Flying Pirate Half Marathon Recap

Date: 4/14/2013
Location: Kill Devil Hills, NC
Weather: 55 degrees and sunny at start
Official Time: 2:10:45
Unofficial Time (a.k.a. Moving Time): 2:07:10 (I chilled in the bathroom for a while)

The Good:

Girl's Weekend: This race had been on my schedule since last September when Kim suggested it to G, Erika and me. Within moments, it became a Girl's Weekend. When we weren't racing, we were catching up, learning about Virginia and North Carolina history, eating and exploring the sights.

Our attempt at a self portrait at Cape Hatteras Lighthouse ...

A trip to the beach ...

Our accommodations, courtesy of G ...

The very fancy packet pick up ...

It was awesome and I loved every second I got to spend with these ladies. Seriously, who says you can't meet people on the internet?

Z2: Due to some unforeseen issues (more in a sec), I was not able to pick up the pace as I had hoped to. However, this race turned into the perfect Z2 training run. I ran controlled and consistent and I could have ran for much longer. Sure it was a racing fail, but it was a training success.

The Course: I loved this course. Like super loved this course. The first nine miles or so were flat and shaded. The next three miles were on "packed" dirt/sand. For the most part I didn't mind this or the rolling hills that accompanied it. Then there was the last mile. Pure torture. But, since I loved the first 12 miles so much, I'm just going to ignore that the final mile ever happened.

The Bling: I'm kind of obsessed with it.

Finishing: Thanks to "The Ugly" part of this race, I was ready to be done. The last mile and stomach cramps had me praying to be done. Plus it meant, I got to hang with these ladies again.

The Bad:

Costume Contest: There was a costume contest associated with this race. When I saw it mentioned, I thought nothing of it. After seeing the epic things people come up with as running costumes here in Richmond, I didn't think we could ever stand a chance. But I was proven wrong. It was nothing but a lame fest. The four of us could have easily won and shared this trophy throughout the year.

The Drive to the Start: G was awesome and hosted us at her dad's place in Buxton. Unfortunately, we didn't look at how far Buxton was from the start of this point-to-point race. Not that it would have really made a difference, but I would have loved a later wake up call.

Bathrooms: There were too few (and too far between) on the course. Some days I might not have cared, but this day it was my biggest grievance. Water stops weren't much better.

The Ugly:

Mile 13: Let me say this again, I loved this course. Mostly flat in the first half. Gentle rollers in the second. But mile 13 was a nightmare. Picture a narrow trail with light to moderately packed sand covered in pine needles and then add hills. It was slow going. And ugly.

Bathroom Issues: Honestly, sometimes being a female sucks. Just prior to the start of the race, I was hit with my period and some serious cramps. Unsure as to whether or not the cramps were caused by my new "running mate" or by a need to use the bathroom, I started the race. By mile two, I knew I needed to find a bathroom. When I got the opportunity (between miles four and five), I thought the feeling had mostly passed and I would be fine. Little did I know, I was severely mistaken. I thought there would be a bathroom at the mile six water stop, but I was wrong.

I started contemplating asking spectators if they happened to be close to home and if I could use their bathroom. There was no where to duck off the course and honestly, without toilet paper, I really didn't want to. Right around that time, I saw G on her bike coming the opposite way.

Immediately after my first bathroom stop. I was feeling much happier then.

I yelled, "When was the last time you saw a bathroom?" She said she thought it was at about mile eight - over a mile away. It turned out the bathroom was at 8.6 and it was the most amazing thing I'd ever seen. A few minutes later, G caught me exiting.

Too bad this isn't closer. I was totally making a frown face.

I felt much better, but I knew I was going to need another bathroom, which unfortunately didn't show up on the course until mile 11. The rest of the day was merely a continuation of my stomach troubles, when I got home (feeling completely off) I took my temperature and was running a 100.4 fever. Guess it wasn't my day.