What I learned from the Inaugural Maryland Half Marathon

The morning of Sunday, May 31, 2009 began cold and damp and with plenty of rain. I showed up to the Maryland State Fairgrounds in Timonium and sat in my car contemplating whether to go back home and skip the 13.1 mile run that I had committed to run. I sat in my car and wondered to myself, “Why do you even need to run anyway?” Honestly, the answer was not as simple as my needing to keep my word. Months of training wasn’t swaying my feelings either. Running for the cause (the Greenebaum Cancer Center) was doing nada. While watching two runners run back and forth doing warm-ups and seeing race volunteers direct the crowds, a woman in the vehicle next to mine was trying to get my attention. I rolled my window down and she asked, “Do you know if the staging area is where all those people are headed?” I didn’t know, but answered, “Yes, I believe so.” The woman thanked me and then got out of the car. I decided that even though it was raining I should probably get a move one and at least see what was happening in the area where everyone was gathering.

I arrived in the staging area (thank God I was correct) and turned on my IPOD, being able to tune out all the pre run chatter helped calm my nerves. Questions began to swirl in my head. Would I have to run in the rain? Was the course difficult? Would I make my time goal (which for me was under 2:12:24)? What if I couldn’t finish? Then I noticed that the woman from the parking lot was standing next to me. “They just blew the rallying horn. I guess that means things are going to start soon?” I introduced myself and then we began to walk towards the start line. Kim (parking lot woman’s name) and I began talking about what we both heard about the course. We compared training stories. And then Kim said, “This is my first race, ever. I am worried that I won’t be able to finish.”

Well my experience spirit took over, which in itself is hilarious (the Maryland Half was going to be only the 2nd organized half marathon that I had registered). I advised: Don’t let the energy from the crowd take you out too fast. Take advantage of the water stops. Take the race one mile at a time. I even told her how I dedicate each mile to think about something different. Have a plan when you go through the water stops. Get to the finish. Kim seemed to be taking in all of my tips and then she asked, “Why are you running?”

I didn’t get to answer her because the start crowd began to move and then we were off. I lost Kim shortly after mile one. Miles 2-3 were alright. I loved the course between miles 4-5. Running on the 2 lane road was kind of cool. I think the covering of the trees added to the effect. I was mesmerized by the man I saw shortly after the split. He decided he was going to do his 13.1 while skipping rope. I met up with Kim again at the overlap at mile 7. She was looking good. I cursed the course organizers for all of mile 8. Why they felt a hill at that point was a good idea I couldn’t figure out. The Little Red Devils at mile 9 provided the comic relief. I had to dig really deep, so that I could navigate the hill at mile 11. I wish I had gotten the name of the race volunteer, so I could thank her personally for her encouraging words. I was wearing a hat that said, “I run so that I can drink wine.” The race volunteer reminded me that I had a bottle of MD wine chilling at home. I was stoked when I saw the 12 mile marker. As I crossed the finish line and heard the announcer say my name, it hit me.

I run because I can. I run because nothing mimics life more closely. I run because nothing is more satisfying than coming across the finish line knowing that you’ve done it. You’ve finished. My icing on the cake was my finishing time of 2:10:52.