Martian Half Marathon - Run


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Dearborn Heights, Michigan
United States
Gault Race Management
45F / 7C
Overcast
Total Time = 2h 44m 14s
Overall Rank = /
Age Group =
Age Group Rank = 0/
Pre-race routine:

Woke up, got out of bed, dragged a comb across my hair - not really, cause I don't have hair, and as I discovered this weekend, I don't own a comb other than the one Casey got in a kids meal to comb her troll's hair. Dislodged myself from bed at 4:45 and started thinking about what I needed for the day. Settled in on taking about 200 technical shirts and pants of all different kinds because the weather was skitchy. Threw down a banana and 2 diet pepsis of wholesome goodness.

Got on the road at about 6:00, scored some McDonalds and a GIANT diet pepsi en route, and drove to the race, about :45, rockin out. Took about 42 phone calls from Trix, who was lost. "Where is this place?" "Where am I"? "Can you get my packet?" "I'm gonna be late". "Are you pink on the inside?".

Checked in at the race site...and they had these inflatible, squeaky martian characters (see pics, I adopted one), and I asked the race staff how I get one...they said "Take One". So I did. Said martian was to accompany me, or trixie, the entire race. Managed to hold off buying the martian thongs, although in my book, a martian thong that says "Obey Me" on it is priceless.

Met up with LisaZapato, TPetersen02, Trixie in the parking lot, put on the grass skirts and took 'em for a test run - they didn't bind, and looked good to boot, streaming out behind me in the wind. GOOD!! Took about a million pictures and generally cut up in the parking lot, and psyched ourself up by using the 'easy button'. Went inside to whiz, and the inside whizzers were full....dammit...so went to portapotty, no line.

About a 200 yard walk / scramble to the start, we descended a steep-ass grass and mud-covered hill to get to the start line - it's amazing no one busted their ass. We flagged down Rennick from a distance, whoopin' and hollerin'...and the person came running to us. Whoops, it wasn't Jean. Hello, new friend!! :)

No one even thought about actually warming up. That would have been just silly.
Event warmup:

We were standing around bs-ing and the gun went off. "Do you think that was the start?" Hmmm. We honestly didn't know.

So all of a sudden trixie and lisazapato had to pee. Whattasurprise. :) After like 100 yards my skirt was around my ankles and I asked trixie to help me 'cinch things up'. Started running toward the start, THEN we saw Jean, and C1, at the start, for real this time. YEAH, RENNICK. You were awesome, thanks for coming out!!!
Run
  • 2h 44m 14s
  • 13.1 miles
  • 12m 32s  min/mile
Comments:

Run was good, but it just felt like work. As soon as the gun went off, TPeterson hauled ass (nice run, Tom) and disappeared into the distance. Trix and Lisa also put some time into us right away...so it was G8R and me vs. the giant headwind.

For the first 6 or so we were right at 10's or 10:30's, into a wind and uphill...I spent a little time running in front and having a draftee.... :)

At mile 9 I ran into those stairs again. Hmmm...time for 4 repeats. They rocked, it felt good to get a little ooomph into the run, and caught Wendi just after the next aid station.

At about mile 10 we re-stumbled upon a crew of older gentlemen from Grand Blanc doing a run-walk which was very suitable to the conditions. They had been running our pace the entire time, but at about 10mi we decided to stick with 'em as they had the run-walk down to a science, and at that point a little additional motivation was in order. So run-walk it was. :)

At mile 12+, trixie brought us our martian, then promptly got ANOTHER martian...so we stuffed 'em down our PI jackets so they're looking over our shoulders as we run, very classic. Although trix's martian had it's foot up her crack, and she was laughing harder than she should have been about it... or was that laughing?!

We got mad props for our skirting attire. It was an out-and-back course, and the looks on the people's faces coming the other way were priceless, ranging from an "oh my god" kinda look, to giggling, to the catcalls we got at every overpass and skipping through every aid station and generally shaking our asses so the skirts swished around and made a scene. I don't know about the rest of the skirt-wearers, but I felt drop-dead sexy. Heh.
What would you do differently?:

Not wear as many clothes. When we started, it was cold as hell and windy...but as the race wore on - especially the last half, which was downwind - it got warm, dare I say hot, and I was ready to just start pitching clothing.
Post race
Warm down:

Got to the finish line - trixie came back to run us in, so we finished with 2 martians in tow, and barely crossed the line before the 2nd marathoner. We thought we were the shit. Then hiked up the mountain of mud to get to the half-bagel, full-banana, and no pizza land, and get out of the wind and into the gym. Had the obligatory ass grab session...

Took off in a 4-car caravan to, well, you guessed it, McDonalds, for some additional post-race nutrition. Trixie got a kids meal, and a troll, then I took her for a spin....literally. I took down three assorted sandwiches and fries like it was a straggling young antelope on the edge of the herd. Added another Diet Pepsi and KitKat bar from the gas station, it's time to nap. :)

What limited your ability to perform faster:

That friggin martian.

Event comments:

The Martian is now an add to my every-year schedule. Excellent organization, facilities, an incredible number of volunteers with a kickass set of martian paraphenalia (sweatshirts, martians, thongs, etc), it's just a fun-lovin' time.

The out-and-back course, at least for the 1/2, is perfect. Slight grades, closed roads, great facilities, sports drink/gu/water every 2 miles, sexy scenery, and just incredible volunteer spirit impressed the heck out of me. The #2 female finisher took time from her run to compliment me on my skirt...I thought that really typifies the fun, yet competitive nature of the event. A great event, all the way 'round.

Good company, good race, great volunteers, good times, baby, good times. :)




Last updated: 2006-03-05 12:00 AM
Running
02:44:14 | 13.1 miles | 12m 32s  min/mile
Age Group: 0/
Overall: 0/
Performance: Average
HR: Avg: 108, Max 129. Except for the stair repeats, which maxed at 164.
Course: Winding, fully closed course next to a river...very, very scenic. 6 miles of uphill on the way out, with maybe a 10-15 mph steady headwind. On the way back, slight grade, 6 miles of downhill, plus the wind at our back. There were these stairs at mile 4/9 that went up to this gazebo on top of a rather tall hill. Hmmm. There were martians every 1/8 or 1/4 mile marking the course, inside bathrooms (YEAH, ladies), and just a spectacular number of volunteers and cool folks on the course. Outstanding.
Keeping cool Good Drinking Just right
Post race
Weight change: %
Overall: Average
Mental exertion [1-5] 3
Physical exertion [1-5] 2
Good race? Yes
Evaluation
Course challenge Just right
Organized? Yes
Events on-time? Yes
Lots of volunteers? Yes
Plenty of drinks? Yes
Post race activities: Below average
Race evaluation [1-5] 4