On June 6, 2010, I ran my first Half Marathon: The San Diego Rock ‘n Roll Half. This was the perfect race for my first Half. It’s in my home town, it’s the original Rock ‘n Roll Marathon, and it’s a HUGE event. 30,000 runners for both the full and half marathons.
The race was set to start at 6:15am, so I crawled out of bed at 3:30. If you had told me back in February that I would be waking up when it was still pitch black outside to go run 13.1 miles, I would’ve laughed in your face.
For breakfast, I had two small samples of Jelly Belly Sports Beans, two Fiber One bars, saltines and a bottle of water. I can’t stress how awesome and perfect saltines are for long runs. Carbs and salt. You need them both.
I was out of the house and driving down to the parking area by 4:00. The coolest thing I saw on my drive down? One of those flashing billboards. It read: Detour. 163 Closure. Marathon. The first thing that came to mind was: Hell yeah, I’m running that. I was parked by 4:30 and transferred via shuttle to the starting area by 5:00.
Well, now what? I had an hour to kill before start time. Believe me, that hour was MUCH needed. I stretched, pinned my number on, and affixed my chip timer to my Vibrams. Oh yeah. I was going to run my first Half without shoes.
After I checked my gear bag in, I decided to tackle the Port-a-Potty lines. Just imagine. 30,000 people using Port-a-Potties. You might be thinking: Gross. All I thought was: DUDE, where’s the end of the line?! There were a lot of Port-a-Potties but just too many people. I waited in line for at least 20 minutes. But it worked out because my line happened to pass a fuel tent providing bananas and water. I figured I would eat and top my bladder off while waiting.
Bladder relief finally occurred at 6:00. I started over to corral 34, my designated group. I have no idea how they divided people up, but I wanted to be towards the end anyway. Less pressure. I like passing people but hate being passed.
Out of the blue, Endorphin Dude, a fellow Nerd Fitness reader, tapped me on the shoulder. He was a blessing and inspiration to tired, nervous eyes. It was his 17th Half Marathon.
How I managed to bump into the one guy I knew out of a crowd of 30,000? Fate.
Endorphin Dude and his friends provided me with the motivational smiles I needed. I wasn’t nervous any more.
The starting gun went off at 6:15 but I wasn’t even at my corral yet. No big deal. People weren’t moving. Imagine how long it takes for 30,000 people to pass the start line. A long time. Endorphin Dude and his friends headed off to their corrals while I decided it was time to do the final pee.
What can I say? I was hydrated. I was nervous. The bladder couldn’t handle the pressure. The added bonus of starting towards the back is that because most people are ahead of you, the Port-a-Potty lines are shorter. I only had to wait 5 minutes this time around.
Now, it was finally game time. I headed to corral 35 (34, 35, same thing), popped in my headphones and put my playlist on randomize. I don’t remember what songs came on. I just remember being focused and calm. I stretched a bit, took some deep breaths, and still couldn’t see the start. I had a few people tap me on the shoulder to ask me about the Vibrams. It was a welcomed distraction because I love telling people about barefoot/minimalist running.
And finally, I saw the start line! I took a few deep breaths, heard the sound of the horn, started my watch, and took off. My actual start time was 50 minutes after race start time.
Pace yourself. Don’t jump the gun. Pace yourself.
I didn’t want to run out of fuel. I had to tell myself to take it easy, to stay calm. I reminded myself that this wasn’t a 5K. This was a 21K. Must. Conserve. Energy.
I saw the water and Cytomax (think Gatorade) stations a bit past mile 1. I grabbed two cups of Cytomax and pounded them as I continued to run. I really wanted water, but it wasn’t until the second station that I learned that the Cytomax cups were yellow and the water cups were white (duh!).
Personally, I like re-fueling as early and as soon as possible. I hate running with cotton mouth and I didn’t want to get dehydrated. The Cytomax provides electrolytes and much-needed salt while the water gets rid of the sweet taste. By mile 3, my go-to combo was two cups Cytomax followed by two cups water.
