Big ass Race Report RNR USA DC

[mrshandy]

To go with my big ass PR. Sorry it's so long. I just started writing and it got out of control!

This is the third year that I’ve run the RNR USA and my fourth half (all RNR). I ran it about 4 ½ months pregnant last year and I was seriously unimpressed with the water stations and gear check which was to put it nicely a cluster fuck. But, I wanted to run a spring half and there was a great deal on it back in September when I signed up.

Race day
I got up at 4:45AM. H had baby duty for earlier in the evening in case she cried and I told him I would get up once with her to nurse, which I did around 3AM. I drank a cup of coffee, got dressed, pumped, ate some breakfast, packed a snack for the road, brushed my teeth and the next thing I know I look outside Springfield cab is waiting for me around 5:40AM. Since we only have one car, I decided to take a cab to the Metro so H and the kids could meet me after the race. The cab took me to Pentagon City metro for like $30 ouch.

The Metro came a minute or two after I got there and I joined all of the other racers getting on. I got to race site around 6:15AM (probably a little too early). It was definitely chilly. It was upper 40s, but the wind made it feel much cooler. It was cloudy for most of the race with a few breaththroughs of the sun. I had warm clothes over my running stuff which was a t-shirt, longish capris, and arm warmers (thanks H for donating a pair of old socks!). They had a table of hand warmers front and center and I grabbed like 4 of them. Then it was kind of a waiting game, I regretted coming so early, but I was planning for contingencies. I hit up the porta-potty. I ate my banana and toast with PB around 6:30AM, chatted with other runners, then I decided to drop off my gear bag and head to my corral around 7ish. Now it was definitely cold.

I joined a group of other runners huddling around the Smithsonian hoping for a bit of warmth just outside my corral 6, which was a 1:51-1:49 pace group I think. I thought I was being overly ambitious with this pace so I lined up in the back. I ate a GU, got my headphones set up which was kind of hard to do since I had a fuel belt on, but I was finally able to get it ready. Off we go!

The first mile or two felt great. I was running fast, passing a lot of people and it felt great to move and shake off the cold. It was a little dicey getting around people which slowed me down for the first mile. I wasn’t expecting people to have such a slow start in that pace group. I dropped the arm warmers around mile 2.5. I ran the 5K in 26:08, which was right around where I wanted to be with an 8:30 pace. I decided early on, that I really wasn’t going to stop at the water stations since I had my belt and I didn’t need that much water. I only ended up grabbing a thing of water once or twice

In the first 4-5 miles, I noticed my Garmin was off by like 0.1 miles and it got more off as the race went on, which was kind of a bummer. I ran pretty well the next few miles, my Garmin said I was around 8:00 pace, but I didn’t quite trust it. I knew what was coming, a big ass fucking hill at mile 6. I tried to time a GU so that I would have some renewed energy for that hill. My motto was just get to 6 and it’s all downhill from there (not quite true, but close enough). The hill was steep, and pretty damn hard. I ran the whole way up, but it definitely had me huffing and puffing.

I finished a 10K at 52:14 which I knew was a PR in itself. That’s when I started to get excited that I knew I was having a good race. I caught my breath and started enjoying the downhill part of the course. I was running pretty hard for miles 6-10 and it felt great. I was popping shot blocks which were so yummy. There were a few points where I doubted at mile 8 when I remembered I still had 5 more miles to go.

Miles 11-13, I was in the damn zone, pounding along knowing that even if I bombed I would still PR. I caught sight of the finish line and I let it all out and sprinted probably the last .2-.3 mile. I crossed at 1:48:16 and I was just so proud and happy to have come back from having DD. I knew I did what I needed to do and that maybe Boston may be in my future someday.

I was supposed to meet up with H and the kids at the 9:30 and I found out the time and it was right at 9:30 so I headed right over to the meet up (which I have to say was really damn far away from everything). I waited 10-15 minutes, no H or kids. So I figured I would go get my gear before it got crazy as more runners finished. It was a really long trek over there. No line awesome! I did have to wait a few minutes since they couldn’t find it at first, but so wonderfully easy compared to last year.

I finally met up with H and the kids and we got some food at the food trucks and then got my free beer, watched a little of the award ceremony, and actually watched the headliner for once, which was the first time I actually stuck around long enough to see it.

Overall I was pretty impressed with the RNR USA race this year. My only complaint was how spread out the post race area was and how far from the Metro it was. I definitely preferred the location from the first year on the grass in front of the armory, but I can see why they moved it since the race has grown over the years. Everything was set up in a huge parking lot which wasn’t really very hospitable or nice.

[hannahb]

Congrats again!

[enfuego23]

Awesome job!

[taratru]

Sounds much better than people were expecting!

And outSTANDING race, woman! Congrats again on a kick ass PR!!!

[libbygrl109]

Congrats on your PR!

[skwcm80]

Congrats on your amazing PR!!

[breezy8407]

Wow congrats!

[Vally]

Go you! That's awesome!!

[runaways]

Congrats again! What a great race!

[Wines Not Whines]

Congrats again! Do you mind sharing what your training plan looked like?

[coconutbug]

Awesome job!!

[Deleted]

Congrats! I can't even imagine running that fast!

[andrealynn]

Congrats! I am so impressed!

[mrshandy]

Mar 18, 2014 10:07:18 GMT -5 Wines Not Whines said:

Congrats again! Do you mind sharing what your training plan looked like?

I used the Hal Higdon Intermediate one. I did add some mileage to the long runs so that I went up to 13 miles for my longest run and did 12 miles the week before the race.

www.halhigdon.com/training/51132/Half-Marathon-Intermediate-Training-Program

[cinco]

Congrats! I'm glad R&R stepped it up this year.

[Mushe]

Congrats , speedy! That's awesome.

[Brit]

Congrats again! Yay for PRs!

[thom]

Way to go! You ran a great race, and you write a great story. What was your previous PR coming in??

(My curiosity is wondering, as I'm hoping to break 1:50 in about a month.)

[mrshandy]

Mar 18, 2014 11:27:49 GMT -5 thom said:

Way to go! You ran a great race, and you write a great story. What was your previous PR coming in??

(My curiosity is wondering, as I'm hoping to break 1:50 in about a month.)

1:53:36 when I ran my first half two years ago.

[AAM2012]

Awesome job!

[gt7301b]

Congrats again and great recap, it almost makes me want to quit boycotting RnR races