Get some popcorn, like all my race reports a novel is a brewing! Clif notes are at the bottom for those who don't want to read the whole novel. Ok, ready??? GO!

Ease back in slowly...what does that mean? Depends who you talk to! Tuesday was my first successful post-foot-break run after probably 8+ weeks of no running now. I had gone on 2 other short runs that didn't go so well. Tuesday I did 6.5 miles, pain free and felt wonderful. Super sore afterwards but it was a good sore because it meant I ran again. My right calf killed (left foot was the broken one and the boot offset me so the right calf has been tweaky lately). So Friday evening I went to see Chase and he Grastoned, ARTed and taped up the calf and then readjusted my spine (I was off balance like I thought). All better! So, Saturday morning my alarm went off at 4 (AM, not PM). By 4:45 I had made a super-smoothie and was on my way out the door for the long drive to Galveston.

Here might be a good place to note that Saturday I found out a super smoothie does not work for me pre-run. I have always struggled with the pre-run meal. Finally found that Greek yogurt with granola is perfect for me. Sustains me through even my long runs but is easy on my stomach. However, with my new stomach issues I cannot eat cereal or granola anymore so I am again searching for a pre-run breakfast. I thought a smoothie would be good, especially since I had 3 hours to digest it before I needed to run. Oh how wrong I was...Ok, now back to your regularly scheduled race novel

Did you know how far away Galveston is? That drive never ended! I stopped and bought some coffee on the way. I can see Ron cringing now at the thought of this. I was so tired though and I was driving so this seemed like a good idea. Finally arrived in Galveston all bundled up around 6:10. Got out of the car and immediately started sweating. It was over 66 degrees already. The race wasn't starting until 7:30 and the sun hadn't even come up yet. Ut-oh, this is no bueno. Unlayered and went to get my packet.

Now, this race is an Endorfun event. Keith puts on hands down the best races ever. I have never been disappointed and recommend his races to everyone. I was very excited to hear he was the IM race director, his races are top-notch without a detail missed. Or, at least they usually are. I got to Moody Gardens and the parking was very confusing. Park here for packets, park here for the bus (point-to-point run so you had the option of parking at the finish and buying a bus ticket to the start). I finally find packet pickup and get this - they ran out of packets!!!!! So they handed me a shirt and my bib, but no bag of goodies. Bummer!

I went back to my car to prepare and then tried to locate the bus. Lots of runners walking randomly around the parking lot. The 10K started at Moody Gardens so those runners were searching for the start line. Half mary runners were looking for buses. No signs anywhere. No volunteers had any clue. None. Nada. Finally found a girl and we figured we could at least walk around lost together. We finally found the line. The "bus" was a van that sat like 6 people. A good 20 were in front of us on line. 1 van came by in the over half hour we were standing there. Um, we're going to miss the start! Found out this was the shuttle line, not the bus line (oh, of course, duh!) so then we wandered more until we found the bus line. The school bus was loading up and taking off, so we got to the end of the line at 7:10. Race start is at 7:30. Turn-around time for the bus is 15 minutes. Ut-oh...are we even going to make the next bus? How many full-sized adults can fit on a school bus anyway? And by my calculations - it's 7:10, 15 minute turn around gets the bus BACK HERE at 7:25. Then we still have to get to the start...Oh, and I have to pee!!! The line at Moody gardens was too long so I figured I'd hit a port-o-can at the race start. My new friend and I spent the time in lines and on the bus chatting away and having a great time. I was very grateful to her, I would have been freaking out about the time if left to my own devices.

We finally get to the race start. No port-o-cans. None!!! I find a rickety old building with a huge set of stairs and think "race starts in minutes, this is my only chance". Climb the 1000 flights of stairs and finally get to the top. Yes! There are toilets! I'm all better now but I am upset I missed the race start. Figure I'll start running here. Run through the building, get downstairs and find that nope, the race has not started. They are postponing the race to get us all here on time. I'm grateful and pissed at the same time. Grateful because I would be upset if I missed the race start and wouldn't want others to miss it. Pissed because the disorganization caused the race to start late. No bueno! No packets, now this? I am less then impressed.

