The Results

The Diva Half Marathon is over!!! I'm glad it's over, but I'm also a little sad because it was such a fun weekend!  Out of it came some new friendships, as well as the realization that no matter what age I get to, running a half is doable, manageable, and this might not have been the last.  I've always admitted I'm not the fastest, although I'm not the slowest runner either.  I think I'm pretty average. As I write this post I'm kind of wishing I'd been better at keeping track of my times, etc. over the years.  I suppose if I really wanted to look them all up online I could, nah, why look back?  Instead, I think from here on out, I'll keep track so I can see my progress.  Back to the race... Three lovely divas and myself headed to Myrtle Beach on Friday, not sure where we were going, or what we were in for.  After all, it was also BIKE WEEK!  That's right, a man must have been in charge, planning BIKE WEEK and the DIVA HALF MARATHON the same weekend!  Moving right along...
We divas did a little shopping, eating, and sunning, perfect mix for a girls weekend including running a half marathon.  I will admit, I felt slightly out of place in the race, as my fellow divas were all major runners who have done multiple races and run way faster than this diva!  But it all worked out. Here's a short recap of my results.
I started out STRONG.  I mean STRONG, running the first 4-5 miles at a 9:30 minute mile to 10 minute pace. This is not my usual fashion, but I was running with another one of the girls in our group (who IS a marathoner), and I wanted desperately to keep it up.  Unfortunately, that did not happen. I had to drop back at mile 5, slowing myself down to a 10:30 pace. Then as the miles went on, my darn hip flexor tightened up and I found myself just wanting to get it done.  I managed to keep running until mile 10, then I had to stop and walk a few times just to stretch out my hamstrings and hip flexor.  I managed to continue running, but at this point my pace was 12-13 minute mile... unacceptable disappointing! Although I didn't have  a specific time goal in  mind, I DID know that I could finish in 2.5 hours or less, but 2.5 was the absolute worst it would be.  Well, that ol' saying self-fulfilling prophecy, yep, that was it, because the exact time on that clock as I crossed the finish line was 2:33.What's done is done, didn't harp on it too long, afterall, there are many individuals who came in behind me, and many who never got off the sofa.  Along with all the Pepto Bismal pink and tu-tus in this race, I saw a few women who had this saying on their shirts, " It's not a miracle that I finished, but that I had the courage to start." I think that says it all!
Onto the next goal...