RNR DC Half Marathon
March 14, 2015
2:18:59
Temp: mid 40s, rainy, and windy (read: awful)
What I wore: hat, short sleeve shirt, arm sleeves, Skirt Sports Happy Girl skirt,
PROCompression socks, my Altra Intuitions AND a space blanket tied around my shoulders.
I went into this race planning to run/walk. I’d just run 18 miles the day before, so I expected (as one would) to have tired, heavy legs. As I waited in the corral with my space blanket from a previous race wrapped tightly around me, someone asked my goal. My answer? “Well, I was just running to finish since I ran long yesterday, but I’m so cold that I’m going to push the pace.”
Turns out that’s exactly what I did. I figured if I couldn’t get warm, I might as well get done. I only walked once: the nasty hill up from Rock Creek Parkway. My mind wasn’t always strong, but I KNEW I could keep going. So I did.
The good:
- I really like this course. I love the views at the beginning and the rolling hills at the end.
- I really like the medal this year.
- My legs felt really good for legs that had run 18 miles the previous day.
- The Brooks VIP potty access that a friend gifted me with right before the race. (Warm, dry, well-lit flushing potties are priceless on a cold wet day!)
- The awesome friends I saw at mile 10 that totally gave me a boost.
- The Gu at mile 8 or so. Who knew I’d like strawberry banana gu??
- Meeting up with Cythia from You Signed Up For What?
The bad:
- The rain.
- The cold. I underestimated how cold it was and totally should have worn another layer. (See: space blanket.)
- The wait in the corrals. Normally I don’t mind as it’s nice to get everyone spread out, but I was pretty well frozen by the time my ridiculously late corral started.
The ugly:
- The Gear Check. This was the first time EVER that I’ve checked a bag. I’m not sure what was up with our UPS truck as most were no lines and super fast, but I waited for more than 20 minutes in the cold and rain to get my bag.
- The metro. This year was the worst ever. We waited outside the station in the cold and rain for a crazy amount of time. I spent that entire time panicking because I needed to pick up Jones by a specific time. (I barely made it – got home at 12:28, grabbed car keys, and picked him up at school by 12:35 in my wet clothes and medal.)
Would I do it again?
Probably. I like the course a lot (you won’t if you are not a fan of rolling hills). It’s well organized. I like the bling. But it seems to always fall on the same weekend as an orchestra event, so it’s never easy for me. Also, I will never deal with the metro again. I’m just going to have to learn to drive in DC.
Disclaimer: I got a Tour Pass from Rock ‘n’ Roll as a Rock’n’Blog member. All opinions are my own.
the VIP potty pass is so worth it! Nice job getting it done w crappy weather. You kind of look like a super hero in your “cape”
Great Job! Getting bling is always a bonus.
Metro is such a pain in the butt. I hate it and will do anything to avoid riding it at all costs.
Great job getting out there on such a cold, rainy day, especially after having run 18 miles the day before. You’re a rock star!
Great job! I think I need to do it again just to actually see the course. I was looking at the ground the whole time to avoid pot holes and puddles. I did better than I planned too – I think because just like you I just wanted to be done!
Way to rock out a half marathon after a long run day! That’s amazing.
The cold and rain sounded like it sucked. Did you wear your space blanket the whole race?
I still can’t believe the bad weather you all ran in last weekend. I have a half this sunday and the high is 24 degrees!! EEK!! Congrats on finishing after an 18-miler – that’s pretty amazing!
I don’t mind cold – it was really the rain and wind that made it suck. Good luck this weekend.
Congratulations! You are rockstar for running a half the day after an 18 miler! Strawberry-banana GU is probably my favorite flavor.
I had never had strawberry banana and it’s not a flavor I like in things like yogurt, but it was darn good at mile 11!
OH my gosh I heard it started raining for this 🙁 AT least you looked super cute!! I can’t believe you ran this after running 18m the day before! You are a beast!!!
Thanks! I figured I’d bring my own sunshine by wearing bright bright clothes.
Glad you got it done and got to your pickup on time. Whew! I hate running in the cold and rain. Cannot IMAGINE seeing this through. You are a ROCKstar!
There was some suck to it, but I survived.
Great job! I raced too and it was definitely a tough day out there! I actually may have overdressed, I got pretty warm by mile 5-6 but not warm enough to shed layers. This was my third time on the course and I definitely liked the medal and shirt better this year than in other years. The first two years I ran, the medals were identical! It was definitely a great race in terms of crowd support too! I was lucky that I didn’t have to wait for the metro since I was walking distance to the finish but every time I’ve ever seen any kind of event at the stadium, the lines are insane to get into the station! Metro needs to run more trains on the weekends!
I wish I’d overdressed. I tend to run cold, so I don’t know what I was thinking when I left my jacket at home…
I absolutely love the VIP porta potty from Brooks. I received that for Marine Corps and really thought that was a great perk. Congrats on your race….it sure was a wet one!
Yes, I am so grateful to my friend for hooking me up with that.
That medal is gorge and I think RnR shirts keep getting better and better. Bummed the weather was so sucky for you but you rocked the super hero cape!
Thanks! I felt so goofy, but was too cold to really care LOL.
Holy crap for running 18 miles the previous day and still makin’ it out alive and well! That’s amazing!
(+ hooray for race bling! :)!
Thanks! It went better than I expected!
Congrats on finishing. I’m a power walker and have been waiting for good weather.
I don’t typically like rolling hills but for some reason I didn’t seem to mind them. I think i was so distracted by the cold and focused on finishing that I didn’t have time to think about it. You definitely need to buy the parking pass next time…it is so KEY to that race!
If I run it next year, I will definitely be doing that.
Great job bagging number 39! especially in those conditions. My little sister was there and she remarked on the horrible metro wait also.
Yeah, I’m just going to have to drive next time. I wouldn’t have minded so much if I wasn’t so cold and wet and needed to pick up a kid.
Seriously…after 18 miles the day before? I’m so impressed. I love the aluminum shawl look. 😉 You’ve got me beat on the half count! I need to up my game. Ha ha. Great medal too!
Wow! I’m so impressed that you ran a half-marathon after your 18 mile long run!!! You’re a beast!
I know I am weird, but I love slightly chilly, rainy weather for races. I always seem to run faster and it’s never quite as difficult as it is in the heat!
#WowLinkUp
I definitely don’t mind chilly and a bit of rain is fine, but it was windy that day too, so I just couldn’t stay warm. I ran faster than planned in hopes that I’d warm up, but it didn’t happen.
What do you do with all of your medals? I know someone who can take your racing t-shirts and turn them into a quilt. #wowlinkup
I just had a quilt made with my 2014 race shirts. I love it. All my medals are on my wall…