Mom's First Half Mary

My mother and I have always shared a love for running. While my dad and brother were off camping and doing other “boy things,” mom and I would sign up for local 5k or 10k races together. Over the past few years we have averaged 4 or 5 races together. This year we currently stand at four completed, but still have five months to go (and at least 2 more scheduled!). And I have already experience the most memorable race of 2013, the 2013 Sand Creek Half Marathon.

Ever since I ran my first Half Mary a year ago march I have been trying to get my mother to do one as well. I begged, told her I would train with her, run the entire thing with her. Yet every time I brought it up she put up quite a fight, deflecting the conversation and refusing to do one all together. But little did she know I had a card up my sleeve that she wasn’t expecting me to use: I had joined the Mile High Track Club (MHTC). If there ever was a group of people who could convince my mom she could do a half marathon it would be the MHTC. This club is filled with the most supportive people I have ever met. They come from all walks of life and have different running related goals, but their number one priority is seeing other people succeed. So I made her a training plan and started taking her to Tuesday night Pub Runs and Saturday morning group runs with the group. Within a few weeks she was really into training. We would make plans to get up in the morning and run together (she always made it, I rarely did - my bed was so comfy), however, I usually made the evening runs together.

Before we knew it race day was upon us! The night before I made my my usual pre-race dinner- gluten free pasta with sauteed vegetables and pesto sauce. And then since I had picked up our packets a day earlier we laid everything out that we were going to need in the morning. I do this for two reasons: 

• so I don’t forget anything, and
• so that I can get a few extra minutes of sleep. 

Then we talked about race day strategy. At the beginning of this whole thing I promised her I would run with her the whole way, and her only request was that I get her to the finish line. Time to her I found out did not matter, she just wanted to cross that finish line with a smile. I told her not to worry and then it was off to bed early.

Yes we were the mother
daughter team that wore 
(semi)matching outfits...

The next morning when we arrived at the start line I had to immediately begin taming my racing instincts. I positioned us between the 10 and 11 minute pace signs so that we wouldn’t get caught up in the excitement and start out too fast. However I forgot that the 10k started at the same time as the half, so it was still hard to pace ourselves when the 10k runners took off sprinting. 

Around mile 2 we fell into a rhythm and this is where we saw my dad and brother for the first time, and as an added bonus my cousin and his wife came to cheer my mom on!

At mile 6 I asked mom if she wanted a Clif Shot and she said that she was feeling pretty good and didn’t need it right then. In hindsight I should have forced it on her, but at that point i figured she knew her body better than me. The next point where our cheering crew was able to get on the course was mile 10. It was at the top of this really long gradual hill that started around mile 8. It wasn’t a lot of elevation gain, but it just got old after a while. Mom finally took a Clif Shot, which was probably a little too late as her body was already depleted, and then we were off.

With only 3 miles to go I didn’t know how much to push  my mom. Secretly I had a goal for her to finish in 2 hours and 30 minutes. I had to keep reminding myself that was my goal FOR her and not her own goal. As we came back into the park I told her she couldn’t stop running, we were so close and I knew everyone was waiting at the finish line waiting for her to cross. Turning the corner towards the finish line I made her kick it into the next gear. This took a lot of persuasion as we were both pretty spent, but once she saw her cheering section she started picking up the pace.

We crossed the finish line in 2:31. And look she even had a HUGE smile on her face.

The  most epic finish  montage ever!

Sand Creek Half Marathon Finishers

MHTC/Run Colorado Sand Creek Half Marathon Finishers

I am such a proud daughter and so inspired by my mother. Thanks to everybody who supported her through this!

So mom now that you have done a half, I guess the question is when are we training for a full? How about the Cincinnati Flying Pigs Marathon? You have until May 4th to train!