At the 5K mark, I saw him. A guy passed me running completely barefoot, holding huarache sandals. If he could run barefoot, I could run with my Vibrams. I got this.
The first 5 miles went by in 56 minutes, smoothly and quickly. Right on schedule. I was loving the atmosphere, the running, everything. I was in the zone, not quite runner’s high, but I was thoroughly enjoying and savoring every moment.
And then it happened. The hill.
They sectioned off part of a freeway, Route 163, for the race. To be able to say that I got to run on a completely empty freeway is pretty cool. But at the time of running, not so much. The mental battle started at the hill.
The freeway was not only inclined upwards, it was also slanted and curvy (imagine a road through the mountains). And because it was a freeway, I could feel the gravel through my Vibrams. The sun also came out. So not only was it uphill and slightly painful, it was now also hot. I was getting passed by all these fast marathoners. I really wanted to stop and walk. I really wanted to take a break.
But I didn’t. I knew I had more left to give. The only person that could defeat me was myself. I refused to give in and continued plodding forward. What goes up must also come down. The big uphill climb was followed by a huge downhill descent.
Tread lightly. Kiss the ground. Find the flattest surface.
You learn pretty quickly how to spot the flattest part of ground. Barefoot guy popped into my head. If he could do it, I could too. Keep going, Jess. Keep going. And the sun? No big deal. Just stop for more fuel. I ended up walking only at fuel stations, just long enough to properly drink the Cytomax and water. Then I’d take off again.
By mile 7 and 8 I was on a mission to spot the next mile marker and fuel station. The fuel stations were located about halfway through each mile, so if I passed the fuel station, I knew that the next mile marker would be coming up soon.
I wanted to cry by mile 9 and 10. But I held back. I just couldn’t deal with the extraneous emotions that would come with crying, so I took some deep breaths, regained my posture, focused on my form, and pressed forward. At this point, I definitely wasn’t running. It was more like a slow jog, a plodding trod.
But even though I wasn’t fast, I was consistent. I finished 10 miles in 2 hours, but the miles started becoming further and further apart. Only three more miles left. Come on.
When I saw mile 11, I screamed with joy inside. Almost there. Only two more miles. Come on, Jess. You can do this. You got this. As with all of my races, I started talking to myself out loud.
You got this. Almost there. You got this.
At the mile 12 fuel station, I didn’t stop for water or Cytomax. I didn’t need it. I could smell and taste victory. It was less than a mile away. One of the volunteers shouted some words of encouragement to me, and I had to choke back some tears again.
Almost. There. Keep. Going.
And then I saw them. The barricade of people and supporters. Everyone yelling and cheering. I picked up my pace. I don’t know how I did it, but I ended up sprinting the last 0.2 miles. I don’t know where the energy came from, but I wanted to finish strong. My goal was to finish in under 3 hours.
I crossed the finish line in 2:47:20.
I got my medal, then cried for a few minutes while putting a cold, wet towel over my face.
I did it. I conquered 13.1 miles.
And nobody can take that away from me.
Surprisingly, I didn’t get any blisters from this run! My feet are adapting quite well to shod-free running. My hamstrings are pretty sore today, and I walk down the stairs awkwardly, but I’m not in pain. It’s more like a happy, accomplished, victory sore. My first Half Marathon. Done!
RACE STATS
Time – 2:47:20
Pace – 12:46
Place – 9420/13561
Age Group – 628/858
Gender Group – 6198/9641
RELATED POSTS:
Female. 25 years old. Chinese. Cook. Foodie. UCLA grad. Traveler. Musician. Scuba diver. GWU Law. Runner.
Congrats!!!! I was there yesterday too! It was a great run!
You are amazing, Obi Wan!!!
.-= karen´s last blog Dear Aldis: =-.
