So, it still hurts to hear loud noises, and my ear has been ringing/stinging all day. I can't really drive and go anywhere (hooray for pain medicine)...therefore, the perfect time to blog right?! :)
ROCKET CITY MARATHON, DEC.12, 2015---4:45:07
WHAT MAKES ROCKET CITY A GREAT FIRST MARATHON?
1) For the ones that live in North Alabama, what a great local race! If you don't live close, there is so much to do and great places to stay in the Huntsville/Madison area. :)
2) The course is relatively flat and it changes up a lot so you aren't on the same road or street for a long time. Yes, it has some incline to it, but compared to some halves and even a full that I did in Tennessee, this is way flatter than most races of this distances in this area. I also love how you run through some great areas like the downtown area (beautiful houses!), the Space and Rocket Center, and the Botanical Gardens to change it up! You also finish in the Von Braun Center, which is pretty epic!
3) The expo is GREAT, the volunteers/aid stations are FANTASTIC, and I love the RACE SWAG! The medals were gorgeous this year, the shirts are comfy & nice (Nike Dri Fit!), and the hats are pretty cool too!
4) Maybe not a lot of people care about this, but it's not a super crowded race. I remember when I ran the St Jude Country Music Half and even the full marathon, the crowds were very overwhelming and parking is a PAIN (200,000+ people...yikes)! This is not the case at the Rocket City Marathon. There were about 1300 runners this year, and there is PLENTY of parking.
5) Okay, so let me add another one....PLENTY of pre and post race potties (REAL toilets! lol) because you start near the VBC and end at the VBC. Yep, I went there. ;)
I can honestly say that I had fun at this race; I didn't experience anything super drastic or painful during the race. Don't get me wrong, it was HOT and I hydrated A LOT, basically at every aid station, for gatorade, water, or both. I'm very happy that I did that because it showed by how strong I was able to stay despite the heat during the race. I was able to run strong until about mile 15, and at that point due to the heat, I gave myself some quick walking breaks just to cool down/breathe and to stretch my knee because I remember feeling some tenderness by that point. But I kept on running, and I'm thankful and proud of that.
HIGHLIGHTS/FAVORITE THINGS ABOUT MY THIRD MARATHON
* I was able to keep close to a 10-10:30 average pace until about mile 16, that's when the sun came out and I was REALLY feeling the heat. I was SUPER proud of that!
*I had a lot of running friends that I was able to see/talk to during the race (that always makes the time fly by!) but I was able to run with Jeanie Collins pretty much the whole race. Whether we were together, her in front of me, or me in front of her, we stayed pretty much together, and I know we were able to keep each other motivated because of that. It was nice to know that I wasn't "alone", and it kept the mental games/negativity away from me. Like I mentioned above, I really didn't have a PR goal or a time goal for this race, especially after finding out about the weather, so we had FUN:)...well, for some of it, right, Jeanie?! ;-)
*I know I mentioned that I hydrated right for this race, but I fueled right for this race too! Once again, I'm super proud of that...the more longer runs/races that I do, the better that I get at fueling (I use Gatorade Gu, Cliff Shot Blocks, Raisins, Crackers, Pretzels with Peanut Butter, etc...it depends on the race or day). With my thyroid issues that can cause me to be sluggish along with my IBS, that has been one of my bigger challenges as a distance runner, and I just keep getting better and better at it.
*I loved seeing my fellow Panera Pounders at mile 13 and the rest of the course. Seriously, their love for their friends and the sport of running shows, and I am so thankful for these friends and how many miles we share together!
*Seeing the Ainsley's Angel's spirit team...WOW, I love my Ainsley's Angel's family. Their cheers, hugs, and smiles made my heart so happy! They helped me keep motivated after my physical therapy with my knee and helped me slowly get back into racing.
*Seeing THIS SWEET WOMAN halfway through the race! It was such a surprise and it totally pumped me up to finish the last half of the race! This friend was the first friend to get me curious about this sport called running in 2012. I remember seeing her Runkeeper post on facebook and being interested and motivated. Without realizing it, she started my treadmill journey, which turned into a coach to 5k journey, which turned into a 10k race. I then remember her messaging me later after my 10k distance on the treadmill and saying "Hey, now you're ready for a half marathon!", which I did sign up for and had NO IDEA what I gotten myself into. Never in my life would I have thought I would run a half marathon, but Katrina encouraged (well, peer pressured me, lol) to do Oak Barrel in 2013, and I've been hooked to distance running ever since! She was even the one to introduced me to We Run Huntsville, and wow, what a motivational tool that has been for me along with giving me more running crazies...errr...running friends! HAHA! Katrina, I love you, but I don't know if I should thank you or ask "WHY?! WHY did you do this to me?!" ;-) :-P ONLY KIDDING! :)
Looking back, I had such a great time and a great race!
FINAL THOUGHTS...
I wanted to end with this. During the race, around mile 23, I saw a sign on pink poster board that said this...
It really hit home with me. During the race, I actually began to cry, and I even remember telling a person near the sign "thank you". I needed to read that and see that so much. There were so many signs, volunteers, etc during that race, and I know it's no coincidence that I didn't miss that sign. When I saw that sign, not only did I think about the race that I was running, but I also thought about this past year, 2015, with its ups and downs. I began to feel so overwhelmed with joy and thankfulness that I began to cry happy tears. I started to remember a college girl from 6 years ago that would have NEVER thought she would run a marathon. Not only would college Holly not be able to complete the distance, but the thought of being around crowds of people, and not only that, strangers, would have had her on the edge of paranoia/anxiety. So much has change since then. I am so thankful that my faith in God has gotten stronger, my physical health overall has gotten better, and the anxiety/depression that I use to face daily is not a daily thing anymore.
Like I have said in previous blogs, my favorite prayer to think/pray while I run is "Thank You Jesus for this day and the ability to RUN", over and over and over again.
Because, as simple as it sounds, it means SO MUCH.
Hey, go for a run, it just might change your life. And hey, visit We Run Huntsville on facebook, I bet it just might change your life too. :)
-Holly
Holly's Race Schedule (Schedule Subject to Change Due to Peer Pressure from friends:-P)
December 31st---Recover From the Holidays 50k, Huntsville, AL (3rd Grand Slam Challenge Race)
January 16th---Elkmont Half Marathon
January 23rd---Mountain Mist 50k (4th and Final Race in Grand Slam Challenge)
February 6th---Tick Ridge Trek 10k
February 13th---Hug a Cub 5k (Ainsley's Angels Race)
March 12---Piggy Tail Princess 7k (Ainsley's Angels Race)
March 19th---Running the Shoals Half Marathon
April 2nd---Oak Barrel Half Marathon
April 10th---Bridgestreet Half Marathon (Official 2:30 race pacer)
April 30th---Chick-fil-a 10k Race in Decatur, AL
May 7th---Steeple Chase 8k (Ainsley's Angels Race)
May 21st---Viola Valley Half Marathon
January 16th---Elkmont Half Marathon
January 23rd---Mountain Mist 50k (4th and Final Race in Grand Slam Challenge)
February 6th---Tick Ridge Trek 10k
February 13th---Hug a Cub 5k (Ainsley's Angels Race)
March 12---Piggy Tail Princess 7k (Ainsley's Angels Race)
March 19th---Running the Shoals Half Marathon
April 2nd---Oak Barrel Half Marathon
April 10th---Bridgestreet Half Marathon (Official 2:30 race pacer)
April 30th---Chick-fil-a 10k Race in Decatur, AL
May 7th---Steeple Chase 8k (Ainsley's Angels Race)
May 21st---Viola Valley Half Marathon
