Race Recap: 2016 Shamrock Half Marathon… embracing the monsoon!

I recall making a comment probably close to a year ago, that I had never raced in the rain. Since that point, I’ve been lucky enough {sarcasm!} to have a few opportunities. Okay, I get it; I jinxed myself {& the fellow runners/walkers}. I’ll certainly keep my mouth shut next time. Sorry, HA! After a 22-miler with an approaching hurricane during MCM training & the monsoon that was the Harbor Lights half last Fall, I figured I had “done my time” & that maybe, just maybe, I’d soon be blessed with lovely 13.1 racing weather. Well, that Mother Nature lady, she decided not quite yet. Shamrock 2016 would be one for the books!

I will say though, I do embrace these types of days as it broadens your running portfolio. It really makes you appreciate the awesome runs & perfect weather experiences.

For anyone that was a part of Sunday’s races, please just simply tell them that they are a freakin’ ROCKSTAR. Seriously, text them or message them right now! Some pure grit & determination was needed to concur the 13.1 or 26.2 {dare I say AND… for those crazy few completing the King Neptune challenge!} distance that day. I have been SO impressed with the few race recaps I have been able to read so far. Some racers achieved their time goal & some not so much—but, the common theme I have been so impressed with is that practically everyone gave their all, didn’t give into the mental component of crappy weather, & embraced the experience. That said, the word I heard most on Sunday was, BRUTAL.

However, my mantra for quite some time has been—you can’t change some things, so embrace them!

I didn’t originally plan to run, & especially not race, the Shamrock Half this year. My goal Spring race was, without a doubt, the Tokyo Marathon. When Crawlin’ Crab was postponed last fall & the new date was a day I was working, my only option was to defer my entry to Shamrock. This was kind of a no-brainer. I do completely ADORE Shamrock & the cohesiveness of the running community during this weekend, so I embraced the change. Some people in the local running community have called it our Super Bowl—I kind of agree! I had no expectations going into the race. As the day approached, I did make it known that I would be attempting a PR if the conditions allowed. The idea that I had NOT entertained was possibly racing for a PR in NON-ideal conditions.

Every year, leading up to this particular race there is speculation & conflicting weather reports about what the day will be like. It’s just what happens when you live on the coast, I suspect. This year, my 5^th time running the half, would be no different. When the local buzz leaned toward the predicted rain & wind being a factor, I tried to stay positive & hope for a different sort of day. My hope did nothing for us. We were left with what seemed like a monsoon to race in! Embrace it, I told myself; after all, what’s a little wind & rain?!

Race morning started with a 5:15am alarm. I left the house just before 6am. Parking, if you know the area, isn’t so bad. I chose to park closer to the finish, so that I could quickly leave if I wanted/needed to when the race was over. After a mile warm-up, dropping a dry bag in the trucks, & a port-a-potty stop, I quickly jumped into Corral 1 with less than 10 minutes to spare. Although this was my assigned corral, I sometimes feel like an imposter being in the first corral. There are so many runners WAYYYY faster than me. I suspect those self-conscious feelings will never go away—I will always remember how far I have come & I could never forget the days of 10, 11, 12 minute miles as my norm.

Those minutes waiting in the pouring rain were nothing short of torture. Luckily there was no start delay like a few years ago—just after 7am, the horn sounded & off we went. I was pretty close to the front, less than 10 seconds after the gun—something I wouldn’t normally do in a big race, except on that day I just wanted to get moving! The breakdown of the race went something like this:

Miles 1-3: Keep the pace reeled in, I told myself—running much more by effort vs. pace during the intense headwind as we traveled North toward Shore Drive {I’ve read we had anywhere from 15-18mph sustained, with gusts to 25-35mph!!}. Rain pelted us & it felt like hail & not tiny specks of precipitation. {7:57, 7:58, 7:59}

Mile 4-5: We continued along & enjoyed the only portion of the entire course with minimal to no wind. Rain also subsided during this part—thank goodness!! A mal-positioned 5-mile sign (quarter mile early) messed with my brain for a minute, coinciding with a Garmin lost signal. I pushed on through & enjoyed the Tokyo playlist from my iPhone—still embracing the experience. {7:49, 7:54}

Mile 6-9: Fort Story…..for anyone who has run Shamrock, need I say more?? The wind returned, but this time, it came from the beach, so it hit our left sides & pushed us right on the road. A couple of times, I felt like I could literally be knocked over. The wind was so strong! Once the lighthouse loomed, you knew the exit gate was coming soon! Runners who had stayed in front of me up until this point began to fade. I took the passing of folks as confidence-boosters to my current fitness level. {7:48, 7:46, 7:55, 7:49}

