We Run DC

We Run D.C. 
Yesterday, I embarked on my first-ever Women’s Half-Marathon in Washington, D.C. (#WeRunDC, ha!). I’ve never been the most athletic, so what would possess me to challenge myself physically–and to such extremes? Perhaps it was the alarming statistic that “4 out of 5 African American women are obese or overweight.”

Registration

The Nike Women’s Half-Marathon started with our arrival in Washington, D.C., on Saturday afternoon at the beautiful historic Omni Shoreham Hotel.  Hubby and I headed to Georgetown to the Nike Registration for the Half-Marathon. Seeing the maze of the long line with women from every conceivable age group, every size and color was inspiring. The line moved quickly to receive our race information and racing bib with a chip for my family to track my every mile along the course.  Over 17,000 women registered to run or walk the 13.1-mile half-marathon., my race bib #17060. Can you imagine?

After registration, we ventured over to the Nike Expotique, a huge tent where the ladies could get pumped up with fun activities like getting a chair back massage, sampling Nunn products to help us stay hydrated, complimentary makeovers, and an opportunity to win Nike clothing or running sneakers, all to a pulsating beat. How could you not be excited after all that?

Saturday evening, the 50 participants attended a Central Pennsylvania Team Meeting. The meeting included reminders about the information they need to enjoy the race, safety instructions, and a team photo tomorrow at 5:15 a.m.

Let’s go through the actual day of the marathon, shall we?

5:15 AM Team Photo

5:30 AM, The Central Pennsylvania team headed to Pennsylvania Ave via the Metro to join the over 17,000 women registered to run or walk.  It was indeed a sight to see!

6:30 AM The Grouping of Runners/walkers
The seasoned runners are at the very front of the pack. Talk about being a sardine in a can, but the excitement and thrill of being among women who raised a minimum of $2000.00 per person to participate felt like an adrenaline rush. I believe the participants raised over 2 billion dollars for Leukemia and Lymphoma.

7:00 AM The race starts
but it took more than a few minutes for the pace group I was assigned to move along Pennsylvania Avenue and the Potomac River.  Now, why did I think that I could start fast-paced?  Perhaps it was the thrill of being amongst the women, thinking I could keep up.  Mile 2, I saw that I could not keep up the fast pace, and I needed to focus on the pace that I trained with my husband, which was slow but sure.

8:45 AM The Dreaded Bus

I saw the bus (that comes to pick up the stragglers who may not finish the marathon on time) on the other side of the road; boy, did that motivate me to pick up my pace.  My goal for my first-ever marathon was to complete the race on my own without the bus driving me over the finish line.  I was told that if I kept up my newfound pace, I should complete the race before the 11:00 end time. It was easy to get motivated along the course, with curbside cheerleaders providing words and signs of encouragement, live entertainment, and training coaches. It also helps to know that my family was waiting to see me cross the red-carpeted finish line.

The ultimate motivation was the “thrill of victory” and my family watching me cross the finish line. Nike also provided each runner or walker with a specially designed Tiffany’s necklace, which was presented to me on a silver tray by a handsome young man in a tuxedo. Not bad for motivation, right?

Have you challenged yourself physically?  Have you ever participated in a full or half-marathon?