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Monday, March 19, 2018

St. Paddy's Half Marathon


Have you ever done back-to-back St. Patrick's Day-themed races?

Fresh off of the Leprechaun Chase (RECAP) from a week ago, I dressed in green and ran another race this past weekend.

This was my first time running the St. Paddy's Half Marathon. Not only would it be the longest distance I've run since the R'n'R Las Vegas (November 13th), it would also be the earliest I have ever done a race of this distance in the spring.


As much as I was looking forward to this event, though, I just couldn't seem to "bring it" to the race course. My mind, body, and sole(s) (see what I did there?) were just not in the game on race day.

I should also mention the weather. We'd had rain all day Friday (and all through the night), and it was STILL raining when I woke up Saturday morning. My weather app showed colder temps than previously forecasted, leaving us with the threat of a cold rain or potential ice.

I picked up Barb just before 7:00, and we drove through constant rain, sleet, and snow the entire hour en route to Des Moines. YUCK. We'd already decided this race would be more like a 13.1-mile training endeavor than an actual race because of the weather conditions.
Afraid to get out of the warm car
As we arrived at the grounds of the Iowa State Capitol, near the supposed staging area, the precipitation had tapered down to a fine mist.  The race starting time was 8:30, and we arrived on the scene just after 8:00...but didn't see the usual tents/canopies or hear any music or announcers firing up the crowd. It took us awhile to find parking, and then the staging area was not easy to spot either. We just followed other people (dressed green with matching race bibs) and eventually found the start line staging area.
Dressed in green (again)
Although the precipitation had pretty much halted, the air was still damp and the temps were chilly. Then, we stood around for a good 10-15 minutes past the supposed start time. All of a sudden, we saw the runners towards the front start to go. Ummm...where was the announcer briefing us on the delay, and why did no one say (out loud) to GO?

None the less, the race had begun.

The first mile was on city streets, then the route merged onto a paved trail that ran along the river. It was right near the 1.5-mile mark that the 5K participants turned left (to head back to the finish line) and the half marathoners turned right (and headed towards the trail that would lead them around Gray's Lake).

The temps were tricky to dress for. With the threat of rain (or snow), I wanted to be warm. I had a fleece-lined base layer and originally was going to wear a light layer over that with arm warmers and a thin puffer vest on top. On a whim, I changed out of the light layer and replaced it with an (additional) fleece-lined layer, and kept the vest. I had a fleece headband to keep my ears covered, and thin gloves. Also, let's not forget the fleece-lined tights (with lime green compression sleeves).

I started to feel a bit warm near the third mile, but didn't know of a quick way to shed a layer (I had pinned my race bib onto my vest). Momentarily, I considered trying to shimmy out of the top thermal layer (which was UNDER the vest), but that didn't seem possible. I contemplated removing the arm warmers, but they were wedged pretty securely between both layers of sleeves. I could have unpinned one side of the race bib, removed the vest, and pulled off the top fleece layer.....but that would be a lot of maneuvering while in motion (and I'm not exactly the most coordinated person). I didn't really want to stop and lose several minutes wrestling with all the clothing....so I just left everything as it was. **Spoiler: I actually felt fine a short ways later, as we rounded the west side of the lake, when the SE wind was in my face briefly.

Anyways, I had brought along two Honey Stinger gels, and was planning on "gelling" around the third/fourth mile (and later, around the 9-mile mark), except I didn't see any water stands. There had been a water stand at the 2-mile mark, so I assumed there would be another one eventually (hopefully near the 4-mile mark). About halfway through the fourth mile, I decided to do the gel anyways and sipped it a little at a time until the 5-mile mark, where I saw a random trash can (and tossed the gel wrapper).

It wasn't until the 6-mile mark where there (finally) was another water stand. There also was a porta-pot, so I pulled over and took a potty break as well. I walked for a few seconds with the water, and resumed running, feeling recharged.

The next part of the course took us into Water Works Park, which is a relatively boring trail around another small lake. I have run this trail many times (in the Des Moines Full/Half Marathons). Even in the fall, with all the leaves turning, it's kind of dull. But in the late winter, with no vegetation and lots of mud, it's even more mundane. Did I mention there was ZERO crowd support?  Thankfully, I had my music to keep me entertained.

Anyways, it's an approximate 3-mile lap around the lake. After circling the lake, we had the same water station coming out (this time it was around the 9-mile mark, though), so I sucked down my other gel. I could tell things were slowly starting to go downhill for me. My body was feeling a little fatigued, but it was my mind that had almost completely checked out. Also, we now had almost a straight 3-mile stretch ahead of us, into the wind. The wind wasn't strong, but it was cold and damp.

