Sunday, October 14th, 2012: Walla Walla, Washington
My mom has lived in Walla Walla for the past 6 years, and I've only visited once. When it comes to family get togethers, would you prefer Christmas in sunny San Diego or (sometimes) snowy Walla Walla? Exactly. Anyway, I figured I was due for a visit. Once I found out Walla Walla hosts a marathon and half marathon in October, it was decided.
San Diego weather the past few weeks had been unseasonably warm, as in 100 degrees in October. This is not "normal". So I was excited to get out of the heat and up to Washington for some Autumn weather. The weekend did not disappoint.
The Walla Walla Half Marathon is the second smaller race I have participated in. There were approximately 400 runners registered in both the Half Marathon and the Marathon. Packet pickup on Saturday was held downtown in one of the nicer hotel lobby's. It was well organized and didn't take too long, even though there was a small line. After picking up our bibs, we decided to drive the race course just to get an idea for any inclines, boring sections, etc. This is the second time I've done this for a race, and I have to say I kind of like it. I like being able to mentally prepare myself for what I'm in for. It also seems to make the race go a bit faster, as I know what's up the road. Needless to say, I was excited and ready to go!
My cousin drove down from Spokane to run this race with me. I was excited to see her and to catch up, since it's been a few years. What better way to do that, then to run 13.1 miles together. I wasn't really sure if I would be able to keep up with her, but I did my best.
The race started at 8:15 a.m. on Sunday, just after the Marathon at 8 a.m. The starting line had only 3 porta-potties. That, right there, should tell you the small size of the race. The race started and ended in Pioneer Park. There was a lot of parking around the edges of the park and in the neighborhood nearby. We started around the middle of the pack, not really knowing what to expect from the other runners, but it turned out to be a good spot.
Seeing as it has taken me a good 2 months to finish this race recap, the play by play has escaped my mind, but I'll give it my best shot.
The first 2 miles were in town, zig zagging through a the streets briefly before making our way out into the farm lands of Walla Walla. Around mile 3.5 we made a short detour off the main road in a local neighborhood. The houses in this area were beautiful, large sweeping lawns, horses and cows. It was a welcome distraction to say hello to the cows as we went by. Up until this point, the race was relatively flat. Just before mile 6, we went down a small hill with a bit of a steep decline. Stopping at the water stop for a few minutes, I realized that the rest of this race was going to be painful.
I had decided earlier in the week that it would be a brilliant idea to go to "leg day" at boot camp. I figured, "it's Wednesday, I should be fine by Sunday". Wrong answer. My calves hated me for the rest of the week, and my IT band was irate. Never again. I figured I would give it my best to keep trucking, and try not to walk, since it would only take longer to get to the finish line that way.
Mile 6-9 is pretty much a straight away with the exception of a little jont in the road around mile 8. The scenery is beautiful, looking at the foothills outside of Walla Walla. But I have to say, driving down the road the day before made it seem a lot easier. Don't be fooled, there is a very slight incline, so while it looks flat it isn't a simple stroll.
The only significant hill was right around mile 10. It's short, though, and not too bad at all. Walking my way up the hill, cursing the lungs and squats I had done 4 days before, I was focused on the finish line. The remaining 3 miles of the race are very similar to the beginning 3: returning to the flat streets of Walla Walla on the way back to Pioneer Park.
I'm not going to lie, I was very disappointed with my performance during this race. I was originally really excited about the course because it was most flat, had great scenery and was completely different than any other race I had done. But my legs just weren't in it that day. Regardless, I crossed the finish line feeling accomplished and excited to receive a medal to add to my collection. Every race is a learning experience. I would love to do this race again next year.
