RACE REPORT #2: Run for the One Half Marathon

Submitted by: Ursula Forrester

Just Running. . . This weekend, there was a half marathon race planned in Wilson...less than 30 minutes from home. So, why not run a race so close to home, right? It was a last minute call to sign up for the half (instead of the 5k). I'm thinking it's going to be hot, it is a small, first-year race, it's on roads I don't really know, and there's no medal given to finishers. But I've done the distance enough times that I should be fine. So, what the heck. I will proceed with the mindset that I'm just going out for a long Saturday morning run. Afterall, a lot of running buddies will be there. At least, this was my race mentality as the day got started. I wasn't planning to "race" this race. I just planned to do it. Git-her-done, if you will!

The day started when we followed mapquest directions to the precise address provided on the race web page and arrived in downtown Wilson at an office building. Hmmm...no runners in sight. Now what do we do? Thank you Jeff Miller for helping us navigate to the correct location via phone and internet maps. We arrived just in time to sign up, strap on race numbers, and for me to rush to a desperately needed visit at a porta-potty. Oh, and five minutes before the start I discovered my Garmin wouldn't turn on...so no GPS to keep up with my pace or mileage. Bummer. But at least I still had my iPod and just my regular watch. That's all I would need.

So, the race starts and off we go. It was a small crowd. Maybe 50 runners? But a good mixture of men and women. And I think at least a dozen or so of us from the Rocky Mount Endurance Club. I started out running with Amber. Then with Amber and Jon for a bit. Everyone got spread out pretty quick. Misty, Elaine, Laura, Frank, and Julie were behind us. Ashley, Michael, Ron and Liz were ahead.

We came to one of our first turns and realized the course was marked with these little (emphasis on the word little) LOWES lawn flags stuck near the curb in the grass. At this particular turn (going right), we looked left and saw where the road looped around and saw some flags over there too. Hmmmm...were we suppose to turn wide left there and go around the loop before turning up this way? We determined maybe, but we weren't really sure. Oh, well. Keep going. A little ways further, Amber dropped back and Jon and I kept pushing the pace a little. I don't know what pace were running. Not too fast but we were maintaining a decent pace. There were no mile markers on the course, so it was our best guess at any given point as to how far we'd gone. I said we should assume an average 10-minute pace as a way to estimate our distance. We also noticed at some of the intersections/turns there were arrows drawn in chalk on the road. Some were purple, some orange. All of them were small and tough to spot unless you were looking carefully.

It was definitely feeling hot. At 45 minutes I said it was hard to believe we still had another 90 minutes or so ahead of us. My sunglasses had sweat dripping down the lenses and fogged up at water stops. Eventually, those were moved to the top of my head. By the one hour mark I think our pace had slowed a little but we were still moving. We came to an intersection (a really busy four-lane intersection) without any traffic control. Whoa! What is going on? This intersection is way too busy to not have someone stopping traffic. We keep moving. I say we need to keep an eye out for those little flags. We could see a few runners in front of us so we felt we were on track. Then we came to another intersection without traffic control. Seriously?!? This doesn't seem right. I don't see any markings. But there are runners ahead. And then, we see another really busy intersection ahead. Tarboro Road!!! Oh no, this is definitely NOT right. We determine we HAVE missed a turn. We decide to turn around. We tell several runners around us we are sure we missed a turn and are going back. They kept pressing ahead; we turned around. We thought it would be better to get back on course and have water stations along the way than to risk it by finding an alternate way back. Regardless, the race wouldn't be "legitimate" with us veering off course.

It turns out our missed turn was more than a mile back. Along the way we encountered Elaine, Amber, and a new friend who had all also missed the turn. Elaine told us Misty had a printed copy of the turn-by-turn directions with her. So, I think she was the most prepared among us. Kuddos Misty! Too bad she was out of sight.

We found a police officer on a motorcycle at the spot where we turned to get back on the course. So, we added on 2+ miles but now we were back on track. Oh well, things like this can happen. We can laugh about this, right? And I was laughing about it. What else could I do? We're just out for a long run. And now it will be longer than planned. At least now we're back on the right path. To the credit of the motorcycle policeman, he drove back and forth for a mile or two checking on us. He also offered us water.

At the next aid station, we stopped for fluids. When we asked the volunteer "what is the distance here?" meaning at what mile is the aid station located, he responded 13.1 miles. He didn't have any idea at what mileage he was stationed, just how long the race was suppose to be. I was thankful he was there though. Very glad. We needed the fluids. I grabbed a luke-warm, half-full water bottle to go. Better that than nothing. Besides, we didn't know it, but that was the last aid station we would find.

Jon and I continued on with our trek through some scenic and slightly hilly Wilson neighborhoods. It was very pretty and peaceful running conditions. Hot, but still a beautiful day. There were squirrels scurrying here and there and the smell of flowers in the air. Oh, and I spotted some "tremenjus" magnolia trees. Not too bad for a muggy day. And so many of the residential streets were filled with gorgeous, old trees giving us nice shade. The breezes would come and go too. Eventually, we came up to Nash St. where an officer waved us straight across. So, we proceeded to go straight. Our pace was still relatively decent even though my legs were beginning to feel weary. You know, it's that feeling when you realize you've gone further than your legs have trained to go. They're feeling tight and a little achy, but as long as you keep moving forward, momentum is on your side. My spirits were still pretty high. After another mile or so, we came to a fork in the road and there were NO COURSE MARKINGS to be found. Ugghhh! This is not a good sign. Jon immediately turns around and says we have to backtrack again. He is sure it isn't right. And, he was right. The problem this time is that we couldn't find it marked at all where we were suppose to turn as we backtracked. We make it back to Nash St. From there, Jon knows which way to go to head back to downtown. THANK GOODNESS!!! So, we head that way.

I have to admit, from the moment we had to turn around again, and then couldn't figure out where we were suppose to turn, my spirit was broken. I felt defeated. I was mad! I was just ready to be done. I had done all the running I wanted to do. I was wishing I had my cell phone. I wished my Garmin had worked so I'd know how far we'd gone. I was contemplating hitchhiking. I knew Michael would be worried by now. I was so GRATEFUL I wasn't alone. Thank you Jon for running with me and for knowing we needed to turn around. Another half mile down the road, I spotted a police car and waved him down. I asked him to give us a ride back to the finish. I WAS DONE! I didn't want to finish. I just wanted to BE finished. We didn't even know how to get back "on course" at that point. And I didn't want to. For the first time ever, I did NOT finish a race; something I never thought I would choose to do. DNF, on the record books. Sigh...

On the way back, we passed Elaine. She was still going. I admire her for that. She could have piled in the car with us, but she kept going. It occurred to me as I sat there in the back seat of a police car peering out of the window, that I felt a little "criminal." Oh no! I've somehow cheated (myself). I've let myself down. My fellow runner is still going and I've given up. But, even so, I did the right thing for me. Afterall, I really was JUST out for a long run. I was just running. I made it back safely. And just in time. Michael was frantically worried and just starting the car to come and find me. But I was done. I was finished, but in my own way.