Even though the wind was annoying, I still felt comfortable with my layers of clothing. I had to keep playing the "gloves-on-gloves-off" game, though, because my hands kept getting over-heated or cold. I took a few brief walk breaks in the final miles because my hips were starting to feel strained (and I really didn't care about my finish time at that point.

I finally made it to the finish line, and was relieved to be done. My official time clocked in at 2:13:08, definitely not my fastest, but certainly not my worst either. My stats showed I finished 104 (overall) in the field of 147 half marathoners (the 5K had 507 participants). I finished 51st (out of the 78 women), and I was 5th out of the five gals in my age group (ha!).

What's interesting is the lead gal in my age group finished in 1:46:22, but the 2nd (2:12:19), the 3rd (2:12:46), and the 4th (2:13:06) all were pretty close. And, did you see the 4th place gal was two seconds ahead of me? TWO seconds! How's that for a buzz kill! Had I not walked so much in those final miles, I probably coulda/shoulda/woulda finished in 2nd place. Oh well, onward!
Another 13.1 done (with the Iowa Capitol in the background)
This was a race where I just really struggled to keep my head in the game. I don't know if  (1) my body was under-trained, (2) the icky weather put a damper on my attitude, or (3) if it just wasn't my day. I've had other races that were more mentally challenging than physically, and this race certainly was one of them as well. 

Some final thoughts:
I didn't realize it until afterwards, but the St. Paddy's Run is actually a national event with local venues. With that knowledge, I would have expected a little more. The limited number of water stations was disappointing. Although it was not run in the heat of summer, runners still need to stay hydrated. Also, although the medals are nice, there is no "local" insignia on them, not even on the ribbon.

The event shirts (pictured at the top of the page) are nice, though. They're hoodies (a nice change from the usual shirt) and those do designate Des Moines as the locale. We also got glass pints designating the event (but no local reference on those either).

The race course, although mainly on paved trails, was very boring. There was ZERO crowd support (and some of that may have been due to the weather). Granted, this time of year is not ideal for a scenic tour of green grass, vegetation, or trees in bloom, but had there been something along the course (like random people or more water stations) to break up the monotony, it may have been a little more interesting.

Am I glad I did this race? Yes! Even though it was not an ideal scenario or a fabulous race experience for me, it was another 13.1 finish line. I was really feeling beat-up and exhausted at the finish, but I am ever-so-grateful for the ability to do races of this distance. That said, I will classify this a "once and done" endeavor.

So....talk to me! Have you ever done a half marathon this early in the season? How about a St. Paddy's Run elsewhere?  Ever run a half marathon with only a couple of water stands?

 **I'm  linking up with Marcia and Patty and Erika for Tuesdays on the Run.  

**I'm also linking this with Debbie and Rachel and Lora for the Running Coaches' Corner.

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32 comments:

  1. Congrats! It sounds like there were some frustrating things about this race but you still did great! I know what you mean about just not being in the right mindset, I feel like that was my problem this weekend too. The chilly weather doesn't help, especially when its supposed to be March.

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    1. The weather (thankfully) was lacking precipitation, but still was SO damp and chilly. I was a shivering mess after I finished and stopped moving LOL

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  2. I recognize that medal and pint glass from a race around here and know that organizer well. I rarely if ever do those races anymore because I find them to be "bare bones" so to speak. Kudos to the 50+ lady who can put up a 1:46. That's strong. Sorry your finish wasn't what you wanted but as you know: finishing is winning! Congrats!

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    1. Oh, this definitely was a "bare bones" event. I mean, not even announcers at the start OR the finish. Kind of lame.

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  3. I like the idea of getting the hoodie instead of another t-shirt. You talking about how you wanted to remove layers during the run, reminded me of myself during NYC half. I actually had my Garmin on so tight over my shirt sleeve that I could not remove anything!

    Congrats on the finish. March races can be so unpredictable. Not just on race day but during training as well. I didn't do as well as I hoped on my ST.paddy's day race on sunday.

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    1. I knew this race had the potential for less-than-ideal weather given the time of year. I'm just really thankful the rain/sleet/snow stopped before the race began....that would have been so miserable!

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  4. I carry water with me, in case I need more than the course provides. Even if it's raining, runners need water. Especially if it's cold. I have to remind myself to stay hydrated even when I'm cold.

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    1. I sometimes carry my own water, but that's in really hot weather. I wasn't especially thirsty for this race, but I wanted a little water to wash the gel down....my tummy needs that water as a buffer when there are gels involved LOL

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  5. I've never done a themed race, but they've always sounded like fun! I'm sorry to hear about the crappy weather! That's awesome that they had hoodies though, and congrats on finishing 5th in your category! <3!

