We Ran for the Dream: Williamsburg Half Marathon Race Recap

48 hours ago, I had just finished the Run for the Dream Inaugural Half Marathon in Williamsburg, VA.

To everyone who hasn’t read my 29438 explanations, I have a shin splint in my right shin that has sidelined me from proper training for this half marathon. My physical therapist told me I was allowed to “run” the race, but not “race” it. The killer hills were going to be particularly rough on my baby injury, so I was supposed to take it easy.

AAAAND I did. And still feel like I came out with some okay results. 🙂 I stopped and stretched three times and I didn’t sprint to the finish line like I generally love to do. My finish time was 1:49.

This doesn’t come close to my PR, but I figure with my gimpy leg, the hills, and the heat, I still did a-okay.

I’m a little jaded… it’s hard to feel like a rockstar when you know you can do a lot better. I’ll get ’em next time. 😉

We got up around 6 a.m. to eat, stretch, and suit up in our awesome outfits. A shuttle drove us to the start line at 6:50 a.m. for our 7:30 start time.

If you run, you know what Robby’s trying to accomplish here.

“HEY! Let’s go run another half marathon!”

I was pretty psyched about the results of our awesome shorts. Hollie spotted me on the run, as did Brandi. And my friend Katie from college field hockey spotted me at the post-race bash!

Look how cute we were in college..

Tongue tattoos. You’ve gotta get creative
when you’re stranded in a Pennsylvania hotel room for
a field hockey tournament weekend.

If it weren’t for these two people,
I would never have run my FIRST half marathon, let alone my fourth.

Good morning, Williamsburg!

We were in Corral 1 and took off pretty quickly. The first few miles of the route were smooth sailing through Colonial Williamsburg, but then we hit some serious hills.

Honestly, that hill is nothing. I wish I could have captured the obnoxious rolling hills, but I really didn’t have the energy to turn the camera on and snap a picture. We were all like The Little Engine That Could.

“I think I can, I think I can…”

there’s my running twin!

Anastasia and I had a great chuckle out of the fact that about 80% of the compliments on our shorts came from men who were 40+.

Here’s a new trick: want people to run behind you? Wear shorts that ride up in the back!

look how happy we are!

I could say I liked the above scene because it was so pretty, but let’s get serious. I enjoyed it because it was finally a flat surface for a few yards.

The worst part of the hills was the bottom out-and-back portion at the bottom of that map. We ran out to the water, then had to turn around and tackle those same rolling hills all over again.

It was a ROUGH feeling seeing the rockstars in front struggling way ahead of us going the opposite direction. I would have preferred to not know the struggles that lay ahead of me.

After I finished, I captured Anastasia going for her last .1 of the race.

And I iced right away, just as my physical therapist ordered. 🙂

While I wandered around looking for some ice, Anastasia and Rob had a fantastic find. A medical tent with two sports massage therapists just chillin’.

And we were offered free massages.

How about… best post-race activity ever? Gimme that massage!

I think I apologized 14 times for how sweaty I was.

Then I ran around demanding that everyone provide me with food and beer.

Mission Accomplished.

I’m not sure if it was the fact that I hadn’t trained much for this race, if it was the heat, or if it could have been the hill exertion I’m not used to as a VA Beach flat land runner, but this was the roughest I’ve ever felt after a race.

Or maybe it was the chocolate cherry energy gel shot that made me want to lose my breakfast 6 miles in.

Gimme beer and sustenance! Or I’ll roll around in the dirt and pose for awkward pictures!

bee-yah and bar-bee-que.

All in all, it was a fun, laid-back race for the A-Team. Feeling victorious, we took our typical A-Team photo. See that A? You’re welcome for that.

I like to pretend my muscles are bigger than Rob’s.

These ladies were jealous our twin outfits were better than theirs.

I’m already planning my fifth half marathon… if one falls at a good time during our training for the Marine Corps Marathon, we’re gonna send it in for one last race before our first FULL marathon! AAAH.

On the shin front, I’m feelin’ good. I’ve been icing since the race like a crazy lady.

My quads, however, are in a fight with the rest of my body.

I need a leg massage. Bad.

Any takers? Anyone?