They finally get us started and we're off! Until about .1 or .2 miles in anyway. Then we hit a hill to get out of the parking lot. Have you ever actually seen a runner pile-up? I mean we literally ran right smack into the runners in front of us. People are grabbing each other to stay up or keep each other up and we're all slamming into each other. Even I've never run full speed into a person's back before (no really, I haven't!). I only didn't bounce too far back because I hit the person behind me who ran into me as I was flying backwards! We finally get to the top (like .1 miles later, it was a small but steep hill) and now we're running again. I felt great. It was warm but wow, I'm running again! Yay! Ow, my stomach. I can't possibly be cramping at mile 1 can I???

It was hot. The sun started to rise and ow...I'm not even 2 miles in and I'm soaked through with sweat. Absolutely soaked. I get to the first aid station and everyone is complaining about the heat and already being overheated. It's going to be a long 11 miles...we finally turn onto the seawall and there is a gorgeous breeze. In our faces to slow us down but it's cool so I am running faster again and feeling great. You can see my splits, right where the breeze started, and ended. Then it was hot and getting hotter and I'm pretty miserable. Time to break out the mp3 player for some external motivation (mile 4). This helps a bit. Oh look, there's a dead fish in the road. Yum! Start thinking about sushi to take my mind off the heat.

Mile 5 my split was 9:11. Is this a sign that I'll need emergency help soon? I did start cramping at mile 1 and my stomach hasn't let up yet. Nah, no 911 emergency thoughts, no emergency thoughts...oh no, I have to pee! No, really I do. Like, now. Ut-oh - I get to the cans at mile 6 and there's a huge line. Ok, I'm not stopping.

Actually I might stop. I might just quit. Someone will drive me back to Moody Gardens, right? I'm tired and feeling lethargic. Very lethargic, I should quit and go nap on the beach...I'll worry about how to get back to my car later, for now I'm just going to stop and take a nap. I'm feeling so lethargic and tired... Almost like I do... oh! Like I do right before an asthma attack!!! Shots off the inhaler and instantly I feel ok and like running again. No more thoughts of quitting. Amazing how it works, I just need to catch it early and realize that it's lack of oxygen that's putting those thoughts in my head.

Running along, mile 7 it's getting bad. Now I'm thinking - I'm a triathlete, we pee on the swim, bike and run, right? And brag about it afterwards...I can even finally join the yellow socks brigade. However, I haven't mastered these arts yet. And this is a run race, not a tri. Is peeing yourself ok in a running only event? Yes, these are actually my thoughts. Then at mile 8 there it is, a shining beacon of hope. An empty port-o-can. I sit down happily and then look around and realize "oh no! there's no tp!!!". Mildly freak out and then I realize I had just been contemplating peeing while running and now I'm complaining about the lack of tp? I get over that pretty quickly and start laughing at myself!

Now I'm feeling better and running again. It's really hot out here. I'm slowing down and can't do anything about it. Each aid station since the first it was 3 glasses of water. 1 over the head. One on the body. One in the mouth. I haven't eaten a thing, my stomach is a twisted up mess. Luckily my body doesn't hurt. Took 3 Advil at 8:30, just to ensure everything remains ok.

Now it's mile 10 and I'm hurting. My tummy isn't happy and my legs are joining in on the fun. I am still on pace for a 2:00. Exactly 2 hours, that'd be pretty cool to break 2:00 so soon post-injury. I can do this. Plus, it's not bad to make it 10 miles before the hurt sets in, right? But it does hurt. I'm overheated and getting tired. I'm going to walk a little bit here and there now.

Mile 11, ok I need to hit 9s exactly to make the 2 hour mark. Or, I could just walk some more...and some more.

