn't you know it? My empty fuel light popped on. Of course it did!!!
Somehow I got off the freeway, put gas and got myself home in one piece. I checked out my splits from my Garmin data and was very pleased with my performance. The hard work was paying off and the dream a little closer. I put my compression sleeves on, crawled into bed and took a much-deserved nap. Thank you mom and dad for watching the kids!!!!!!
My stats for this run:
15.44 miles: 2:32:37.6, 370th over all, 18th for Females 40-44 and a pace of 9:51 per mile
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