Reach the Beach 2009?

The second I had a moment alone with Robert after our team finished Reach the Beach this year, I gripped him by the shoulders in our beachside hotel room, told him to look in my eyes and listen carefully, and spoke these words: "I'm never going to do this race again. No matter what I say, tomorrow, next week, next month, or next May, I am never doing this race again." And I forced him to nod and agree that he'd heard me.

It's good that I had that conversation with him. Reach the Beach is an incredibly difficult event. You run the equivalent of a half-marathon or more on virtually no sleep. You can't stretch out or cool down after your runs are over, because you have to jump in the van and head off to meet the next runner. You get crammed in a van with 5 or 6 of your closest friends (or people you've never met before) and try to behave like civilized humans while getting no sleep and taking baby-wipe baths to (try to) stay clean. Sometimes it rains, sometimes it's cold, and sometimes you run through blazing heat. You run afraid for your life (of moose, drunk drivers, and the Blair witch) on the middle-of-the-night legs, which are up to nine miles long.

But... it's so much fun! First of all, you get to casually tell all your friends, "I'm running in a 200-mile relay." And you burst with pride as their jaws drop in shock and awe. That's in the months leading up to the race. You train and get your body into great shape during the hottest months of the year, and get to be amazed at your own stamina and determination as you reach new heights of training.

Where else would you get to hang around talking about nothing but running for two days straight with people who know what you're talking about and actually enjoy talking with you about it? It's so much fun to chat with your teammates about the racing plans they have for the fall and the best training plans to follow.

For two days, you get to ride around in a van and act like a child, singing songs (The Final Countdown, anyone?), yelling out the windows, and laughing hysterically. You get to blame your ridiculous, juvenile behavior on sleep deprivation. It's great!

And in between the silly antics, you get to talk with your new closest friends about serious matters like work challenges, marriage issues, and the frustrations of trying to get pregnant. The camaraderie of RTB is definitely the thing that brought me back this year.

Robert, will you remind me again why I said I wouldn't do it next year?

Reach the Beach 2008

5 - Days until the race begins (at 9:40 a.m. at Cannon Ski Mountain)
4 - Days until we leave for New Hampshire (at 6:45 a.m. CST)
3 - Days in my work-week this week
2 - People who will be accompanying me on the trip
    (one running buddy (Shelly) and one husband/van driver (Robert))
1 - Year that I've been counting down to this trip
    (since we got home from the last one)

Hooray, hooray, Reach the Beach is here and I can barely contain my excitement!

Rock 'n' Roll Half Marathon

I have a score to settle with the San Antonio Half Marathon. In 2005, I ran the (Half) Marathon of the Americas. Well, “ran” is probably too strong a word. I struggled through 13.1 miles in a walk/run/death march, praying to see the finish line on the horizon. When I finally rounded the corner and caught a glimpse of the beautiful time clock at the entrance of the Alamodome, the crowds of people filling the streets began to cheer. “How wonderful,” I thought, as I staggered towards the finish line, “These people are all cheering for me! How supportive!”

And as I began to smile and wave at my adoring fans, the winner of the marathon breezed past me and crossed the finish line. That’s right, the marathon winner ran 26.2 miles in the time it took me to pound out 13.1 (two hours and 36 minutes). If you want proof, you can see me in the background of the marathon winner’s finish-line photo in the San Antonio Express-News.

It took me two years to muster up the courage to attempt the half-marathon distance again. But, still intimidated by the idea of racing 13.1 in San Antonio, I didn’t participate in last year’s race here. Instead, I ran the AT&T Half Marathon in Austin this past February.

When I heard that the Rock ‘n’ Roll race was coming to San Antonio, I decided to sign up and try running a half marathon here again. Second time’s a charm, right?

I pledge that this year, with months of base-building, speed work, hill training, and long runs behind me, fantastic bands on the course, and a supportive running buddy at my side, I will finish the San Antonio Rock ‘n’ Roll Half Marathon with a smile on my face (hopefully, at least a few minutes before the marathon winner crosses the finish line).