The event took place in Hillsboro, Oregon. There were actually two events going on at the same time: the half marathon and a quarter marathon. I was doing the half with my friend, Kathie, and before the start, met up with my friend, Cindy, and her daughter, Kristin, who were doing the quarter.
The two events started together and were on the same course for the first 2.3 miles and then split off in different directions. The course was scenic and flat. We were on farm roads so there wasn't a lot of traffic to deal with, which is always nice! The only thing that made the day "hard" for me was the sunshine! I love the sun but it was brutal out there on the asphalt with very little shade to be found along the way. The temps were in the mid to upper 60's while on route but it felt more like the 90's. We were out in the open and totally exposed to the sunshine for the entire route. It was HOT. Along the way there were wonderful volunteers and homeowners spraying water from hoses that you could run through to cool off. A couple of times I actually stopped while under the water just to get a little more of a soaking. The cold water really made a difference and played a big part in my success. I saw a couple of women being loaded into an ambulance, no doubt from heat exhaustion. I'm sure there were others I didn't see too. The heat can be really dangerous if you aren't properly hydrated and finding ways to cool off. At the water stations (approximately every 2 miles), I poured a cup of water down the back of my neck. Kathie poured them over her head. It definitely helped.
HOT and Sunny!
Kathie and I stayed together until about Mile 9. This was Katie's first event in the heat and she didn't want to push herself any harder than she was because of it. I was still full of energy and knew I could continue to push on so we decided I would meet her at the finish line. I worried about leaving her but she said she was surrounded by 3000 women and had her cell phone - so I could go.
After leaving Kathie, I jogged almost the entire 4 miles back. I was amazed at my own ability to continue on like this. It was around Mile 12.5 when I realized I was not going to beat my previous record so I allowed myself to start walking because at this point the heat was starting to make me feel sick. I needed to run like hell to beat my own record and I honestly did not have it in me. Not at all.
I received my Hippie Chick necklace, some water and a couple high-fives and then went to wait for Kathie. I wanted to lay down on the field but knew I would probably never get up and would miss her smiling face as she zoomed through to the finish line... so I stood there... shaking and ready to collapse. I don't normally "fall apart" at the end of 13.1 miles but this was a zap-the-energy-right-out-of-you hot... HOT... H.O.T. day!
It wasn't long before I saw Kathie coming around the corner, running and giving it everything she had! When she made it through the finish line, she thought she was going to get sick so we poured water over her head to cool her off. We then sat down for awhile, rehydrating and reminiscing about our experiences.
It was another race well done. We did it!
On the way home we went through a McDonald's drive thru ... I know! GASP!!! (first time in YEARS!). I ordered fries for the badly needed salt replacement - I literally had salt crystals all over my arms and face after the race - and chased them down with a Protein Ice drink. I felt better in no time! (They were serving PANCAKES after the race but I couldn't even imagine taking a single bite. Blah! The salty FRIES were so much better!)
Next up (this Sunday!)... the Portland Rock 'n' Roll Half Marathon!
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