On Saturday I ran the much anticipated, inaugural Glenda Mooney Half Marathon on the American Tobacco Trail. The conditions were less than perfect with much of the Nation, including the small town of Apex, NC, sweltering in record temperatures. It was 74 degrees at the 8AM start. When I returned to my car after the post-race party, the temperature was 90 degrees. (My car's thermometer broke that day, so maybe the numbers are inaccurate, but it was hot!) We had the luxury of a shaded, flat trail, which helped to keep the full effects of the heat at bay, and the temperature was not as hot as forecasted. Although the temperature was less than ideal, everything else was just right for a small race with charm.
The race was the brainchild of my friend Glenda Mooney. She wanted to enjoy the experience of a half marathon with friends, but also wanted to avoid the steep fees and extra costs and hassles (like travel) usually associated with such races. So, she started her own race and invited friends to join her. The race motto was "We run because we CAN," which was printed on our race bibs. The message is so simple and so right.
Another friend had printed the bibs with our names and numbers that we each selected. She also printed a different Bible verse for each of us. Mine was coincidentally, "I can do everything through him who gives me strength (Philippians 4:13)." I have recited this one as a prayerful affirmation during a marathon.
A race perk included a personal hydration attendant (a participant's husband) who took directives of where to place chilled refills along the trail. Once dispatched, he returned via bike to report the task was complete and even spelled my name with sticks on the trail to direct me to my supply. How many half marathons offer such pure whimsy and charm? The post-race party featured homemade muffins, iced lavender-scented cloths, and beautifully-simple, beaded medals.
As for my personal experience, I ran the race for fun, and I didn't worry about my time. I didn't think about carbo loading preceding the race, and I didn't hydrate properly because I was mulching my yard all day the day before in temperatures that reached 104 degrees. On race day, after five minutes, I began to feel warm. I wore my fuel belt with small bottles and carried a larger one. My main concern was about not overheating. Knowing I had fluids to refill at the mid-point helped to ease my only anxiety. And, seeing numerous other runners along the trail confirmed that I wasn't crazy to be running in the heat. I must admit that having committed to running the race was about the only thing that could have gotten me to run more than a few miles on this particular day.
When I needed to use the facilities (conveniently located around mile five), I was glad because I knew I wasn't dehydrated. At that point my clothes were soaked, and I was dripping sweat . The downside was that I left the pack for a few minutes during this pit stop and leisurely refilled my bottles. As a consequence, I ran alone for the rest of the race. Being alone wasn't bad even though I didn't bring headphones. It was just me and my thoughts, and no one else to push the pace. One of my thoughts was that my legs had never felt so warm and loose. They enjoyed a new type of freedom of movement, but there was no speed in them.
I read a question once in "Runner's World" from a reader who was worried that he or she might be the last finisher in an upcoming race. The columnist assured the reader that he or she would not be last because, really, what are the chances of that? This was my slowest half marathon to date, and I was the last finisher. And, I'm just as tickled with finishing this race as I was a month ago for being the first woman finisher in another race. Just running this race was winning.
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