Awesome post. Congrats on your first half! I hope that it’s the first of many. And on a side note, I can’t believe that you had two Fiber One bars before a race.
That is soooo great!! I loved reading the mile by mile account! I bet there are lots of people who cry after races. Sometimes I feel like crying after really hard work outs lol, so I’m sure there is a mind-body reaction going on.
This was an awesome recap. I have never even thought about saltines before a long run. Brilliant idea and one that I will be trying very soon. Congrats on your half-marathon finish.
Congratulations!!!! I’m cheering you across that finish line as I read this! You are such an inspiration to me.
Tears of joy for you Jess!!
CONGRATS!!! Your writing really conveys what a journey and accomplishment it is! You made me feel lazy.. I’m going to the gym haha
YOU DID IT!!! My favorite part “what goes up must come down.” I don’t know why I’ve never used this line to motivate myself up hills, but I’m totally using it…Maryland is hilly as hell! =) So proud of you!
Congrats girly! Awesome job
Eeeeeeeeeeeee! I am so proud of you! You are my hero.
AWESOME. You Rock. So proud of you.
Your amazing and inspiring. Congrats on finishing the race and kicking butt VFF style. I can’t wait until my foot endurance increases to where I can wear them every run. I’ve resorted to every other due to them brusing my feet.
Keep it up, can’t wait to read about the full marathon!
.-= Sean (Learn Fitness)´s last blog Today IS Yesterdays Tomorrow =-.
Yeah, you kicked serious butt! And you totally CRUSHED your goal. Amazing, Jess.
.-= beej´s last blog Week 61 =-.
Well done!!! I’m so glad you saw barefoot guy, sounds like he gave you the mental fortitude you needed to know YOU could do it. WAY to go!!! God you must feel so great.
.-= Alison´s last blog Weekend Food Journal 6/5-6/6 =-.
No big deal =)
Great job Jess
Congratulations Jess! Glad it went so well for you! Next time sub 2.5! There will be a next time right ?
OMG!! Congratulations!!
you did amazing!! So proud of you!!
Congratulations on finishing your fist half marathon! How amazing that must feel! You are an inspiration to us all.
Congrats Jess! Big accomplishment.
How did you like the Vibrams for that long of a distance?
OH. MY. GOSH.
Most tear-wrenching (in a happy way), inspirational, half-marathon post ever. The Half Marathon milestone –> on your way to –> Half of Jess. Incredible. I probably would have cried right along with you. Congratulations, kiddo — for the endorphins, Vibrams, and all. YOU ARE THE ONE.
Final pee forevah!
Aletheia XO
Oh, this seriously made me kinda tear up. You did such a good job and inspired so many of us.
I totally want to try on some Vibrams now.
Yay!!! Congratulations on an awesome run!! You’re officially a half marathoner!
Definitely a huge accomplishment!
I can’t believe it took you 50 minutes to cross the actual starting line. That’s crazy. I don’t think I’ve ever run a race that large.
And I’m the same way before and after races — I’ve gotta use those porta pots up until the very last second (haha) and…I always cry after I finish long or especially tough races. All those emotions come rushing out as soon as I stop running.
You’re a flippin rockstar!
I look up to you and your running capabilities so much! Can’t wait til I run my first half.
Also, that’s a pretty awesome medal!
Wow…Way to go!!!
.-= Katherine´s last blog Under the Weather =-.
hmmmm now Im wondering if I should attempt my half/train to run my half in my 5fingers!
please to advise
You made me cry with that race account – I was right there with you! And remembering my first half marathon when I got to mile 8 and was considering faking an injury so I didn’t have to run the rest! I completed it though, and I know the sense of accomplishment was all worth it!
Well done you!
Sorry – wrong website address!
Also meant to say – you are very good with the fuelling – I tend not to eat before a race or a long run, and I only drink water, but I carry it with me, and get a family member to pop up half way through with a fresh bottle. I get through 2 litres on a half marathon.
