#11 OC Marathon
Miles run the month before: 9.5
Time: 2:30:30
The Story: Even the most seasoned runners would anticipate that the 2017 OC Marathon wouldn’t be a record breaker. The day before it arrived, I knew it wouldn’t be my fastest race since I’d chosen wine/shopping/binge-watching Netflix/sleep over half marathon training, but when it started hailing as thousands of us awaited the singing of the Star Spangled Banner, I actually worried that I might not even finish. I hate the rain. I suck at cold. Running in the rain or the cold, I don’t do. How would I ever make it through 13.1 miles with ice cubes falling from above?
I carpooled over with several members of the Bixby Knolls Dawn Joggers, a running group in my ‘hood made up of steadfast (and quick) early risers. They run each weekday morning at 5:15. I managed to make it on time twice. But still, they offered me a ride to OC on marathon morning. So I had peeps with whom to commiserate on the unusually blustery May morning.
The hail didn’t last long. And the heavy rains that preceded it lightened just before the starting gun, those seeking shelter in the port-a-potties nearly missing the race. Just a test, I told myself. The skies would clear and I’d dry up by mile three.
But that would’ve been too easy.
Instead, it rained off and on for the first half the race, the sun finally brave enough to stick around for good at about mile 8. The crazy thing is, I’m a pretty good rain runner. In soggy shoes, having to continually wipe my face dry, I kept a steady pace the whole way, not really way wearing out until the last couple of miles. Without training, I managed to get my fastest OC Half time yet, and my third best time overall. Does this mean I look forward to more rainy races?
Heck no.
