Registration
I entered the lottery for the inaugural Nike Women's Half Marathon back in December... and didn't get in. I got over it and registered for Goodlife Toronto Half the weekend after instead.
In early March, I received an email from Nike with a '2nd Chance' offer to register for this race. Spots were limited so I had to make a quick decision... I checked and Porter had an irresistible flight sale, so I figured that it was meant to be! The registration fee ($160) was way more than I'd pay for any other Half, but I was going for the Nike race 'experience' --- and to be honest, the Tiffany bling! The necklace I earned in 2010 SF has become a part of my regular wardrobe so I was anxious to add a new one to the rotation.
Pre-Race
My training cycle ahead of this race was better than any other Half I've previously trained for. I hit the distance (or close to it) three times ahead of the race, all at faster-than PB (1:55) paces. I had no nagging injuries and lost a few lbs which sped up my pace significantly. I even toughed it out during the long-ish winter, which is something I don't usually do [i'm a cold weather wimp]. Had a nice 2 week taper and was ready for the race....
I flew into DC early on Saturday morning, wanting to try and sight-see a bit before the race. Got to the race expo (sorry, "Expotique") around 11am, where there was a giaaaaaaaant line for bib/packet pick-up. Despite the length of the seemingly endless line, it moved fairly quickly and I had my bib within 15 minutes. The staff seemed pretty organized and in good spirits, trying to get folks excited. There wasn't much in the race pack except a shampoo sample and a granola type bar. Not exactly $160 worth but I knew the real goodies were to be found at the end of the race! The rest of the expo featured exhibits from Nike (obvs), Nuun, Luna Bar, BareMinerals (free 'make-under') and Paul Mitchell (free hairstyling). I didn't stick around for too long -- it was packed! A similar scenario played out at Nike Georgetown, which was mobbed with ladies grabbing race gear. The limited edition 'Tiffany-coloured' Nike Frees were long gone in my size, so I was out of there empty handed. Found my name, with all the others', on the wall outside the store. Pretty neat! Unlike in SF, I could actually get close enough to take a picture of it.
Walked around DC the rest of the day, which I'm sure my legs and feet didn't appreciate ahead of the race but I couldn't forego seeing the White House, the Capital, the National Mall, Washington Monument, Lincoln Memorial, MLK Memorial, Jefferson Memorial, and the Vietnam Memorial. It was quite a whirlwind but I conquered all that I could in the limited time I had allowed myself.
Race Time
The race was set to start at 7 so I was packed in the corral around 6:40am in the 7:30-9:00/mile pace group. They ended up compressing the corrals at 6:45 so I had a bunch of 9:00+ folks around me by that point. Shalane Flanagan and Joan Benoit Samuelson were on hand and gave us a little pep talk ahead of the race ( they also ran, as a training run). We had a touching moment of silence for Boston, followed by the American anthem. Some folks were in tears by that point.
The horn went off around 7:03 and we were off -- albeit a bit slower than anticipated due to the crowding at the start.
Mile 1-2 - The first mile sent us under a very long underpass/tunnel which left little room for passing. The tunnel itself was neat, they had folks playing drums under there and the echoing was quite cool. A girl tried to make a risky pass on the cluttered shoulder/sidewalk and bailed into the crowd ahead of me. She skidded across the payment but bounced up quickly and started running again. I hope she was able to finish the race! I stopped breathing for a few seconds, afraid she would get trampled -- but she had fast reflexes. We finally got out of the tunnel and were onto an overpass now. Once we were off the overpass, the crowding subsided a bit and I was able to pick up the pace. I wasn't allowing myself to look at my watch (not sure why, in hindsight...a bit of a mental block) so I was relying on perceived effort to pick up / release steam.
Mile 3-4 - The next two miles took us over the bridge to Arlington for a small loop and then back. I was done 5K in 25:46 so my self-estimates weren't too far off what the clock told me. Was feeling decent, despite the warmer-than-training temperature (never got a long run in that was warmer than 5 degrees)....
Mile 5-6 - After the bridge, we were headed north towards (and on the way back, under) the Kennedy Center. They had an awesome drum band at that point that got our spirits up. There was some nice shade in the section too which helped keep my internal thermostat down. Had lots of space around me at this point so I didn't have to stress about trying to get around anyone. Mile 6 brought us into Potmac Park..... Was done 10K in 50:51 and was feeling good!.
Mile 6-10 - We were in the park for (almost) 4 miles, and I actually enjoyed it despite having fewer crowds around than in the city centre. There were a couple more enthusiastic bands that kept us going. It would've been gorgeous down there if the cherry blossoms were still in bloom, but we were a couple weeks too late. There was a breeze off the water but I didn't mind as it was cooling me down! At 15K I hit 1:17:13 and saw that my PB was still doable despite my slightly slowing pace. The "heat" (15 degrees?) was getting to me, especially in the sun. I doused myself in water at the aid stations, which seemed to help temporarily! Has anyone invented an ice headband yet!?
Mile 11 - Back into the city, back into a much less crowded underpass! The drums were still going, pushing us along. The lack of sun in this stretch was appreciated
Mile 12 - This was the coolest mile I've ever run! We were headed directly towards the Capitol Building and did a lap around the reflecting pool out front. It almost looked like a surreal mirage to me at this point. There was no shade anymore so I had to push myself to get back to a decent pace again. I think I couldve used more fuel in the tank to get me through the back 5K -- will adjust appropriately this weekend. There was a ton of spectators as we made the turn back towards the finish.
Mile 13 (and .1) - The course was pretty darn flat overall (except for bridges/overpasses) so I could se the finish line a mile out. This was motivating, yet a bit demoralizing as it took forever to feel like I was getting any closer. The sun was getting to me so I just chugged along at a reasonable pace. Wasn't going to gain much time at this point so I tried to soak in the experience.....
Finish
As I was about to cross the finish, a volunteer directed me to the left side of the shute -- where Joan and Shalane were waiting for high-fives!! That was a super cool experience. The finish area was covered in red carpet and handsome ROTC men in tuxes handed us that beautiful blue box! I have some new bling to go with.....
MY NEW PB!!!!! 1:48:52!!
Woohoo!
Post-Race
Since the bulk of participants were behind me, I was able to enjoy the post-race amenities without long wait times. I even got my make-up done (which I washed off as soon as I showered at the hotel). I was so proud of my PB that I bought a finishers sweatshirt (yes, for a half). Damn Nike marketing machine, it gets me everytime.
All and all, a great run in an amazing city! I will be back (if they'll have me, that is!)
