Alright the expected results of my race yesterday...(that I said I'd give yesterday after my nap, that ended up lasting 16 hours, haha). Well, I didn't end up last! I know that sounds funny to say, but that was my fear. The race said we had to have a 15 minute/mile pace and I was not ready for that - at all! My pace has been 18 (on a VERY good day) - 20.
So Friday I worked at the Expo for the race all day. I woke up at 4:30am and got ready and headed down to Nashville. I started working once I got there, as a lead/key volunteer. I had a great time. I met some fun people and great staff from Chicago. Needless to say, I didn't leave the expo until almost 8:45pm (which was 9:45pm my time). I got to my hotel (which was about 15 minutes outside downtown) later on and FINALLY ate for the day. I had been so busy helping out, I left out that little detail. I took my shower and rolled my legs for a good 30 minutes to an hour - it had been a very long day and my legs were super tight. I was so worried I would get 3 steps over the start line and be done. My right knee had been giving me trouble all week and was hurting a lot worse after the expo. I was definitely getting worried. Bedtime called around 11:30pm.
I got up again at 4:30am to go volunteer some more. This wasn't in the original plan, but staffing asked me to please help them to manage the volunteers that would be there early in the morning, so I agreed. When I left KY for the race, the temperature for race day was supposed to be 50*...when I got downtown to volunteer in the morning it was not near that. It was only 18*! I was not ready for it to be that cold. Well, I did my volunteering for the morning, then got ready for what I gone to Nashville for...to race (and hopefully survive at this point).
Well, I shed the layers I had on and took a picture pre-race for my awesome buddy, Mighty Matthew to see that he was with me and we were doing that race together! He was with me for sure! I lined up in corral E - the last corral. I had my Team Mighty Matthew shirt on, capris, green cape, and green headband that said "Pain is Inevitable, Misery is Optional". I was ready to go, freezing my butt off.
As I head toward the start line I was just ready to get moving - the wind was so sharp it literally felt like it was cutting my skin! My lips were burning and my skin was becoming so dry. My goal again...to finish...and to Not Be Last! The route had a lot of hills. I didn't fall too far behind. Mile one was good...walk for a while, run a little, walk for a while, run a little. Mile 2 was completely different! There was a huge hill at the end that I got VERY sick to my stomach while walking up, dizzy, and seriously was thinking about stopping. I needed oxygen, food, to be rescued. I don't think I have felt that bad before. I couldn't see at one point because everything was just spinning. But you know what...I didn't stop. I kept going - yes I slowed down, but I didn't stop. I made it up the hill and I knew once I went down the hill all I had was a turn and about 3/10 of a mile and I would be at the finish line! I walked down the hill...I got to the 3 mile sign and then started running. I ran through the finish line!
One of my friends I had made found me as soon as I was finished and asked how it was - my response, "I'm very dizzy," and he said, "There's a chair." So I did collapse on the bench afterwards and had some issues with the cold, frostbite, etc., but I made it! I looked at my results later - at this point, just happy I finished and didn't even care if I finished last...that hill killed me and I finished and didn't stop. I was proud of myself for that.
I finished in 53:57 (which is pretty good for me), at a pace of 17:24. I finished 302/313 for my AG and 2839/3015 Overall.
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