Race days are strange days

Tomorrow I'll be running the Surf City Half Marathon for what I think will be the seventh time. I'm not sure if it's out of self-protection, or just my generally busy state, but I haven't given much thought to this race. Well, not until now, anyway.

2011 medals

Some of my most memorable moments have been associated with this race. Back when it used to be the Pacific Shoreline Half, this was only my second half-marathon, and it was a struggle. I remember having no idea whatsoever how to pace myself for such a "long" race. I finished in 1:53something, and after crossing the finish line, a bad case of hypothermia pushed me to seek warmth in a running club teammate's truck. No number of Mexican blankets were enough to fight it. My hands shook so hard that I spilled hot chocolate all over myself, and my skin wasn't sure if it was icy cold or burning hot. It took a whole day for my teeth to stop chattering.

The second year I did it, I ran stronger but then picked up a chest cold at a Super Bowl party I attended later that day. It became walking pneumonia and ruined my subsequent racing season.

Then came the highest of the highs: On a race day when it was cold, rainy and windy, I killed my best time by three minutes and finished in 1:46 and change. That stood as my PR until the Long Beach Half Marathon the next year when I ran a 1:45. I'd never in my adult life felt so strong as a runner. And since I'd run the race five years in a row, I qualified as a Longboard Legacy Club runner, earning me a special T-shirt. We runners are so easy to please and hook in with these little loyalty perks!

Ah but lows often follow highs. In 2009, as I was just starting my training in January for the Boston Marathon, I broke my pinkie toe by smashing it into an ottoman in my living room. Training during the next few months consisted of me gently slipping into the 24 Hour Fitness pool with a Styrofoam doohickey strapped around my waist and "running" in the water for 30-60 minutes at a time. I walked around with a special boot to keep my foot from flexing. There was no way I was going to limp for 13 miles just to keep my Longboard Legacy Club membership going. 2009 was a "did not start, did not finish" year.

last year's logo

Which brings me to 2010. This is tough to talk about, but it certainly puts running in perspective. I had initially been hoping to PR at Surf City in 2010 (and had signed up for it and everything), but two months before, we had a surprise: I was pregnant. I seriously curtailed my training and pretty much jogged for a while. Unfortunately, as is so often the case, things didn't work out. Yet I ran the race easy anyway, even though I was seriously de-trained. I finished in 1:55. The saving grace was that I paced my friend to his fastest-ever time (and probably what will continue to be his fastest-ever time!)

Now February has circled back around and I'm not quite sure what to make of tomorrow. I'm supposed to run 20 miles for my marathon training plan, rather than a fast 13 miles, so I feel a bit conflicted. And my training really only began about a month ago, so I don't anticipate a PR. I think it may just be a day when I hope to feel good, have fun and exorcise the demons of the last few years.

Only one way to find out.