Quick race/weekend report (152.2)

I have to pick up kids in about 10 minutes so this will be short.

I had a wonderful girls' weekend.  I did not have a great race.

I had a cold that started on Thursday which culminated in a teeth-chattering fever 3 hours before I had to get ready for the race. 

The race starts ridiculously early.  The last bus leaves the resorts at 4 am and we are to be in our corals by 5 am.  My coral crossed the start line at 6:10.  We wake up at 2:45 to be ready to leave the hotel at 3:30.  Insane, yes.  Fun, heck yes.

My fever hit at midnight.  I took 3 advil and prayed I'd be okay.  I was, but obviously not 100%.

That's not all that made the race crappy.  I registered for the race late, so even though I put a finishing time of 2:46 (you had to have proof of time from a previous race to get in an earlier coral), I ended up way back with the walkers. 

Last year there were ~18,000 people in the race.  Last year I was in coral D.  Last year, even though there were a lot of people, I was able to easily run the whole time without being blocked by slower people in front of me.

This year there were 26,000 people.  This year I was in coral F.  This year I spent the entire race--the ENTIRE race--weaving between people.  Not once did I have a clear path to just run.  It's frustrating and exhausting to run a race like that.  At mile 11, when it got congested again (path narrows many times when it's harder to dodge & weave), I just gave up and walked the last 2 miles.  I knew I'd finish, I didn't care about my time, and I was sick and tired. 

Even though the race was my worst experience ever, the experience was still fabulous.

And food was not an issue at all.  Not once.  I had no desire to eat sweets or over indulge.  I am SO THANKFUL that I was abstinent for this thing.  It made traveling easier, not harder.  I'm grateful that, even though I'll always be a food addict, I do not have to eat like that any more.

I started an antibiotic when I got home last night.  Called the doctor while I was still in Florida yesterday morning.  I have a horrible cough and congestion.  I am glad to be home.