One of the highlights of being back in the US is the wide availability of road races. I have signed up for six races this year: two marathons and four half marathons. I had a great experience at the Miami Half-Marathon in January but my time was far from my goals. With a time of 2:24 it was my worst 13.1 so far. Lucky for me, I found redemption at the Rock and Roll USA half marathon. It was my first time running a race in DC and was excited to see the outcome.
The universe heard my affrirmations for good weather. There was heavy rain predicted for race day all week. I decided to stay optimistic and stepped outside a little before dusk test the air. There were light clouds but not the distinct smell of imminent rainfall. Second challenge was getting to the race. We had a smooth metro ride and were surprised on how the start corrals were so well organized despite the 30,000 runners. The atmosphere was very lively with animated MC’s and dance music. Given the race was on the eve of St. Patrick’s Day, there were plenty of “leprechauns” on the starting line.
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| Starting line!! |
The best way to describe the course is to call it a “locals” course. Although we ran past the Washington Monument and had a beautiful view from the Memorial Bridge, we also had the opportunity to run through the different neighborhoods of DC: the hills parallel to rock creek park, Adams Morgan, North Capitol, Columbia Heights, among others. The lively crowd was the highlight of the race: groups of people cheering us on from their porches and steps. Also the DC police was amazing: the police officers were using the loudspeakers to cheer on the runners! Some supporters(assuming in the spirit of St. Patrick’s) were even offering beer. Although the race was well organized, the only failure was the poor manning of the water stops. By the time we reached mile 7, most of the water stops had become “self-serve”. Sadly, the makeshift beer stands by the locals were better manned than the official race water stands!
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| All finished! The sisterhood of the travelling combat boots! |
A combination of good training and great overall conditions, I ran a 2:12. Not my best (2:05) but a 12 minute improvement in six weeks. The finishing area was very crowded, but the crowd management was as good as it can be. We passed on our free post-race beer because the line was entirely too long. We did reward ourselves with a delicious brunch at Lavagna, a restaurant which has quickly become one of my favorites. Our awesome waiter, Rich kept on refilling our bottomless mimosas and we got to indulge in biscuits and gravy and yummy mascarpone pancakes. The weather was mild enough to sit outside and do some people watching in Barracks Row.
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| Celebratory post race mimosas with Carlis from SpicyCandy |
Overall, I am very happy with the race. The course even with its challenges (huge hill by Rock Creek and uphill finish line) was a fun and scenic and a great way for those who are visiting DC to be familiarized with the local neighborhoods. For me, it was also a great experience to run with two women who I have had the pleasure to serve my country with and admire deeply. Lastly, I ran this race in the memory of my niece, Amanda who left this earth exactly 10 years before this race. She is my inspiration to live in the present and to the fullest.
