Monday, April 26, 2010

Country Music Marathon

Saturday I ran in the Country Music Marathon and 1/2 Marathon in Nashville. It was quite an experience. I haven't done one in 3 years. There are lots of runners around here and it's always more fun to train with someone.

Here are my training buddies outside Walgreens the morning of the race. This is some friends of mine from Boot Camp that I go to. Jennifer (the instructor), Kelley, and Max. We did some of our long runs together on weekends.

This is funny b/c we decided to go into Walgreens and try to use their bathroom before the race. We were sure they wouldn't let us since there were rows of porta-pottys right outside their door. Not only did they let us use their potty, but they had a photographer there to take your pic, then they put it on this cool pic of downtown Nashville (which was part of the course), for free. We love Walgreens. I know I look like a dork, but I like that it shows this part of the course.
Let me just tell you a little about the race. First, it is HUGE. There were over 32,000 registered to run. WOW! They started you in corrals of 1000 people, because, well, can you imagine- ready set, go and 30,000 people taking off? It was amazing to see that many people running.
Nashville was suppose to get some really bad storms on Saturday, so they started a little early to try to beat the bad weather that was coming in. It was perfect weather to start off and I was done before it got bad, but some of the full marathoners got diverted to finish early when it started to get bad. There were a lot of people really upset about it.
The course was really cool. It went down Music Row, past the honky tonks and the Country Music Hall of Fame, and there were bands playing all along the way. It was a really neat atmosphere.
What wasn't so neat were the hills. The whole course was one hill after another. Whew! Nothing like the plains of Oklahoma ! One of the Elite runners who wins marathons all over, said it was the hardest course he had done.
I beat my last time by less than a minute. 1:57 and some change. I got 1003 rd place out of the females in the 1/2 marathon, which sounds terrible until you consider that there were 15,643. SO- I beat about 14, 600 of them! Not too bad.
The day before the race I was telling Rhett that I had to rest b/c I had to run a really long race the next day. He said "You're in a race? WIN Mommy, push the other mommies back and win!" Ha-Ha. They were so impressed with my medal when I got home. I didn't tell them that 30,000 other people got one too.

( These pics are so small b/c they are the ones they try to sell you on the website and the won't blow up)


9 comments:

Jessica said...

What an awesome accomplishment and that is pretty impressive that you were 1000th and ran faster than all those other people!!

Janice said...

I'm very impressed and very proud! Love you!

The Garvie Family said...

Wow!! Great job....you were really moving! I have no idea how someone can make their body travel 13.1 miles on foot....I just don't get it.

The Garvie Family said...

Sorry I had to come back and leave another comment....it just hit me that you ran that in less than 2 hours!!! That is amazing! I am soooooo proud of you!!!

Anonymous said...

We called Brent to see if you made it thru experience - he didn't tell us you beat all those other people! You don't look like a dork - always beautiful. love you and very very proud of you! love grammy

Kara said...

Wow! You are impressive! You look great and I think it is awesome! You and Mandy and all this running, makes my big old rear tired:) Maybe one day!?!?!?!

Unknown said...

I'm impressed--I was expecting a post about listening to country music for hours! Haha!

Anonymous said...

Hil,

You never stop amazing me! You are a butt kicker! Miss ya!

Marisa Cole

Leslie said...

Really cool post, love the photos.