Race day was unseasonably warm for Detroit. The other two times I ran this half marathon it was in the low 30's when we started running at 7:00am. Race day it was in the 60's! I had been looking forward to cold weather running and instead it felt like Texas! I wore a tech T and running tights and was worried I would be hot with my compression socks on. Thankfully I didn't overheat during the race, there was a nice breeze coming off the Detroit River. My sister and I got there early to get a good parking spot. We walked to Fort Street and got in our corral after hitting the loo. Ha ha!
When we started the race it was still dark. One of the best parts of the race is watching the sunrise over the river. You run over the Ambassador Bridge towards the beginning of the race (around mile 3, I think?) It's amazing! I felt really good and was trying to pace myself, I didn't want to go too fast right out of the gate and blow it at the end by getting slower as the race went on. My sister ran the half with me this time instead of the full marathon because she ran a 50 mile race in September (because she's AWESOME!). She kept asking me how I was doing and how the pace was which I was thankful for. She was like my own personal cheerleader. :o)
After you cross the bridge you run a few miles in my moms home land of Canada. You get a sweet view of Detroit while running along the waterfront. I got a really great picture of the Ren Cen a few years ago. You run back into the US through the hot, smelly tunnel (my least favorite part). We saw a person passed out in there off to the side. It was reallllllly hot in there. When we came out of the tunnel I remember feeling a little sluggish but was happy to be hit with a breeze. The tunnel has zero air movement...it's just bad. I kept looking at my watch and noting our pace and overall time. I was wondering in my head if I was going to get a PR (personal record). Maureen and I kept running along and were on the lookout for our parents and some friends that were supposed to come down to see us. Around miles 8-9 I was feeling like I was slowing down a lot. Looking and my mile times now I really wasn't, my pace only changed by a few seconds. Anyway, around mile 10 I saw my friend Meagan and her husband. That definitely gave me a little pep in my step. We picked up the pace a little and kept on going. I kept pushing myself because I REALLY wanted to get a PR. My sister kept encouraging me that I could do it. My last 3 miles of the race were the fastest. Towards the end, around mile 13 I heard someone screaming "ASHLEY!!!!!!!" At the top of her lungs! I look over and it's my best friend Chelsey with her friend Donny! They were running along the side of the course holding up posters Chels had made and screaming their heads off for me and Maureen!! I was so freaking happy to see them! We rounded the corner onto Fort Street and could see the finish line. We were gunning it, I was so damn determined...and I got my PR! My fastest race up to that point was my first half in 2013, I finished in 2:14:36. This time I finished the race in 2:13:46, 50 seconds faster. In running 50 seconds is kind of a big deal so I was really excited. I got teary eyed when my sister said "you did it!" We got our medals and post race freebies and waited around for our family and friends to find us. Misty, Damian and Matthew came down to see us, too. I can always count on them for their support (love you guys!). Here's a few pictures.
So...I'll do another update about my training and how it didn't go as I had hoped/planned. I kept having back pain and pain in my right calf. A friend suggested I go see a chiropractor so I went in September, a few weeks before the race. He did x-rays and showed me that I have degenerative disk disease. One looked particularly bad (L5-S1 area). For the last 5 months I've been going for adjustments and it wasn't getting any better. I finally decided to see a spine specialist a few weeks ago and he ordered an MRI which I had on February 1. Turns out I've been running with a bulging disc that has a tear in it... AND a herniated disc (the one the pen is pointing at in the picture below). So tomorrow morning I'm getting epidural steroid injections in my back. I'm hoping this helps and that I'll be able to get back out there and do long runs again. I miss running. So so so much. I haven't been able to workout/run much because it really freaking hurts. Sneezing hurts, coughing hurts, sometimes sitting and laying hurts. I'm looking forward to getting out there again and getting a sub 2 hour half marathon.
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