recap

hooray! its over! the half marathon was actually a lot of fun- i think i trained enough that the distance wasnt too bad. for most of it, i ran with a 4.00 hr pace group- two guys decked out in blue racing gear, holding up a small sign that said "4.00 pace" on a long stick (poor guys, they had to run with it all through the marathon).  anyway i barely made it to them before the race started- there was obviously a super long line at the portopotties- where someone had totally pooped before i went in there. really?!? you couldnt have done that at home? i mean, ok, fine, whatever. gross, sorry. so i met up with the pacing group, and it was pretty smooth sailing, except for in the beginning when very very slow people and old men somehow get in front of you... whats that all about? in the spirit of patty's amazing marathon-post, i thought i would try & give the play by play as best i remember it:

mile 1: and we're off, about 6 minutes behind the start time; first thing? going over the macarthur causeway, which is like a big long pseudo bridge that connects miami to miami beach. the running group is going at what feels like a very slow pace. its a random assortment- mostly middle aged people. theres a pair of women who i can only refer to as middle-aged-blonde-fit, super type-a and aggressive ladies who are shit talking and yelling when anyone is in their way, barking their discontent. they are bitches, to say the least.  moment of victory? one of them trips and falls flat on her face. maybe you should stop barking and start running.

mile 2:  although i drive over this causeway all the time and think about how cruelly long it is, i am barely noticing its length now. feeling like a breeze. the pacers are giving us helpful tips along the way- lean forward when you're running uphill (several hills on the causeway); keep your shoulders down, arms loose, small steps- smaller steps conserve energy.

mile 3: first water break. on the beach, many turns, taking them wide per instructions. lots of weaving back and forth to stay with the pacers. crowd starting to thin a little bit.

mile 4: more water. less crowded running- although little to no cheerer's-on. sad. poor form in comparison to ny and i imagine, boston

mile 5.5: we get a tip from the pacers: "eat your goo." especially if you didnt eat it at the last water break. im not the kind of girl who eats energy-goo, to be honest, but i had packed some energy "beans" in my back pocket. 

mile 6: eat first energy bean. chocolate/coffee tasting, chaulky, gross, but its got a ton of caffeine in it. they say its better to take it before you start to fade out. we pass the 10k mark, and are under an hour (just by a minute or so). slower than my 1ok back in december, but i also couldnt breathe once that was over. still got 7 more miles to go

mile 6.5: we're passing some clubs on washington ave. there are 5 guys on the sidewalk, all in black, who totally just got off of work as busboys or waiters. they serenade us in spanish. makes me smile.

mile 7: the "publix" supermarket mile- there is a consistent crowd, one person deep, for about half a mile. better than nothing, sadly.  theres a marching band though, which i am totally pumped by. and some high school cheerleaders. awww.

mile 8: we're heading over the second causeway; this one is going fine so far. i get ahead of my pacers for room, but shortly thereafter, i loose them. 

mile 9: second energy "bean." just as disgusting as before, but im hoping it gets me through to the last 4 miles. theres more of a crowd spattered around the venetian causeway, blowing horns, and one guy sereneding us in spanish again. kinda love it.

mile 10.5: heading off the causeway; much bigger crowd. still not a lot of people, but its crowded on both sides; people have signs, are yelling, making noise; i am smiling like a mad woman. people are starting to pitter off, slowing down. the crowd is energizing. live band playing spanish music. 

mile 11: water; a pick up truck is stopped, with michael jackson karaoke going on. ok, im starting to appreciate the miami-love

mile 12: band playing 'blink 182'. kind of love this as well.

mile 12.85: we've got a quarter mile left; going under an overpass, which smells like gas, in downtown miami, and its gross. turning the corner to head to the finish line, a man with a running-baby carriage is next to me. he apparently gets it in his head that he will lift up the front wheel of the carriage, to help him go faster. instead, he looses control, RAMS it into my thigh, the carriage almost flips over. the toddler inside is fine. i give him a "WOH WATCH OUT!" and hope that this little fiasco hasnt slowed me down too much. the mind of a psycho runner?

mile 13: im almost there, i can see it, and im bolting. best estimation of speed? i dont know, it was fast, and my feet felt like they were shattering into thousands of tiny pieces with every slap of concrete. about 200 meters from the finish line, i get a horrible feeling like im going to vomit on everyone in front of me. 

and: done! just shy of two hours. im not sure how i managed to keep the 9 mile pace but yet leave my pace group behind. oddly suspicious of the ing timing, but happy nonetheless. push past the fucking slow walkers who like to just totally halt movement once passing raceline. what are they thinking? shuffle to take picture. drink water. stretch pathetically. feel like left arch is collapsing under the sheer weight of my body. i get my bagel, get my checked bag, and change into flipflops. my new shoes did spanking well. my knees are stiff but not hurting cognizably, but my right hip is tight (to be expected). i still feel waves of nausea passing over me every 30 seconds. its still very possible i might vomit. this feeling will last for several hours more. it causes me to skip both of my brunch dates, which im totally ok with.  i continue to feel in awe that people (including patty!) have run and will continue to run the actual marathon.  do they vomit along the way?  after a long nap, i feel much better. sit in front of television for hours watching 'degrassi junior high' the next generation, love it. then sit on beach with nytimes. get mild sunburn. convince myself i will run the next half marathon in march. any other takers?

in a nutshell. i hope the above was just as entertaining and magical as miss park's was, back in november. minus drinking coke while running, which honestly, i still dont get.

just finished packing for atlanta, including my new winter coat. that i had to buy today. because i am not prepared for 35 degree weather.  i think its time to crawl back into my bathrobe and watch some mindless tv.

xooxxo