Miles 10-12: Tailwind!! I knew this was coming. It was a reward for the prior 10 miles of pure brutal weather. I secretly hoped for a bit more wind from behind, but was thankful for what I was given! Some people dread, myself included in prior years, the “streets countdown”. Not this year for me—I used them as landmarks for when I could pick up the pace since I would only have “x” left to go. For those that haven’t run at the Virginia Beach oceanfront, the streets count up going North & count down going South. When you head back towards the finish line at Shamrock, you are counting down from the 80s to the 30s (finish line at 31^st Street). I thought a lot about the marathoners during this time. I was grateful, for their sake, that the rain had stopped (marathon start is 8:30am). I was also hoping the tailwind would continue for them for their miles 23-finish. {7:42, 7:37, 7:40}

Miles 12.01-Finish: Shoot, too much still in the tank, push it—I thought to myself. I ran as fast as I could along the Boardwalk with the “FINISH” blow-up banner getting steadily closer. Running too conservative, while helps you avoid bonking, can also make your time on the clock slower than it “should” be. I believe this was the case for me last Sunday. However, you live you learn. I’ll always prefer feeling OK at the finish, rather than being carried away by medics! And, who can argue running conservatively when you still earn a PR in the process!? {7:34, 7:10}

Garmin stats: 1:42:25 {7:48/mile} – distance pretty close to spot on @ 13.13 miles (yes, I finally ran some tangents well!!)

Official stats: 1:42:25 {7:50/mile}

My Thoughts on Shamrock: Runners are an impressive group of people. Seriously! I am in awe at the determination & willpower that I witnessed this past weekend. Everyday people just like me, pushing on through & enjoying the experience despite soaked clothes & wind-blown faces! Although I would prefer an ideal conditions day to race in, hey, being honest(!), running in the wind & rain produces a MUCH sweeter PR. Speaking of PR, the official time resulted in a 3 minute + 17 second PR—pretty lucky since it was a St. Patrick’s Day race {get it, 3:17… March 17^th!? I know, I’m a dork}. When I finished, I couldn’t believe that I had just completed that feat. Not only that, but I finished without ever feeling maxed out on pace or heart rate. Thus the benefit of racing a half marathon after being trained for a full marathon! Endurance is a beautiful thing. I don’t want to boast, especially since I know many friends who did not reach their time goals, but I am DAMN proud of conquering my race, in those intense conditions! I now know I am capable of a sub-1:40. Dream big & work hard, folks!

Speaking of hard working folds, spectators & volunteers just may have impressed me, even more so than the runners. Okay, maybe equally so… it was a tough one out there! As I took water at each water station, I saw smiles for days & no complaining. At the finish line, albeit shaking from being cold, the young lady who handed out bananas continued to smile & congratulate me on my race. After making sure she was okay, I thanked her immensely for her volunteer work. THOSE people are who truly make these races possible. It has sparked an interest in me to find a race to volunteer at. Thanks banana girl!

Where Do I Go From Here: Certainly no more distance races for a while, that’s for sure! Some people can do it year-round, but I don’t want to overdo it. I have been on a good stretch for a few months now, with PRs at nearly every distance & in every race—but I have to be cautious. I don’t want “the other shoe to drop”. My body needs a rest. Not a couch potato type of rest, but a break from the long distance running {i.e. marathons}. After all, I did just run my first 26.2 less than 18 months ago; & I have now completed three—all raced at max/close to max effort. I am a running-lifer, so I need to take care of me for the long-term. That basically will entail lots of miles & lots of shorter races. I have 1+ year old 5K PR to tackle! Not to mention, focusing on a day that has become one of my favorites—Tuesdays with Jack B. at Jim White Fitness for personal training. Not only do I hope to improve my bikini bod (ha!), but I do believe that getting stronger has been a HUGE factor in the recent run {pun intended} of PRs!

As I quit babbling & finish this blog post, I hope that one day my boys, maybe 10 years from now, read this post & are immensely proud of their momma. I do this running & racing thing not only for myself, but to show them how strong you can be & how much progress you can see with hard work & dedication—in ALL aspects of life.

Thanks for reading friends! HAPPY RUNNING!!

Up Next For The Running Blonde: Monument 10K in Richmond, VA – excited for a travel race & weekend away with hubby & friends!!