Now for the race:
First of all, this race turned out to be expensive. Not only was the entry fee higher than many races, but since it was on Mackinac Island, there was an expensive boat ride. Also, we signed up for the dinner afterwards which was not as good as it cost. So, between 2 entry fees, 3 ferry tickets, and 3 dinners, it cost about $150, not including the gas to drive the 2.5 hours there and 2.5 hours back. Thankfully, my in-laws watched the other kids.
The weekend before the race was beautiful, sunny, and unseasonably warm. The weather forecast for the race day was 40% chance of rain and a high of 47 degrees Fahrenheit (8.3 Celsius). Driving there, it rained off and on. It rained on the ferry ride. It was drizzling when we got off the ferry.
This is a picture of the island from the ferry on our way out. You can see the clouds started to break up and there is sun. Go figure!Mackinac Island is an historic island in Michigan. There are no motorized vehicles on the island except a fire truck and an ambulance. You must either walk, ride a bike, ride a horse, or ride in a horse drawn vehicle. When we got off the ferry, there was a horse drawn vehicle with a sign that read public transportation. It was headed to the where the race begins. So, we got on with a bunch of other people. Then the driver turned around and said, "Every needs to pay $4.50 per person. I will not leave until everyone pays." So we hopped off and walked the mile to the hotel in the rain.
My Daughter and I before the race.When we got found where the registration was, there was a big wall with every one's name followed by a number. We gave that number to the people at the registration desk and they gave us an envelope and a race shirt. The envelope had our race number which we pinned on and a tracking device which we put on our shoes.
The tracking device is pretty cool. It's not gps or anything. When you cross the starting line, the computer starts tracking your personal time. When you cross the finish line, it records your time. In other words, it doesn't matter how long after the race starts that you cross the starting line, your time is tracked from when you cross the line. My wife said that there were people who waited five minutes before they started.
Anyhow, it was cold and rainy. We were miserable. However, the rain had let up by the time we started.
And we are off!The road we started on was a nice flat, level path. About 50 yards (45.7 meters) after the start, the road turned. At the turn, I was surprised by a steep incline. which after a while veered off the to the left. Then there was a turn to the right, and the steep incline continued. Then there was another turn to the left where the incline decreased...a little. After a while, it finally leveled out.
After that first second turn to find more steep incline, I was scared. I was afraid that half the race was going to be uphill. I was already winded, and I wasn't sure I could last. I was afraid that even if it has leveled out that I had used up so much energy just running up the hills, I wouldn't last. I was also afraid that my 8 year old daughter would get discouraged right away. She was somewhere behind me, but I couldn't go back to see how she was doing.
I kept plugging away, and hoped that my daughter was too. Once we got past those initial hills, we were in the woods. It was much warmer in the woods. In fact, I started to wonder if I overdressed. Anyhow, I picked my pace and just kept going. I was surprised to see that some of the runners just walked up the hills in the woods. I kept running, hoping I would not wear out too soon.
Back in the woods, there some downhill stretches as well. I just let my weight, momentum and legs take me quickly down those.
It was interesting running with all those other people. I was tempted to run to try to pass up people who passed me, but I would have worn my self out too soon doing that. I was surprised to pass people that looked to be in much better shape than me. I even passed up another fat guy, though he was not as big as me.
Still, I was worried that I picked too quick of a pace. I wanted to finish the 5.7 mile race in an hour. I would need to run about 10.5 minute miles to do that. The first mile was over 11 minutes. I thought I would be faster the second mile since that huge incline at the start slowed me down. But I was still over 11 minutes by the second mile.
This is a picture of the downtown area of the island. I took this on our way out. It figures that the sun came out after the race. lolWhen we were running through the woods, we were on a paved bike path. However, there was a point just before the third mile, the race turned onto an unpaved path. Now, I had to contend with mud and puddles. I made it through, but I kept worrying about my daughter. I hoped that she wasn't discouraged or all worn out.
