San Diego Rock n Roll Half Marathon

My alarm went off at 3:30am. We had to meet as a group in the lobby of our hotel at 4am for breakfast and our shuttle to the startline was to leave at 4:30. The shuttle bus dropped us off in the pre-sunrise dark where we waited for the race to begin at 6:15.

I was in corral 22. Your corral is based on what your estimated finish time is. They start at 1 and proceed until all 45,000 runners and walkers had begun.

Corral 22 crossed the start line at approximately 6:45 and I was off! What a great start. The reason they call it the rock n roll marathon is because there are live bands all along the course. The first band I past was doing Tom Petty's "American Girl" (my favorite Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers song!) which definitely got me motivated. The first 4 miles were great and I was making excellent time. We weaved all through Balboa Park; past the zoo (look out for the honey badger! He's nasty!), the museum of natural history, the awesome outdoor organ that someone was actually playing. It was great. At about mile 4 marker it all changed as we entered highway 163.

For the next 3 miles or so we ran on the freeway. It sucked. Most of it was either up hill or sideways. Everyone was bitching and complaining. I just kept thinking about my honorees and my family. That got me through it.

At about mile 7.5 we finally exited the freeway but by that time we were out of the shade and it was so fucking hot it was awful. We passed Fashion Valley Mall where I started looking for my dad and Dan. i knew they probably wouldn't be there, but it was one of the stops we had talked about so I thought I should keep a look out for them just in case. Little did I know they were having their own adventure with San Diego's version of a public transit system. They never did see me on the course. They managed to get to the finish line just in time to see me come around the corner.

I began to tire out around mile 9. Probably a combination of the heat and that awful up hill freeway. I lost a bunch of time in that last 4 miles, but I finished!

The race finished in a parking lot about 1/2 mile from SeaWorld. As I crossed the finish line and picked up my medal, I saw Dan Evans from Season 5 of Biggest Loser. He crossed finish line around the same time I did. I went over and talked to him. He was very nice.

All in all, it was one of the more solitary runs I have had. Most of my teammates ran the full marathon which had a bit of a different course and all our support was over on that side so I didn't have anyone I knew cheering. But that's not the reason I did it. I did it to race money for the leukemia & lymphoma society and to celebrate 10 years cancer free.

I am going to do the Boston half marathon in October and can't wait!

Thanks again to everyone who donated and supported me in any way!

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