I am one for a deal. And a deal awhile back is why I signed up for the Rock n Roll Providence Half Marathon. That, and I’m trying to get as many of the East Coast states as possible while I have time. Ultimate goal? Run a half in every state. So here we go:
Friday
Went for a run Friday morning and mailed some packages at the post office. After a shower and gathering a few last minute things, I headed out the door around 12:30 with the goal of missing the Jersey Shore traffic. I failed to, however, account for I-95N traffic around NYC (that added a good 30-45 minutes) and a 20 mile back up in Connecticut for no good reason (that added another 75-90 minutes). So instead of 530 (ish), I got in around 7:30 pm. After checking into the hotel (I stayed in Warwick, about 10 minutes from Providence) to avoid parking issues and it was cheaper. I found an Italian place for dinner and did some research about things to do.
Saturday
For reasons unknown to me, I got a wake up call at 6:20 AM. Why you ask?? I have no idea, especially since I wasn’t the one who asked for it. I feel bad for the person who didn’t get it and for me- I couldn’t fall back asleep. I changed and tried to find a breakfast place and ended up driving to Providence. And then came the rain. And it stayed around all day!! I picked up my packet at the expo (early was better for this race) and signed up for the Yuengling Shamrock 8K and 1/2 Marathon (March 16 and March 17), better known as the Dolphin Challenge in Virginia Beach. Woot!! I started walking towards College Hill (while it was still raining, but not horribly) and found a little cafe and got a light breakfast. I also went to some of the local shops. When I left my 3rd store, it was pouring. I made a 15 min walk back to my car to put some stuff away and decided on some lunch (note, I had a water proof running jacket on, so I was fairly dry). Stopped in to get some lunch. Around 230, I headed to my hotel and took a shower. I was cold and felt all rainy. Afterwards, I found a 4:15 mass a few miles away. By the time church was out, rain was done. Headed back to Providence, checked out Benefit Street and watched part of the WaterFire event (curious? Head over here). Went to the hotel for the night and got ready for the race
Sunday
Woke up at 530 thanks to my alarm and the wake up call that I actually asked for. Changed, gathered my stuff and headed out the door. I parked around 6:15 and did a quick mile or so (I was hoping to get 15 for the day, that didn’t happen). I made my way to the start and snuck into Corral 5 (I was suppose to be in 6). At 7 AM, the gun went off and 5 minutes later, I crossed the start. So much for a ‘flat’ course. 200 feet after the start we start going up a crazy hill. We made our way through the Providence streets and after mile 1, you could see runners (if you looked to your left and looked up one of the side streets- that involved more hills) going the other direction. We went through the historical part of Providence and then hit some ‘uninteresting’ parts of Providence. After a few miles of straightness, we got some turns and wooded areas of Providence and my legs started weighing me down. I could feel the walking of Saturday catching up with me. At mile 10, we had completed a massive loop of the city and had a mini loop that we would do to the finish. My legs weren’t happy with me the last 3 miles- tired like no other!! To boot, the water stations seemed very sporadically spaced. There were points where it was at least 1.25 miles between water stations late in the race. I didn’t feel bad at all taking 2-3 cups of water. As we turned the corner for mile 13, we were presented with our final hill. I hate when races do that. It’s the last thing I really want to deal with. I crossed the finish and that’s all that I really cared about (2:14:29)…I’m going to be feeling this tomorrow. After getting through the chute, I sat on a curb and enjoyed some popsicle and chocolate milk- recovery of champions. Drove back to the hotel and took a shower and a quick power nap. After picking up some lunch for the road, headed out on I 95 and had some extra time added due to the state of NJ thinking I can’t pump my own gas. Tomorrow, i get to enjoy a much needed massage….