Seattle Half Marathon

With my IT bands such a mess, I chose to run this race with my friend Carrie to help her. It ended up being a great decision. Had I been healthy, I think I could have done really well. The course was beautiful. Some hills, but they were all short, and some great downhill at the end.... which is NOT a good thing when your IT bands are hurting, but more on that in a bit. Oh, and it was a beautiful SUNNY, yet cool day in Seattle. Much better than last year's snow and rain.

We planned on being to the race start at about 6:30, with the run starting at 7:15. This is quite unusual for me - I like to get there at LEAST an hour before the race. Carrie didn't seem to worried about it, so since I didn't really care we planned a little less time.

Not knowing what the race start would be like, my friend Marcy drove with us down there, so we could park Carrie's car (thinking it would be far from the start), then hop in with her & she'd drive us to the start. Somehow we got SO lucky tho. We ended up in a lot (only $10 for the day) like 100 yards from the start. How does that happen?

We eventually got out of the car at about 6:45 and walked to the start. Used the porta potties, stood there for a bit (FREEZING our ARSES off, I might add), then the gun went off and we were on our way.

Like I said above, the course was really really pretty. We had views of Lake Washington that were spectacular.

Gorgeous neighborhoods

Views of Downtown

Ran by Safeco field

Thru some lush green park, and then back thru downtown.

Some of the terrain was rough. Uneven roads that really messed us up a bit. This would be my only complaint. No, wait - one more. NO Post race food! There was hot chocolate, Milk, yogurt and pretzels. That is it.

For me, it was a great experience. I realized what great fitness I have, as being out there I could have gone forever. I wasn't tired or anything, just hungry and a bit cold. I was in pain with my IT band, but not as bad as I expected.

Poor Carrie. She did SO awesome. She ended up with some IT band issues herself starting at mile 4, but she stuck with it. We walked the downs, and ran the rest. We had to stop and stretch her out a few times. Even when it hurt, she WANTED to run. There were a couple of really steep downhills in the last couple of miles that hurt her so bad, she actually had tears swell up.

I so felt for her. I have been there so many times. It's the weirdest injury. It hurts like hell. It is not something you can run through. Like a sore muscle, or even pulled muscle. It feels like someone is taking a hammer to your knee as hard as they can.

I'm very proud of Carrie. And, best of all... she's already working on her NEXT race so she can reach her goal time!

As for my recovery. I'm on my NO running until our Mexico trip. It has been 1 week. I have 3 more weeks. I'm icing and stretching and strengthening and swimming and will cycle soon.... and walking the dogs. Which I can't figure out if it's more annoying to THEM that we're walking...or me.