Nashville Half Marathon and Racing Lessons Learned

After a long hiatus, I'm back. After the marathon bombing and the ensuing craziness, it was a bit difficult to find the time to blog and at times, the motivation, given everything that was occurring.  But now that things have settled some, I have some things to write about, first of which is the Nashville 1/2 Marathon/1st Annual Girl's Run Weekend!

(Photo creds to my resident photog EH!)

Many of my friends are runners. One of my dearest friends also blogs and writes about it! We are all scattered across the country and have always talked about trips to get everyone together at least once a year. Back in the fall of last year, another dear friend (and the best organizer on the planet!) suggested running the Nashville Half Marathon. After many emails, 8 of us found that the weekend would work and signed up (one signed up for the full!). It was a diverse group with everyone knowing some of the group, but not knowing everyone, so it worked out as a great way to meet some new runner friends!  We represented the East Coast on this trip: Boston - 1, Baltimore - 2, DC - 3, Tampa - 1, Naples - 1.  There was lots of great conversation, food, beer, and we even met Olympian marathoner Kara Goucher! A few of our group members may have had a mini freak-out over meeting Kara (you know who you are).

(Thanks LM and the great human who took our group photo!)

The trip was phenomenal; the run was not. It was the most miserable run I have ever had in my life. This was for a few reasons, the largest being that there were torrential downpours THE ENTIRE race. Thankfully, Lianne and I were able to procure ponchos the night before. Ok, well, really, it was more like we pressed our faces to the window of the closed beauty supply shop and the owner took pity on us, but we got the goods regardless. The ponchos helped us stay somewhat dry; some in our group ran the whole thing in it, others ditched them and just dealt with the rain.

(Thanks CS for the pic!)

10 Valuable Running Lessons Learned:

1. TRAIN - Yes, I realize this should be a no-brainer. I really started out on a good regimen. And then it fell apart. Partially because I let work and life take over...again. I've run a half before with minimal training and survived. But I was not in the shape to do it this time, especially with how hilly the course turned out to be (that elevation map was deceiving!). Again, as I have written before, I really realized on that third horrific hill that I need to start being more selfish about my well-being and my own health. I know I cannot run a full marathon without training. And I know I cannot perform the way I want and without injury without training. So...TRAIN.
2. CHAFING HAPPENS - I have always read about this being a problem, but it never happened to me until this weekend. Apparently when every article of clothing you are wearing becomes so saturated with water that you are literally wringing out your shirt sleeves and the bottom of your running capris, chafing will happen. I was chafed by my iPhone I put in my bra (see item #3). I was chafed by my underwear after a port-o-potty spot. Bad news bears all around. A fabulous solution is bacitracin and tefla dressings (another perk of working in healthcare; you can raid the dressing supplies as needed). So be smart about your wardrobe and accessories. Or just don't run when the heavens have opened up.
3. iPHONE IN BRA = BAD IDEA - I often run with my iPhone. It has my music on it and especially in the case of this race, it was communication between me and all of the much faster people. I ran with my friend during the race and attempted some chatting/bitching, so I didn't listen to music. I also realized at mile 12 when I was alone that even though I wanted to listen, my headphones had shorted out and my iPhone speakers had become so saturated with rain/sweat, they stopped working too. Epic fail. Thankfully it dried out. It also left its mark, literally, on my boob (again, reference #2). So, I guess I really need to invest in an iPhone armband or go with the ol' reliable iPod shuffle from now on.
4. BRING YOUR OWN TP - I will leave this to your own interpretation, but all I can say is thank God for a friend giving me a piece of Kleenex before leaving the hotel. Although it was damp and stained bright neon coral from my running shirt, it did what was needed.
5. FORGET THE SHOES, IT'S ALL ABOUT THE SOCKS - I want to personally thank the sock man who sucked me and my running hero friend into buying these compression socks at the Expo the day prior to the race. The Swiftwick Performance Zero socks saved my feet from blisters and pain. My shoes and feet were completely soaked 20 minutes before even starting the race and never were dry again until I dried off from my post-race shower. And not a blister on 'em! Seriously, best socks ever. I am giving them my endorsement (and believe me, they in no way asked for it). Other fun facts: they are made in TN, they are 200 needle count (it's like having 800 thread-count sheets on your feet!), and they are made with olefin, which is a natural fiber that helps absorb moisture naturally. Does it get any better?
6. POSITIVE ATTITUDE - I'm not much of an overly Suzy Sunshine type person. I'm not a Negative Nelly either, but I tend to like to be surprised when the glass is more full than expected. However, I realized on this run how much your mentality comes into play while running. I was so glad to have my friend running with me to help keep me pumped up and motivated going up all those damn hills. But I also realized by giving myself credit and actually telling myself "I can do this" that it seemed a little easier and totally worth getting to the finish line for the Gatorade and vanilla creme cookies. That and the giant medal and the space blankets.
7. SHUTTLES DO NOT = 11 PEOPLE - Definitely worth finding out exactly how many people your hotel race shuttle can take at a time. The downtown Sheraton can take 11. Remember that people. So when your group of 8 has 49 people in front of you at 5:30am for a 7:00am race start, you too also realize you may not make it in time. However, I would not necessarily recommend the almost 2 mile walk in ponchos to the start line either. Cab it. Seriously.
8. EAT MORE THAN A LARA BAR PRE-RACE - I was so afraid of getting an upset stomach I underfed myself. For anyone who knows me, I realize this is an idea that is hard to fathom, but it happened. About an hour before the race was supposed to start, I was already hungry. I love Lara Bars (cherry pie, yum!), but I should have had more with it.
9. JIMMY JOHN'S IS AMAZING - After you have run 13.1 miles (and walked 3 more between start and finish), you will be hungry. The bananas and pretzels at the end are delicious and filling...for 10 seconds. What you need is some freaky fast food...enter Jimmy John's. I lived on this stuff in undergrad, and then in grad school. Sometimes lunch, dinner, or after the bar, but always awesome. It's awesomeness was never more apparent than after this race. A Vito was just what I wanted. And if filled me up until our dinner/drinking celebration in the evening.
10. BOSTON STRONG - I was so overwhelmed by the support of the running community this weekend in Nashville. At the Expo, there was a huge board that we were all able to sign with messages for Boston. They passed out bracelets to wear with the BAA colors and "Boston 4.15.13, Run Now" on them. So many runners had special Boston shirts made or even just Red Sox shirts, anything to honor our city. I definitely teared up multiple times. It just showed me again what an amazing group of people that runners are. Thank you to all of you for your love and support for our city. We will keep running. Boston Strong.

I'm hoping to do a short run tomorrow to loosen these legs up. I can finally walk like a normal person again! I'll also report on the non-running activities on Nashville, i.e. food, drink, fun.