South Shore Half Marathon 2011

Although cold, ugly, misty and crowded…it was an ok race.



I got up at 5:45 because I needed to shave my legs….didn’t want to be mistaken for one of the dudes from the waist down. After the deed was done I drug the boys out of bed and we hit the road. My GPS in my car had a few different ideas on how to get there and kept changing it’s mind but we did finally make it and ran into Lori and Mike almost as soon as we walked into the park. I kept waiting for the race day jitters but they just weren’t there….and never did turn up. Maybe because I kept telling and telling myself that this was NOT a race…but a training run with a few hundred of my closest friends..or at least other people that were running.

I texted Katie as soon as I got there and she turned up not long after I picked up my bib and rad gloves. This is a VERY low key race. No medals, no chip time..I don’t think. There’s barely even a course and much too small of one for the turn out they have. This is clusterfuck walltowall racing at it’s finest folks..and it never really let up until maybe mile 10.

Let me stop here though and say how amazing it was to meet Katie. I have whined to that girl…read everything she’s ever put in a blog. It’s unusual for me to take a real shine to someone. Usually I know someone for years before I really ever give a shit about them one way or another. But this little nymph…because that’s what she looks like…a little red headed wood nymph…has wormed her way into a very special little group of people that live in my head heart. It was the first time I’ve ever met her in person....and it was just normal…and I’m all about shit that don’t feel weird.


Anywaysssss…we started…and eventually even crossed the start line. Katie was going to run the first 3 miles with me and turn around giving herself 6 miles for the day..cool. It was congested…like I said..it’s a bike path and just not big enough…but whatever. We just ran…didn’t yap tons…didn’t need to. Coming up on mile 3 we said our quick goodbyes and she jetted. I have never run a chunk of a race with anyone but V..and this was very cool..and man did the time fly by.


I popped in my earphones and just went. I tried to maintain a steady pace. I really wasn’t racing…just trying to keep my pace below 10:25’s or so…and I did overall. But pulling up my splits….I am just ALL OVER THE DAMN PLACE! I can’t hold steady worth a damn and I’m thinking unless I can get that under control there is NO way I’m going to be able to do that for the marathon. So does my goal change to just finishing…nope. I’m going to try to learn in 27 days to maintain a steady pace…and race day will be the test of that…God willing.

V and Me

Now I told Vincent to meet me at mile 11 and finish with me…but somehow…when I gave him and Dominic money when we got ready to start and told him when to start walking to meet me I just knew that wasn’t going to happen. So I wasn’t at all surprised when I rolled up on mile 11 and he wasn’t there. And I also wasn’t at all surprised when he was sitting at mile 12…with a big dopey grin on his face. “Lets go Mama. These people look like they’re dying and you look strong.” Sweet words and a mile late…little shit. I can’t explain how it feels to run with your child…this life that you’ve tossed into the universe. But it’s incredible. He’s so positive and just believes in me…even if it’s for just then.


So it’s done. My finish time by my Garmin was 2:14:13…..over 2 minutes faster then my last half..although the course did measure long at 13.2 miles. I’m happy with it…I did what I said I was going to do and it’s one more race under my belt. And I won’t go into my marathon having not stepped onto a race course in 8 months!!!

27 days