Review: Half Marathon during the Vancouver USA Marathon

What: Vancouver USA Marathon 

Where: Vancouver, WA

When: June 22, 2015

Distance: Half marathon - 13.1 miles

I did something I never ever ever ever thought I'd do this last weekend: I took part in a half marathon. And guess what? I'll completed it! Sure. It was my goal, but I must admit that doubt monster inside me hit a few weeks before the event. My knees were shaking.

So before I say more, I should tell you the back story about how I ended up signing up for this half marathon. It was this time last year that I volunteered to help out during the Vancouver USA Marathon. I was there on race day, helping hand out race packets, T-shirts and numbers to folks who couldn't make it the packet pickup.

As I watched the marathon runners and then the half runners take off, I saw people like me taking off too. They weren't all running. They were walking, just with the goal to get it done.

And it was also there that I learned there was a 5 hour limit for the half marathon and a 7 hour limit for the marathon. Many of the half marathons I considered in the past were a lot less generous with a time limit. I thought, "You know, 5 hours?! Hmm. I might be able to do that."

And so I signed up.

I must admit that I had such great plans to train. Life totally got in the way so my training plan really became my line-up of 5Ks and 10ks (and for fun walks), but at least I had that.

So after months and months of waiting (and getting ready), Race Day came on Sunday.

I got there about 20 minutes before the start so I could meet up with my race buddy to hand off her bib to her, pose for a couple pictures together and then head to the start line. 

We took took off fairly quickly after we lined up, giving me no time to chicken out. Believe me, the thought was there. I posted a quick picture online for my friends from afar (who knew of my crazy plan to do the half) to see we were taking off. (Thanks, guys, for the encouragement!)

Just as we started, my race buddy told me to not push it. Start off slow. Take it slow. So I did.

I was slow alright. I was right near the end of the pack from the start.

We whipped through downtown Vancouver and then through a nearby neighborhood. As we started into the neighborhood, the half course merged with the marathon course. 

The neighborhood part was on my favorite parts because of some the residents came out and cheered folks as they passed. One gentleman had a hose and offered to mist runners as they passed by.

I kept thinking early on, "How am I possibly going to do this? Why am I doing this? Why?"

Then I started looking at my phone periodically realized I was making decent time. Shock. Mile 2, Mile 3 and Mile 5. I might get it done in 4 hours.

It was about Mile 4 when I thought, "I can do this. ____ doubts." (You can fill in that blank.)

So there I was all fired up that I could do it.

I hit Mile 5. And then I hit 6. Six is what I remember to be hilly on the way the overpass that would take us over Highway 14 and back toward the Finish Line.

I slowed down. A lot.

I found myself saying, "Regroup. Regroup! You are not crazy. You can do this."

By the time Mile 8 hit, it was starting to get toasty warm outside. And I slowed down even more. 

It wasn't bad early in the day, but once afternoon hit, it was just plain hot. For me, that (+ a few hills) was a recipe for supreme slowness. 

I managed to pull it off though by just going slow, particularly during the last two miles.

I stopped sporadically whenever I hit a shady spot. Not because I was dying from taking part, just really that I wanted to cool down a little. It was the only way I was going to get through it.
The final hill, which took us up toward the entrance to Officer's Row, definitely was my slowest moment of the whole race. I got energized though when a gent from Energy Events drove by, telling me the course was nearing time of closure but I was so close and almost to the end. He assured me I'd finish, get my medal and was soooo, soooo close. Oh yes, and there was a water station just steps away! ;) 
So I sped up, went over another overpass, crossed the street and took a right and then a left and walked right down that Finish Line. It really was close.
The coolest parts at the end was (1) one of the folks from Energy Events congratulated me and it was so sincere and (2) Bart Yasso, running extraordinaire, called out my name as I crossed the Finish Line. Oh yeah, and I loved that the person who handled me my medal was a soldier. In that moment, I didn't care about the medal or the 13.1 miles I'd come. I just thanked her for her service!  
Of course, after that, I grabbed some water and headed to the snack area for races. I picked up a banana, apple and bottle of Gatorade and headed to the nearest bench and just enjoyed the sunlight for awhile, as well as the satisfaction that I'd actually pulled this off. Oh, and I texted my buddy and a friend (who was on standby in case I totally collapsed during the race) to say I'd made it.
It was slow... and slow... and slow...  experience, but dang it. I'm so glad to have had the opportunity to have attempted it. I appreciate Energy Events so much for having a race that makes it possible for a slow mover like myself to have a chance to enjoy that satisfaction others get from completing half marathons. Thank you, Energy Events. 

What we got:

Of course, there was a finisher's medal at the Finish Line. This was the 5 year anniversary of the marathon so this year's medals were inspired by that first one.

Isn't she lovely?

At packet picket, we received a really cool, lightweight T-shirt and a reuseable tote bag with a bunch of promotional swag, including a Jamba Juice cowbell + a coupon for a free small Jamba Juice, deodorant, a Showerpill body wipe, a Clifbar, a packet of Fruit Crunch from Mariani, Belvita Biscuits, a sample of Shave Secret and more. 

Here's a taste of what was there.  

 

I really liked getting a real T-shirt. I've taken part in so many races lately where I received Tech Shirts. While they are nice, it's nice to have a shirt you can wear in general and not just when working out.

Final thoughts:

I said never again before I did this one. Yeah, well. I'm thinking already about the next half I'll do. But maybe not for a long while.