I am so PROUD of you…100% inspired and cant stop smiling.
WAY TO GO!
What an accomplishment that NO ONE can ever take from you and not to mention a KICK ASS time!
Thanks for sharing…I loved this post!
CONGRATS!!
You must be so proud of yourself! Keep up the great work, and thanks for the comments on my blog.
Hope
Congrats! After your first begins the inevitable quest for a new PR, different experiences, etc. It’s addictive, but what better addiction could there be???!!! Treat yourself well this week, take care of your body to aid its recovery. What you do in the week or so following a race can greatly impact how soon you return to race-shape. At least for marathons, recovery can be as short as 15 days, or as long as 35, depending on what you do in the hours and days immediately following the race.
Two comments: one of my fave things about the RNR races is the corrals. They’re based on your predicted finish time and one of the best things is you start off with people at about the same pace. I’ve never done a RNR half, but I’ve done a few RNR marathons and compared them with a few that have much broader corrals (like the Dallas marathon, which breaks runners into 5 corrals, as opposed to over 30 at a RNR race). When you start a race with fewer corrals, you waste a lot of energy weaving in the first few miles. There are people with goal paces more than a min/mile faster than you, and others more than a min/mile slower than you. I run a pretty steady 8:45 marathon mile pace and at the Dallas race in Dec I was in the same start corral as a friend who paces at sub-8s. But when you start a RNR race, you start running and there’s almost no weaving. Magically, almost everyone is going almost the exact same pace as you. It’s lovely!
Second comment: your “what goes up, must come down” theory is awesome, but as you do more races, don’t forget that it only works for loops and out-and-back races. Some marathons like St. George are point-to-point. Can’t wait to keep reading of your running experiences!
Congratulations on a great race, and for shattering your time goal!! I’m so proud of you!
The Richmond Marathon is a great race — I did the half a few years ago and had a wonderful time! I think Runner’s World deemed it the friendliest marathon?
Congrats on an awesome race Jess!
That’s so awesome, my running is no where near where yours is, but maybe one day I can do the same.
Congrats Jess!
Good run! I’ll be in a race one of these days. Still in shock that I can run alone, even. Good to use the crowds energy, must be exciting.
.-= David´s last blog Monday gym night =-.
This is an excellent recap. And those Vibrams! I was wondering what “barefoot” constituted, but have been too busy to do the research. I’m getting more and more interested.
.-= Rinn´s last blog C25K Week 4, Day 1 =-.
I cannot say congrats enough!!! I just signed up for my own first half marathon in Vegas in Vegas. You inspire me!!!
CONGRATS!! Loved the detailed recap. So amazing and inspiring to see how far you’ve come in just a few short months! Hope you’re not feeling too sore today
Jess, congratulations!! I’m so inspired and excited by your awesome half! I can’t wait until that’s me!
Wow and wow….what a wonderful recap. You deserve ever moment of delight from your outstanding accomplishment. One day, perhaps, you’ll get to read my report of 13.1miles done and done.
Fantastic! WTG girl. You are such an inspiration to me!
I’m soooo tardy on this, but congrats on your first half! Very very proud of you!!!
Nothing like a good cry while at work reading about my Jedi council kicking ass, taking names and paving the way for little noob runners like myself.
Sorry to swear here but I fucking love you.
There I said it.
Now go about your business!
.-= Tara´s last blog Random bullets =-.
I’m really proud of your hard work!
.-= Seth @ Fit With a Purpose´s last blog Moderation. Vacation Tips. Camp Recap. =-.
That is really awesome Jess, I am so proud of you! And all in your Vibrams, you are a freakin’ ROCK STAR!
.-= Brandon´s last blog New Orleans Trip Report =-.
this is truly inspiring!!!! I took my first steps as a runner on Sept 29,2011 and on Oct 21,2012,I’ll run in my first half marathon
This was fun to read and give me the push I need to keep training…..even when it sucks 
Happy running!