I spent the past few weeks having horrible runs, calves cramping up, side stitches (blaming it all on being 17 weeks pregnant) and was extremely nervous about this run- and I had nothing to worry about. That feels so good to say!! The only ill effect I experiences was my legs below my knees and my feet falling asleep. My sciatic nerve has been bothering me, so this wasn't unexpected. If I walked for a few minutes, it seemed to resolve for a few miles. Now about the race.......
Wow- what a great race. It was nice to be able to get up a little before 5 and get downtown, park at the start and go! The weather could not have been better. It was chilly at the start, but once we were moving I felt great. The start was not crowded, we were in corrals by where we put ourselves, no crazy corral guards like Disney. It took me 90 seconds to cross the start, compared to something like 16 minutes in Disney for the half. We headed through SE to the Capitol as the sun rose, around the mall and then off to Dupont Circle. For some reason I was sure we were running the hill on Connecticut Ave by the zoo after I heard so many people talking about the killer hill- the killer hill wasn't that hill, it was the hill from Dupont to Kalorama, so that was an amazing treat at 6 miles, finding out that there was no 'killer hill' coming. We headed through Adams Morgan- that was a lot of fun running past Chief Ike's, Perrys, McDonald....plenty of places visited late night years ago. We headed over past Georgia Ave where lots of Howard students were out playing music, cheering us on- including a group of cheerleader/ dancers doing some sexy dance to go-go music, so out of place but so funny and it did give me a good laugh and a boost of energy. We headed past the Washington Hospital Center/ Childrens Hospital Complex, and then headed back to RFK through Capitol Hill. The finish was nice, no hill like the Marine Corps finish. I crossed the line around 2:08 chip time, but I stopped my watch for potty breaks and it was at 1:59:29 when I finished. The race was heavy on Half Marathon runners- I think it would have been a bit lonely to run the full alone. As I drove away I could see a few points where full marathoners were running, with no one else in sight. The course was nice, plenty of water & Gatorade and potties were pretty good to!!! I enjoyed a run that was not as crowded as the Marine Corps or Disney- and really did not mind the smaller number of spectators. The full marathon continued into Anacostia and all of the places I passed the course on the way home had ZERO spectators- that may have been tough as you got to 20 miles plus. I know I appreciated that push so much at the Marine Corps and Disney. I saw a guy on the course with a sign "Gotta Run.....Getting Hitched Tonight". Now that is an awesome way to start your wedding day- that will calm your nerves!!
And the cherry on top of a great race- soft pretzels at the end. I could eat nothing but soft pretzels and salt bagels for the rest of my life (washed down with water and Diet Coke with Lime of course) and be happy!!!!