At the end of the muddy path, we turned on the road that went around the island. This road was exposed. The wind was blowing and the rain was drizzling down. Thankfully, the wind was at our backs. The people who ran the half-marathon had to run into the wind for a good 1/3 of their run.
Once, I was out on the flat road, I knew I had to pick up my pace if I were going to finish in under an hour. So, I started to go a little faster and see how I felt by the 4 mile mark. By the time I hit that mark, I saw that I would need to go even faster to make it in under and hour. So I picked up the pace a little more.
My heart rate monitor showed that my heart rate was pretty high. I started to worry that I would have a heart attack. I was mad. I couldn't blow all this training by having a heart attack. I thought maybe I should slow down. Then, reason returned. I thought about all that I had done over the past 9 months, and the running I had done for the last 13 weeks, and said that my heart could take it. I have built up its strength and endurance. So, I told myself, I would see how I felt by the 5 mile mark.
When I hit the five mile mark, I realized that there was no way I would finish in an hour, so I quit!
...Hah! Just kidding. I didn't quit. I picked up the pace anyhow. I wanted to finish as close to and hour as I could. I even passed a few people who had passed me earlier. That reminds me. Somewhere after the four mile mark, a walker passed me. She was a power walker. The difference between her walking and running is a fine line. I expected to be passed by a few power walkers. Thankfully, it was only one.
I am coming to the finish line and pass that guy before I cross. Hah!That last 0.7 miles, I kicked it up. When I saw the finish line, I poured everything I had left in me as if I were battling for first place. When I crossed the finish line, I had tears in my eyes. I am not sure why I cried and became so emotional. I certainly wasn't sad. They weren't tears of joy either. I think I was profoundly moved by what I had just done. I guess I didn't realize how much this race meant to me until that moment.
In the last 9 months, I have lost a lot of weight. I have fit into smaller and smaller clothes. I have enjoyed compliments about how I look. I have been able to physically do things, I had not been able to do for awhile. None of it even comes close to how I felt when I crossed that finish line. I am getting choked up now as I write about it. I am not sure why this had such a profound affect on me, but it has. Without a doubt, I will be in more races.
After finishing, all I wanted to do was bask in my accomplishment, but I still had a 8 year old girl on my mind. So I headed back down the road. This time, I was going into the wind. It was miserable. I had no idea how far back my daughter was, or if she was even still running, or what. My heart leapt when I turned a corner and saw her running. It was somewhere between 4 and 5 miles. She was doing it. She kept going. I started to cheer for her. She looked up and smiled.
When I saw that smile, a pride welled up inside me like I had never felt before. All my fears and worries dissipated as she kept plugging away. I fell in beside her and ran with her the rest of her way to the finish. When she passed the five mile mark, she said, "I can't believe I have actually run five miles. If I ran five, I can run the rest." I told her, "I know you can. You are stronger than you think you are."
That a mantra I had her say when we trained. When we were getting toward the end of our running sessions, I would tell to say out loud, "I am stronger than I think I am!" It would have her repeat it louder and louder. Then I would cheer. Now, I saw that she was stronger than I thought she was and I couldn't have been prouder.
When she saw the finish line, she put on the gas and sprinted across it. She is a champion. I am not sure, but I think she might have been the youngest runner there. Regardless, there are not many 8 year olds that can say they did what she did.
Here is my daugher coming to the finish line. They guy behind her is a half-marathoner. The finish for both races were at the same place though the trails were different. She is AWESOME!After the race, we went to were they posted the results. My finishing time was 1:03:58 with a pace of 11:14. I missed my goal by 4 minutes. However, I did reach my other 2 goals: To finish the race and not to come in last. I came in 18th in my age group (35-39) of which there were at least 20. I came in 289th overall of which there were at least 380. The final stats haven't been posted yet. We don't know my daughter's official time yet, but I think it was around 1:40:00.
This post is way too long already so I will end it here with our running mantra:
"You are stronger than you think you are!"
Living Fit Is My #1 Job!
UPDATE: The final results are in. There were 398 finishers and 21 in my age group. My daughter's time was 1:41:37 and she was 397th overall. Hah! She didn't finish last either!!!