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    1. Well, my 5th place finish was out of the five gals in my age group LOL...but I definitely have had half marathons go much worse than this. My finish time is not bad, just not what I was hoping for.

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  6. The hype of a race at the start does sometimes get me more pumped and mentally in the game.Sometimes your mind and your body just don't want to cooperate with each other. Having said that, you pulled out a pretty respectable finish and I hope you are proud of that! I have not done a St Pats day race in a few years

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    1. Thanks, Deborah! As I said, I am thankful for the ability to run this distance, even on the days when the mind and body are not in sync. It's always a tad disappointing knowing you can run the distance quite a bit faster than what your finish time indicates on that one particular day. #life

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  7. Ha! I did a half marathon a month ago! Sorry, didn’t mean to rub it in. Well, maybe a little. 😝 You did a nice job in fairly tough conditions! I sometimes think runners should have their age on their calves like triathletes do (or their backs in cold weather) so you know if they’re in your age group. Then you can give that extra push when you need it.

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    1. ha ha...yes, and you probably had much warmer weather than I did ;-) That's the thing with chip timing....you never quite know where your finish time stands because someone could be way behind you but still finish with a much faster time. Oh well, as I have said more than once...I'm a runner, not a racer. ;-)

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  8. Well kudos for you for getting that race done. The weather itself would have me turning off my alarm and rolling over for an extra hour or two of sleep. My son and I signed up for a half on April 1st a few years ago. We woke up to 27 degrees and icy/sleety rain. We made our way to the start but turned left when the time came and instead did the 10K.

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    1. There was some temptation to bail on the 13.1, but I am not a fan of 5K's. Knowing most of the route (from other races), was a Catch-22. I knew the course was relatively flat (and potentially fast), but I also knew there were parts that were boring. Oh well...onward!

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  9. Congrats on another half marathon! While there were certainly things the race organization could have done better, I think that you did a great job of not letting those things get to you. Hopefully they will make some adjustments for next year's race!

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    1. I hope they improve some things! I think this was just the second year of the half marathon (but the 5K has been going for awhile). None the less, I probably won't be going back.

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  10. Sounds like it wasn't the MOST organized race in the world, but like you said, at least you have another race under your belt and another medal on your rack :).

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    1. Exactly! Every race (good or bad) has lessons to be learned.

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  11. That's a gorgeous medal- but man, sooo close on the timing!

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    1. ha ha ha...my timing definitely was a bit jacked, but my attitude took over and my finish time was not a priority.

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  12. That sounds like a really tough race. The weather alone would have been a huge deterrent for me, and I'm not sure I would have handled it as gracefully as you did.

    Congratulations on another great finish!

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    1. Thanks! This race just seemed to be a struggle from the get-go. I managed alright up until the 9th mile or so, then slowly pulled out the white flag. Thankfully, I never felt like outright quitting, but it did become a quest to find that #$&*% finish line LOL

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  13. Way to show up and push through those tough conditions. I always carry my own water bc I don’t trust water stations to be there. I’m used to low crowd support for 10Ms but it’s hard for the half distance.

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    1. Well, for the cold conditions, I didn't worry about having water with me because I thought there would definitely be more than those few water stations. The course map was a generic one from the city, so there weren't any water stations marked....that should have been an omen LOL

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  14. I definitely would have expected more from a national race. Although, sometimes those are the worst executed ones so maybe not. I am definitely NOT an early spring runner so I give mad props to you for braving the elements!

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    1. I knew in registering for a race of this distance this early in the season, the weather could be a factor. And, in all honesty, the weather could have been MUCH worse...but UGH. This was kind of a "dumb" endeavor LOL

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  15. I have done halfs in Feb/March -- but not at home. If I'm gonna run that far, I'm heading south (although even that can be a crap shoot at that time of year).

    Good for you for sticking it out & find the silver lining in it!

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  16. Congrats on a great run and getting through it! Early season races are so hard.

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  17. About 3 years ago I did the Get Lucky race here in Chicago--it is a St Pats themed race. It was cold, with that wind off Lake Michigan but that is my PR half. I feel like you never really know what you're going to get in March and you kind of have to roll with it. Sounds like you did. Congrats!

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  18. Well, my first thought is ...dang, you guys had some speedy runners in that group! If you were 5th out of 5 with that finish time then you all are fast in my book and deserve an award! I'm sure the weather played a huge part in your performance ..I know for me the weather can make or break me mentally. Congratulations!

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