Day 4 RACE Day

 Oh my, it's early!  But the roosters are still crowing.... and I got up before my guys so I could have a few minutes of reflection.

Well,, that is not exactly true... I don't sleep well the night before events.  I am always too anxious.. worrying about being late.. and, as you read earlier, I am usually nervous about the START!  I PLAN to walk this time so I am not too worried about my time.... BUT I know me... and I DO compete against ME... so I am not sure how calm I really am :-)  This is the first time I have ever repeated a race... I did it once before in 2 hours 38 minutes...

The moon was out as we gathered for the start.  I loved watching Cruz Bay Harbor wake up!

Race start is at 7:15am.... my son will be a water person at one of the 11 stations.. this race is a HUGE event on the island.  All the local business have stations... 1000 runners from all over the world come for the day.  A serious BOOST to this little island's economy!

Beautiful weather... start delayed a little becasue the Coast Guard did a flyover salute... and they were late.   So the start like everything else here was "island time" .. so about 7:30 am, we began.

I was placed closer to the front than I like because I know I am walking!  Excited runners and joggers swarmed around me as we started.  I jogged a little simply because of the numbers of people!  UNTIL the first hill....  I went back to plan.... and walked past many who couldn't run any more.

The first hill after start through the center of town

I just kept moving...  the first two miles were grueling... there is no other word.  Working your way up the first mountain, there is a LOT of self-talk.... why on earth are you doing this?  Are you crazy? .. and things like that.  It is comforting to have some events behind you so you can have other things to add to the self-conversation... like.. just keep moving.. and ...it'll be better around the next curve...  And sometimes it is :-)  At Mile 2, I had been walking for 35 minutes... not a great pace - but all sharply uphill so I felt okay about it.

I spent much of the time during the race thinking about my kids and family in the states, preparing for funeral services and taking care of each other.  I may not be able to help them, but I could certainly PRAY for them throughout my day. 

The terrain evened out a little after Mile 3.. but that was just a teaser for the second mountain!  But it was a good chance to catch my breath.  Most participants used this time for a little jogging... but I was more interested in the steady pace and breathing!  Lots of shady sections and 11 water stations gave the participants a chance to cool off and keep going.

And so it went for a bit... alternating chugging uphill and stretching out a bit on the flattish sections.   The halfway point was in a bit of a dip... just after that was the sign for the highest elevation - 999 feet.  Island tradition is to jump as high as you can at that point to hit 1000 feet :-)  I had the energy to do that too.... and kept moving.

Mile 5 was a bit tougher for me.. I even stopped to take the photo of the road markings.  The roads are so narrow and resources so limited here.. that they paint the race mile markers on the road :-)  Somehow the mile markers were closer together after the first two :-)  Not really, but apparently I hit my stride after that!  My son was at a water station at the top of Bordeaux Mountain and it was a SMILE for me and a burst of energy after I saw him.

Mile 6, for me, felt GOOD!  I started jogging a bit after that.  Of course, more of the road was downhill... so steep that you jogged whether you wanted to or not!  Just keep moving was my mantra!  And I wanted to make sure I had the energy to run at the very end to cross the finish line.

But then at Mile 7, the bottom falls out.  My legs started cramping!  I slowed my pace a little and tried to work out the cramps while I kept walking.  This is the part where I had to dig really deep, think of my kids and all they had to do, and keep pushing through.  Under a mile and a half left at this point.  There is no quitting!  Some things you have to see through to the end.

At this point, serious athletes are passing me going in the OTHER direction back to town.  God bless them.. this is a tough course just ONE time.

Mile8!  Sweet!  Just before the last water station... Okay... I KNOW I can finish now...  just a tenth of mile, they say.   I had to laugh though.... a bit further down the road.... AFTER the water station... was ANOTHER 8 painted on the road :-)  Who knows?  But I do know I am closer to the end than the beginning.... and THIS part is downhill... so I keep going!

And I see a crowd of people by the side of the road!  I prepare to turn in there.... but NO... that is not the finish line.  Apparently I am not the first to make that assumption because the whole group is pointing further down the road :-)

And there it is.. the place to turn in to the ball field and the place where I stow my camera and prepare to sprint to the end where my husband and VICTORY await :-)

My time was 2:08:40 with an average pace of 15:22....so I DID beat ME :-) which is exactly what I hoped to do :-)

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My cousins, both in their 70s, placed first in their age categories.  This was their 10th
 8TUFF and they were hoping for this honor!  Lots of satisfaction all around :-)

The rest of the day passed quietly.. no surprise there... lunch out... naps at the condo.. and the awards ceremony at 4pm.  I LOVED seeing my cousins on the podium.. I am so proud of all they have accomplished!

thanks for reading!  Race reports can be pretty dull if you don't race :-)  I'll be back tomorrow with a few more island adventures...