LA Rock N Roll Half Marathon race report

Submitted by Heather Stewart @captainstewie

The  week before the LA Rock N Roll Half Marathon on October 28 was a rough week.  By the sheer amount of race reports I’ve put up, you can see I’ve been busy. Needless to say I was less than excited about this race. Don’t get me wrong… I love to run and the thought of meeting up with other #Run3rd Team Captains Leah Gutierrez and Andrea Barber made me giddy.

BUT… I was having a bad week…my car, laptop and Garmin were all having issues. I felt like every time I touched something electronic I broke it…not good. I was busy…it felt busier than normal. AND tired..exhausted even. PLUS, this race was kind of stealing TWO days without the benefit of being out of town. We decided to pick up our bibs on Saturday by taking the subway. This meant driving to North Hollywood, parking, taking the train and walking to the expo. It was super convenient, however, it took about 5 hours of my day and I had a Halloween party that night!
In addition, the race meant I couldn’t enjoy the party like I would like to, if you know what I mean.  Moderation and an early bedtime were in my future! BUT we did it. We got our bibs, got home, carb loaded in costume and headed to the party!

I was home and in bed by 11:30.  I organized my stuff so I’d be ready to go at 5am the next day. When I got to Ditto’s she told me she almost didn’t come, she had gotten sick at 2am, but was feeling better. Then our friend, Ryan (the girl) was late because she overslept….but we got to Cassie’s and hit the road.

We drove to Universal City, parked at the train station and took two subways (red then blue line) right to the starting line! So convenient! Then we got ready… I tried to meet up with Andrea and Leah, but to no avail.  I don’t carry my phone during a race and it went into my gear bag. Andrea got stuck with interviews and it just didn’t work out.

Seriously, I couldn’t think of anything I wanted to do less that morning… I’ve never started a race that way. I was tired and I had a headache but here’s the thing.

I did it.

I feel like this race, although not my best, was a testament to my character. I made a commitment to myself to accomplish this goal and I did it. I didn’t give up, even when I really really wanted to. I also think this proves that running is so much more than physical. It’s mental. I didn’t want to do it. I’d had a tough week. I hadn’t eaten properly. I’ve gained a bit of weight. I wanted to be in bed.

I had a million reasons to stay home.

All of this led to a poor performance, but none of it led to me becoming a quitter.

So this is a different kind of post.  It’s a post about BEING A RUNNER.

Being a runner is so much more than lacing up your shoes and pounding the pavement. It’s about making goals and being the best you can be for that moment. I wanted to quit, but I didn’t and I get to be proud about that regardless of the time I came across the finish line.

I finished in 2:56:41. Not my best time, but not my worst. I have two more half marathons this year and I’m excited. I feel like they are PRs waiting to happen. This race has pumped me up. Got me excited to do better. I’m running a 5K this weekend and I keep thinking I want to switch to the half, but I won’t. I’m sticking with my plan… 10 Half Marathons this year. I’m going to rock those December races and take care of my body, mind and soul.

If there’s one thing I’ve learned in the past year and a half it’s that running helps me stay balanced. It’s the one time I can guarantee I’m alone with my thoughts and a goal in sight. Whether it be to make it 2 miles or 13 miles, I know I can do it. I know I will do it and I DO IT! I’m proud of myself and I’m proud to represent #Run3rd. Your dedications helped to push me because I couldn’t quit or cheat because that would let YOU down.

I run first for me, run second for my family and I #Run3rd for you…but it’s a circle…it ends up helping me.

No seats on the subway ride home, so we took the floor!
Cassie, Ditto, Ryan and me.