A Solo Virtual 13.1...some thoughts

As the saying goes, "I can do hard things."

And, once in awhile, I can do said hard things on my own and with a smile.

Case in point: The Key West Half Marathon. I chose to run it virtually, on my own, mostly in the o'dark hours, sans friends or course support. And, I finished with a crazy dose of finish line endorphins, believe it or not.

First off, I had been registered for this epic event since last summer. I knew we'd be in Florida, for the month of January, so why not? Long story short, I was naive in thinking lodging would be easy to come by, or affordable if you could actually score a place. As race day drew near, I considered just driving there (on race day) and driving back...but that didn't pan out either. And, to further complicate matters, my right hip flexor had been giving me some attitude, so I was leery of risking such a big travel agenda only to have to bail on the start line or DNF while on the race course.

Thus, I decided my best option would be to run the 13.1 miles virtually. After all, I'd still be running those 13.1 miles in the state of Florida, so that would somewhat mimic the race day conditions (weather-wise, palm trees, etc. LOL). A bonus would be that I could do it on my own terms, and there would be ZERO time in the car before or after (which my entire body, especially my hip, would appreciate).

So, how did that work for me? In a nutshell, it worked out remarkably well!

Here are five key challenges I had to face in making this virtual Key West 13.1 a successful endeavor:

Realistic expectations. Even though my training had been a bit botched in recent weeks (my longest run had been eight miles, back in mid-December), I had high hopes my endurance would still be able to carry me. But, there was that thing going on with my hip flexor (and recent back pain)...so, I knew I had to take things easy. It would have been ever-so-stupid (and quite arrogant, truth be told) to even think a PR could happen, so I focused on the (virtual) finish line and not the finish time. There would be walk breaks (several of them, LOL), but they would probably be necessary.

I definitely had the weather on my side!

The location. Although I have run several races in Florida, I have never run a half marathon in the sunshine state. That said, I had only been in my immediate area for a couple weeks. I had some shorter routes I'd discovered, but I hadn't had the time to map out an actual 13.1-mile "race course." My game plan was to run these shorter routes (which are all loops), and that would allow me the option to swing by our place for water or fuel or a potty stop.

In the wee-dark hours. I am no stranger to running in the early, pre-sunrise hours. I have already done many such runs, during our snowbirding gig. With other Saturday plans on the agenda, I had to get this virtual race done early...which meant a 5:35 start time. Thankfully, this is a very well-lit area, with numerous golf cart paths and plenty of sidewalks (and very few streets to cross). It wasn't until between the eighth and ninth mile that I had the beginning of daylight.  

finally, a sunrise

My entertainment: Me, Myself and I. I'm also no stranger to running solo. Setting out to run 13.1 miles all on my own (in a somewhat still unfamiliar place), though, was a major mental undertaking. Most know that I no longer bring along my headphones or music, so I didn't have any outside sources to distract (or entertain) me from the task at hand. I did see several other walkers, though, at that early hour, as well as many golf carts (already!) driving around.

No race day amenities. As most know, running a virtual race is simply just not the same as being on an actual race course. There were no fellow runners to chat with, or share support or encouragement. Obviously, there weren't any water stands. I didn't see one spectator with a clever sign. I didn't hear any cowbells. I didn't even get any immediate swag (more on that below). But, when my Garmin showed 13.1, I felt quite accomplished, and (dare I say?) victorious!

Alas, all went surprisingly well. The mid-40F temps were chilly, but comfortable (thankfully, I successfully had my layering game on-point). I did take several walk breaks (at mile marks 3.5, 6 and 9) and only paused my Garmin for my two potty stops (a perk of running virtual, LOL). Although my finish time is nothing stellar (in comparison to my usual half marathon finish time of 2:05ish), I'm fine with it. If I had to guess, I'd say my "walking time" was anywhere between 10-15 cumulative minutes. Taking those minutes into consideration, my finish time was not too far off. Oh well, it's not like I was in contention for any awards anyways, LOL.

Definitely one of my slower finishes, but a finish none the less

As mentioned, I didn't get my swag at the (virtual) finish line, nor do I know when it will arrive. Having rallied all my grit and perseverance to run these 13.1 miles, on my own (with a compromised pace), I will have ZERO guilt wearing the event shirt. This also was my first-ever January half marathon, so this event shirt will have a great deal of sentimental value when it shows up in my mailbox.

Isn't this a thing of beauty!

And, the medal! How could I not want this baby as a keepsake?

gotta love the rooster-themed medal!

So, that's what went down on a chilly (very) early Saturday morning on the streets of Florida. I was several hours north of the in-person event, but I had a similar setting. I just didn't have any roosters on the race course! 

Have you ever taken on a virtual race? If so, did you run it solo or with a friend(s)? Would you take a DNF over running a virtual half marathon?

  I'm linking this with Michelle, Renee, Darlene, Jenn and Zenaida for the Fit Five Friday Link-up.

By the way...are you following me on social media?

Let's connect : Facebook Instagram  Pinterest Twitter