In December Julie asked me to travel with her to Dallas and run a HM with her. Our goal was to finish less than 1:45:00. We stayed with her brother, Scott and it was a good vacation from regular Omaha life (for me anyway) - 6h of sleep, morning shower, 3 mini bagels with peanut butter, and out the door by 6:15. We picked up her other brother, Jeremy and stopped for a Starbucks coffee. I needed my morning caffeine.
We arrived at White Rock Lake at 7:10. It was a tad chilly, but I kept reminding myself that there is snow in Omaha. Julie and I jogged a couple miles to warm up before I stripped down to my Team Nebraska singlet and short spandex shorts. There were about 750 runners in the Half Marathon. Weather was perfect (~50F) and the location was a very beautiful park (roads and bike path). We started off strong and fast, but it felt like a good day. I was the only one in the group that drank from the first water station at Mile 1, but I figured it was probably a good idea. I didn't bring any gels and decided to forgo all Gatorade and stick with water.
Julie and I never ran together during our training but it was nice getting to do this race together. We didn't talk much except to do pace checks. I told her 'run comfortably uncomfortable' and pull back from people ahead of us that were 'pulling us'. Matt gave her a new Garmin a day prior and I had to tell her to stop looking at it.
A missing water station after Mile 4 threw Julie for a loop and she told me to go ahead a Mile 7. We ran 5-6 miles without water and it was a real bummer. I checked her distance repeatedly, and she fell further and further behind so I decided to wait for her at the next water station somewhere during Mile 10. She struggled the last 4 miles.I kept two steps ahead of her; each time I got too close she would slow down and say "_______ hurts....I can't....." (never a good thing to hear or say or think while you're running). I figured if she could see me in front, she could turn her brain off and keep her legs in autopilot. I know Julie and she is an amazing athlete and runner. I also know her downfall is her mental toughness. About a 20 meters I saw the race clock and it read 1:44:50. We surged to the finish line crossing just seconds before our goal time.
Julie asked me what I think I could have got if I didn't stop to wait for her, but I told her I don't think about it nor do I care. I was there for her and I was determined to do what we set out to do - help her finish in good time. It wouldn't have made me any happier to PR if my friend didn't finish or stopped to walk. She confirmed to me that I did the right thing when said she would have stopped. It's funny because she said it was "way harder than Lincoln" last year when she ran along side her husband. I told her "that (pain) is what it feels like to work" and that she should be proud of pushing through it. She took 5 minutes off Lincoln HM, which is a huge deal.
Later than night I went on line and checked out the race results:
Julie was 4/70 in the F25-29 (1:44:56) and I was 2/70 in the F35-39 (1:44:54). I'm not sure what I won, but we didn't stick around for the awards (whoops!). The rest of the day we spent eating and drinking - there was no calorie deficient. Everything really is bigger in Texas, and my belly was no exception.
The high for the day turned out to be sunny and 75F. Gorgeous! It was the best 46h vacation ever and I wouldn't have changed a thing.
We landed in Omaha yesterday morning to 7F....back to life as an early-morning-before-the-butt-crack-of-dawn-cold-weather-winter-running-mother.
We arrived at White Rock Lake at 7:10. It was a tad chilly, but I kept reminding myself that there is snow in Omaha. Julie and I jogged a couple miles to warm up before I stripped down to my Team Nebraska singlet and short spandex shorts. There were about 750 runners in the Half Marathon. Weather was perfect (~50F) and the location was a very beautiful park (roads and bike path). We started off strong and fast, but it felt like a good day. I was the only one in the group that drank from the first water station at Mile 1, but I figured it was probably a good idea. I didn't bring any gels and decided to forgo all Gatorade and stick with water.
Julie and I never ran together during our training but it was nice getting to do this race together. We didn't talk much except to do pace checks. I told her 'run comfortably uncomfortable' and pull back from people ahead of us that were 'pulling us'. Matt gave her a new Garmin a day prior and I had to tell her to stop looking at it.
A missing water station after Mile 4 threw Julie for a loop and she told me to go ahead a Mile 7. We ran 5-6 miles without water and it was a real bummer. I checked her distance repeatedly, and she fell further and further behind so I decided to wait for her at the next water station somewhere during Mile 10. She struggled the last 4 miles.I kept two steps ahead of her; each time I got too close she would slow down and say "_______ hurts....I can't....." (never a good thing to hear or say or think while you're running). I figured if she could see me in front, she could turn her brain off and keep her legs in autopilot. I know Julie and she is an amazing athlete and runner. I also know her downfall is her mental toughness. About a 20 meters I saw the race clock and it read 1:44:50. We surged to the finish line crossing just seconds before our goal time.
Julie asked me what I think I could have got if I didn't stop to wait for her, but I told her I don't think about it nor do I care. I was there for her and I was determined to do what we set out to do - help her finish in good time. It wouldn't have made me any happier to PR if my friend didn't finish or stopped to walk. She confirmed to me that I did the right thing when said she would have stopped. It's funny because she said it was "way harder than Lincoln" last year when she ran along side her husband. I told her "that (pain) is what it feels like to work" and that she should be proud of pushing through it. She took 5 minutes off Lincoln HM, which is a huge deal.
Later than night I went on line and checked out the race results:
Julie was 4/70 in the F25-29 (1:44:56) and I was 2/70 in the F35-39 (1:44:54). I'm not sure what I won, but we didn't stick around for the awards (whoops!). The rest of the day we spent eating and drinking - there was no calorie deficient. Everything really is bigger in Texas, and my belly was no exception.
The high for the day turned out to be sunny and 75F. Gorgeous! It was the best 46h vacation ever and I wouldn't have changed a thing.
We landed in Omaha yesterday morning to 7F....back to life as an early-morning-before-the-butt-crack-of-dawn-cold-weather-winter-running-mother.
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