And then the cutie I met just before the race start (not the bus girl, the one I met at the starting line) catches me. She's hurting too and we're both trying to make the 2 hour mark. So, we run together for a few minutes but then she drops off walking. She catches me when I start walking. We take to leapfrogging each other and talking supportively as we pass the other. We make it to mile 12 and tell each other "it's only a mile, we can do this! Let's run". Or, let's walk as it turns out. More leapfrogging and words of encouragement to each other.

A bit into mile 12 I figure I must be close and I open it up. WAY too early!!! Mile 12.6 I'm slaughtered and walking. I see the race photographer and decide a goofy picture is necessary to lift my spirits so for reasons still unknown to me I blow him a big exaggerated kiss. I really hope he got it on camera. I think not though because I caught him by surprise and rather then take a picture he reached up to grab the kiss, put it on his cheek and thanked me, saying that getting a kiss blown at him at mile 12.5 of a half marathon was most definitely a first. Now I'm cracking up, wondering what on earth possessed me to blow him a kiss and I'm unable to run due to laughter but that's at least a good reason not to run.

Mile 12.8 I remind myself, it's only .3 miles, that's <3 minutes. Run dang it! Or, as it turns out, keep walking. Finally at 12.95 I run the rest in.

Final time right at 2:05. No where anywhere even remote close to my PR but not bad at all for absolutely zero training!!! But, I'm smoked and sore already. My course friend finishes a minute behind me and we congratulate each other and discuss how long those last 2 miles were. So many people were walking at mile 12 it wasn't even funny. It was just too hot out there. I get some food and get to the ART tent. Friendly conversations with some cool peeps while on line and then I get my calf worked on. It held up great the whole race and didn't hurt so Chase's magic Friday night worked. I get my change of clothes out of the car and go to the bathroom and change. I can actually wring the water and sweat out of my clothes. YUCK. It really was to dang hot out there!

I am still sore but so excited to be back running. Wish the race had been cooler but getting back out there was what I needed to feel like me again.

Splits (or the clifs-notes version of the novel above):

Mile 1: 8:48 ut-oh, started out too fast, I need to slow down

Mile 2: 8:46 ok, so I have absolutely no pacing ability, I sped up instead of slowing down. Damn it, slow down Erin!

Mile 3: 8:55 um...sweetie, yes you slowed down but not nearly enough, you will blow up if you keep this up in this heat

Mile 4: 9:30 see, I told you so!

Mile 5: 9:11 oh, nice cool breeze!!! This is my happy pace

Mile 6: 9:15 happy happy run, run. Happy happy...

Mile 7: 9:38 ...wait, where's my breeze????

Mile 8: 9:21 Papa Roach came on just in time "cuz when it feels like a kick in the teeth I can take it". Yep, I can take it AND I'm not being kicked in the teeth, I'm running. I can most definitely take it!

Mile 9: 9:31 Natalie Merchant reminded me "I must be one of the wonders..."

Mile 10: 10:00 Super cool, 10:00 at mile 10? I couldn't do that if I tried. You know, that ocean is looking really nice. I could take off my shoes, dive in, swim a few laps and then finish this race...I definitely wouldn't break 2 hours though. If I speed up now I can do it. But the water looks so good and there's no guarantee I'll break 2 hours, I have been slowing down. Swimming in the cold ocean is so irresistible...but then I'd get sand in my socks and blisters. But I am really hot...Hmm...that water really does look inviting, I can deal with blisters...

Mile 11: 10:00 OK, snap out of it! I need to hit 9s to break 9, let's pick it up and stop thinking about jumping in the water. Run baby run! Or walk some more...whatever

Mile 12: 9:58 Cool signs along the course to keep me distracted. Running friend and I discuss the signs, laughing and deciding which is our favorite. Yay!

Mile 13: 9:54 OMG, I did not know a mile could be so long. I must have run way too fast because I seriously walked half of this so I must have run fast when I was running. Where on earth is the stinking finish line???