Finish...Check!

This entire weekend was dedicated to running the half marathon. Friday night, I took easy in preparation for the big race. Saturday, Stephanie and I headed to San Antonio around mid-day. First we had to head to the Alamo Dome for the Expo where we were pick up our race packets.

This was the beginning of what I would like to call a weekend of cattle herding. Before hand, I had printed out a nice map the race provided of locations around the Alamo dome where you could park for free or cheap. I should've not waisted the ink, because you couldn't get to any of those places. You went the directions the cops sent you, and that was it. So we found some side street where I did my typical 15-point parallel parking job.

(When you get stuck on the curb, SEVERAL TIMES, you aren't a good parallel parker. And that's fine by me, I've embraced that.)

Then, when you got in the Alamo dome they had it sectioned off so that you could only follow the path they wanted you to follow. Which was fine, it made the whole thing efficient. And it needed to be that way because I have never seen so many people at a race packet pick-up (it was at the Alamo dome for a reason). When the time was up for the Expo, they headed us promptly out the doors, like cattle making their way to their final destination.

The rest of our evening was pretty low key too. We checked into our hotel. We drove around the river walk area for about an hour trying to find somewhere without a full parking lot. We then walked around the river walk for another hour trying to find a restaurant with food that wouldn't effect our next days run, with less than an hour and a half wait and less than a $30 meal. I almost started to believe that such a place didn't exist. But then we found one with a 45 minute wait. Which I was not mad about because they had the Aggie game at the bar. But after five minutes they hostess came and got us. Forty-five minutes is close to five, I'll give them that. And knowing the outcome of the game, I don't think I am mad about missing that either. But it was a good meal and we went to bed early.

The next morning started round two of cattle herding. We took a cab to the start line, or more like a mile or so away from the start line, but whatever. Then they had you get into, no lie, corrals for a wave start. Seriously, you had to stand there with the group of people that were in your same corral and each corral was let go a minute and a half apart. As each corral left, they'd move the rope to your corral forward until you were the one to go. If that isn't cattle herding, I don't know what is. I was tempted to moo everytime they moved us. But seeing as to how Stephanie wasn't in my corral so therefore I was alone, I made the executive decision to not do so based off what they'd most likely think.

But all that waiting around for cattle herding made me need to use the ladies room. So a half mile in, I had to stop and wait for the port-a-potty. I had said something just before the race about how ridiculous it is when people have to pee in the middle of the race. Opps. In my defense, had I not been herded for 25 minutes like cows, I might would've sweat the liquid out.

The race went pretty well. It felt like it went by much faster than my last one. As hard as I tried to take it easy at the beginning of the race, it just didn't happen. So, just like the last race, I paid for it for the rest of the race by not being able to run like I should. But at the end of the day, I'd say I did well for the training I did. I did start late in the game training for this one, and I didn't try to improve my time during this training. So I got what should be expected from that training.

But the positives are the fact that I wasn't in pain for the last three miles. I ran the last two pretty well. The last 200 yards, the first of which was an uphill slope (why would you do that at the end to someone running 13.1 miles?) I ran faster than I normally would (while a lot of people walked). And the very last 100 yards I was about one notch down from sprinting. I passed several people during this last stretch (which my brother swears you should always try to do in a race). Immediately after the race I paid for that a bit, if you would've asked me at that very moment if I would ever run again, I can't be sure that I would've said yes. But after some water, a banana and getting to sit down to stretch; I was good to go again (well not to like run but to think about running later). The last good thing was how I felt afterwards. My legs never felt like jello nor did they cramp up to the point where it was uncomfortable to move them. No back pain, no fever and no extreme tiredness (I did come home and take an hour and a half nap, but I expected more).

This is good that I wasn't sore, because afterwards between getting lost, picking the perfect restaurant for Stephanie's boyfriend and his friends to eat at (it had to have football playing) and someone telling us the wrong hotel to go to for such a place; we probably walked about four miles (which included several staircases). If this had been after my first half, I wouldn't have made it. But since I felt great, it was no big deal.

So here I am, feeling pretty good and plotting out how I am going to make my next half marathon even better. You do so quickly forget the pain. Running races is quite addicting!

On another note- I was informed today by my sister-in-law that my ex's new (slash old) girlfriend will be attending Thanksgiving after all. See, this is why I need another race to focus on. I need as many things to keep my mind off of what is to come of that. Though, I was told that they were both already talked to about this and about how I am family and I would be there. I think what kind-of gets underneath my skin about this is the fact that I feel he is doing this on purpose to rub it in my face that he has a girlfriend. That and the other things I've already mentioned about it, which I am sure I will refresh your memory on before that day arrives. But for now, I am going to try to get ready for bed (though I do have a whole slew of eHarmony matches piling up that are in need of shifting through).

Well, here's to what's to come....