RunDoc Runs The Rock

RunDoc runs the Rock!

Today was the White Rock Marathon in Dallas. This is an annual event that I usually participate in with many of my patients and peeps. Wonderful event with a full marathon, a half-marathon, and a 5-person-relay. This year had record participation of 17,000 people with almost 7,000 runners in the full marathon. Unfortunately, today it was 68 at the start and warmed up to about 75. Did I happen to mention the 30 mile an hour head wind that was in our face for at least 14 miles of the marathon.

This should be the tale of two half-marathons. Most of us were doing great at the half. I personally hit the 13.1 mile marker exactly as predicted in my pre-race planning at 1:52 which would have brought me in at 3:45 with the negative split I was planning. I've always said that a marathon is a fast 10K with a 20 mile warm-up, so I always try to bust it in with a negative split. Unfortunately, the weather was not cooperating! I turned the corner at 14 miles to go on the lake access road and was hit by gale force winds. Being small of stature, I was blown all over the place! I felt like a small kite for at least 10 miles.

At 16 miles, my day was done! I was putting forth the effort for an 8 minute mile and crawling at somewhere between 10 and 11 minute miles. My goal was shot, but my wonderful brother (who on the spur of the moment last night thought he would pace me in the marathon - crazy!) would not let me quit (I really wanted to because the wind was positively evil!)so we persevered on against the wind.

My friend Mike Horton was a sight from God that jumped in at 19 miles and ran us through the worst of the hills (Thanks Mike!) We did some walking, then decided it would be faster to finish if we were running.

My awesome BFF office administrator Lori Cerami jumped in at 23 (at this point my brother jumped out since this was the most he had run in 2 years) and yelled at me to get my butt moving....she stayed with me giving me gummy bears and Accelerade until the 25 miles marker. At that point I figured I was almost done so I ran a quality 1.2 miles to the finish.

My assistant Penny, associate Dr Mollye Karp and pedorthist Janet were at the finish, but had already drank all the beer :) So salty pretzels and some Starbucks were my reward, but I loved seeing them with signs cheering me on.

Only one of my peeps was even close to her goal today, so it was basically a PW (personal worst) for almost all of us, but I think my finishing time of 4:13:45 deserves an astericks next to it for the weather.

To put it in perspective, only 3,878 people finished out of almost 7,000 and I was 1,339 overall, the 329th woman, and 58th master woman (yes, I am that old). Not what I had hoped for, but the course humbled all today due to the crazy conditions. The winner finished in 2:22 in comparison to the 2006 winner who ran 2:12; so I think we can all comfortably subtract 20 minutes from our time for conditions. :)

We survived to run again.....