Positive Results by Sabrina

You start strong and think you’re going to hit your goals. The endorphins kick in. You feel like you warmed up enough. The weather is perfect. The scenery is breathtaking. The crowd is powerful. You’re floating. And then?

The first half of the race was good to me. The pain was minimal. I finally found that ‘comfortable’ pace that people have spoken of but I’ve never felt. I settled in. I walked most of the uphills and pushed the pace on the downhills. I enjoyed the scenery and crowd. I consumed my fuel more regularly than previous races. I paid attention to my body. Then the pain started in. It wasn’t the abdominal pain that I expected. It was my hips and my back and my damn toes. Seriously? 

The blister that I knew about was fine, so I developed another one in front of it? My toes were rubbing in my shoes and felt like they were completely engulfed in blisters. I tried to shift my feet in my shoes as I ran. I practiced my breathing. I sang to my songs. I tried to focus on something else. 

The 1:45 pacers passed me after they passed the turn around so I watched for people I know. I yelled for them. Was able to catch Israel and Rick for a high five. Kept cheering with the crowds.

Random people cheered for my sparkly skirt.

Meghan Trainor sang “Don’t I Make It Look Easy” and I laughed because it felt anything but easy by that point.

I changed the display on my watch to see my lap intervals. “Allow yourself to walk Sabrina but don’t walk so long that you lose all momentum.”

Thank goodness Michelle had caught up to me by this point. She told me to push because I was still on pace. I watched the interval on my walk breaks. She coached me from one tree to the next. “Just run to the tree. You can do it.” Others around us started using her intervals too. The older gentlemen passed us and reminded us that it didn’t matter how fast we ran, as long as we made it to the finish. 

I think the tears started around mile 10. I remember asking Michelle if we had hit 11 yet. That felt like the longest mile of the entire race. In my head, I told myself I would start pushing the pace again at mile 11. I can do anything for two miles, right? Unfortunately, every uphill by that point felt like a 40% grade straight up. Realistically, I know that it wasn’t. The inclines were probably minimal compared to the hills we’ve conquered in the past but the pain made them feel 100 times as bad. 

Those inner critic voices in my head were screaming into their bull horns by this point. They were so loud that I was afraid they would take over.

“You can’t do this. Just walk. So what if it takes you over three hours. You’ll finish. Just give up on your goal.” 

I remember saying out loud, “I can’t do this.” 

Michelle corrected me. “Yes you can. You’ve done it before and you’ll do it again.” 

We met up with two other friends on the course that she helped coach along. I wasn’t the only one hitting the wall hard.

I saw Patty ahead and started cheering for her. She couldn’t hear me at first but I needed to focus on something other than my own pain. When we caught up to her at the water table, I encouraged her. “Don’t let me pass you. I’ve been chasing you all along.” She pushed ahead and beat us to the finish.

“Can you hear it now?” The crowd noise and music started to grow and we knew we were finally closer to the finish. We technically missed the 2:45 goal (although Strava says I hit 13.1 at 2:43 and the total distance was 13.4 by my watch) but Michelle thought I could still get 2:50 if I could get my traditional end-of-race sprint in. I didn’t feel like I had it in me. When we saw the “13” sign I told my legs to move. It was no sprint but I ran across that finish line for sure!! 2:53

We had friends waiting for us on the edge of the finishing shoot and their cheers were everything. As back of the packers, we don’t often have friends waiting for us in those last few moments. The crowds have moved over for refreshments and by the time we join them, the pickings are slim. It was a really encouraging feeling. 

I finished faster than my previous Half Marathons so technically I met my goal. I didn’t go back to calculate my walking intervals but I’m pretty sure I ran more than I ran in the past as well because I didn’t set out with run/walk intervals intentionally. 

Thanks to my awesome Occupational Therapist, this is also the first time I’ve finished a half marathon without a potty break. Thank goodness for Pelvic Floor Therapy!! Wearing compression pants to run and mitigate any swelling makes stopping for a restroom break counter productive for my momentum. It felt great not to have that roadblock to conquer as well.

This is the second Half Marathon that Coach Michelle has helped me conquer. She got me to the start line and made sure that I crossed the finish line with pride. Her calm, steady voice broke through the angry voices in my head to remind me of what I am capable of. Her consistent pacing kept my exhausted legs moving. One step in front of the other. If I stopped running and walked to the finish, I know she would have been there waiting for me. I’m beyond blessed to have her as my friend, unofficial Coach and one of my best running friends. I look forward to the day when she becomes an official Coach and can encourage more back of the packers to conquer their goals.  

Officially, I admitted that I would love to take on the Monterey Half Marathon again. We all want the opportunity to better our times and prove what we can do. The early mornings aren’t my favorite but you can’t beat the views and the experience. Monterey will always have a special place in my heart and running with some of my favorite people in the world is a special type of quality time that is priceless to me.