Well, the plan was to run the Pacific Crest 1/2 marathon in SunRiver Or. slow enough that I didn't re-injure my Achilles. My physical therapist didn't think it was a good idea, I should be focusing on getting healed up for the White River 50 miler at the end of July. But, I was going to be down there anyway, and I was already signed up for the marathon, so why not just jog the half? At the start, the weather was cool and clear, just perfect. I haven't run a race with 1,000 other runners for a long time, let alone starting in the middle of the pack. I figured I would run around 9:00 minute miles, a little slower on the uphill and a little faster on the downs. It was a pretty flat course though. It was chip timed so it didn't matter it took more than a minute to cross the start line. What a zoo! The start was on a road, but quickly turned into a 10ft wide asphalt trail, so there was quite a traffic jam at the start of the trail. I started slow, but everyone else was even slower, so I had to weave all over the place to make my way forward. I drank alot
prior to the race since the air is so dry there and it usually gets hot later. So I had to pee right away. The good news was there were porta-potties at every mile marker, but there was also a line at each one. It took almost 3 miles before the crowd thinned out and left some running room and I spent the next three miles cruising along, trying to catch an open toilet. Finally, at mile six, I found an empty one. I brought some gels, but forgot my e-caps. They were serving gatoraide which doesn't have enough electrolytes for me, so I spent most of the race looking for someone who might be carrying, but most of the people around me wouldn't know what electrolytes were. I've never passed/been passed by so many runners! By mile 9, I was feeling good, but I was also feeling my heel, so I knew I couldn't drop the hammer and take off for the finish. I passed on the Red Bull aid station with it's screaming hoard of teenagers pushing cans on unsuspecting marathoners. I noticed the best part of running the half is that unlike the marathon, you finished before all the kids on bikes showed up zig-zaging down the trail. I wasn't quite sure of my time, I had messed up my watch, but I wanted to finish at 2 hrs. When I saw the finish clock about 100 feet away, I was a couple of minutes early. I thought about stopping and waiting for the clock to catch up, but because of chip timing, and not having a clue from my watch, and looking pretty stupid in front of a bunch of cheering supporters, I pressed on to the finish. It felt great to run again, I got an ice pack on my foot, a massage, and hope that I've finally turned the corner and can start training again!