The Artichoke Half Marathon

This whole thing started because my friend, Mac "The MACHine," and I decided that we wanted to do something "big" this year. We wanted to run more, so we decided that we would run a half marathon a month.

I'm not sure that we were that serious in the beginning. Well, I should say, that I was the one who wasn't sure in the beginning ... I was a little skeptical, and thought, "Okay, I guess I can do that. I mean, it's only 13.1 miles, right? Once a month? Sure, why the hell not?" I had already laid out plans for my 2010 Resolutions to run certains races and runs, anyway, so this plan wouldn't be so bad. So we set out to run certain runs together, and I scrambled to put in vacation bids in the days that I didn't have the weekend off. It was comical in the beginning trying to find a half marathon every month to run, but it has since become serious business as Mac and I are now "serious" runners!

January started us off with the Resolutions Run. February, the Kaiser Permanente Half in San Francisco. March brought us to Sacramento to the Shamrock'n Half Marathon. And now it's April ... hmmm ... What races are there? We search and search, and I finally pick the Artichoke Half Marathon in Pescadero, CA. It sounded cool enough, and we both enjoy artichokes so why not? It was also a plus that the race fee was only $25, and that the race was located in a beautiful area of California!!!

As April approaches us, we wonder if we're going to hear from the race. I log onto the website where I registered and find that when I click on the official website, it's "blank." That's strange. My husband Googles the race and he finds a blog that gives a pretty hilarious account of their experience. My husband then calls Big Al to get directions and to get information on lodging that's close. No answer from Big Al, so my husband leaves him a message, which, by the way, Big Al never returned his call!

All this time, Mac and I are talking and planning. We decide to stay in Half Moon Bay, and we find a decent hotel to stay at. We keep telling each other that it's an adventure. It's been an adventure since the first half we ran together last year without a doubt! We check the weaather and we see that the forecast calls for rain. Okay, we can deal with that ... we've done it before.

We meet in Half Moon Bay on Saturday. We check into the hotel, and we get settled, then decide to go to the beach and then grab dinner. The beach was fun as it was Lincoln's first time to the experience the ocean! The look on his face was priceless! What a cute kid she has there! Dinner was supposed to be at a Crab Shack or some five star rating hole in the wall, but when we arrived there, we decided against it as it looked rather seedy, and headed off down the highway in search of a better atmosphere. We find Mary's and enjoy ourselves as we get to know each other better! =) (By the way, Mac's hubby, Bryan, is a hoot!)

I don't know if we expected race day to be quite so .... hmmm ... what's a good word? I know we checked the weather, and we knew that there was a chance of rain ... but it was like a tsunami when we woke up the that day! But we were already there, and we already paid. If you know Mac and I, we like to get our money's worth ... we were going to run this thing! I started to have my doubts though as we drove to our destination - it was POURING down buckets! Seriously. My hubby kept asking me if we were really going to run. Yes, we were *really* going to run.

When we got there, it was chaos! Big Al's helper, a geriatric geyser, was frantically trying to assist people with their parking. It was quite amusing. People were running everywhere, attempting to find another restroom other than the one stall that was in the Native Sons Hall. Yep, you heard me right ... only ONE bathroom for about 150 runners or so of us. Lucky for me, I was able to spot people across the street using the gas station's bathroom, so I headed that way! That taken care of, Mac and I headed back to the hall to retrieve our race numbers and shirts ... back into the chaos as people were seeking shelter from the tsunami! Too funny! But no medium sized shirts for me ... they ran out! What? Just for that I took more than my alloted one artichoke! Ha! We got our numbers pinned on, took some cheezy pictures, and waited ...

Race time. 10K runners first. Chris lines up while Mac and I are still waiting, and trying to get warmed up. Not happening. We laugh in amusement as Big Al (yes, that's what they call him) yells out instructions that cannot be heard over the wind, rain, and the mass of people yakking away! Pay attention, people or you'll miss your turn-offs! Then we hear, "Go!" Whhhaaat? No gun, just Big Al yelling, "Gooooo!" Hahahahahaha! Mac looks at me in horror! I'm just laughing because we're already here and we're going to run come hell or high water! 10 minutes later it's the Half Marathon's turn. We, too, have instructions belted out to us that we can barely hear, and the next thing you know, Big Al yells, "Gooooo ..." again! And we're off.

It's raining, but I neglected to mention the wind. 30MPH winds! I'm not sure about everyone else, but that wind was doing a great job of blowing me around all over the place. I was struggling to stay upright! The first mile was okay - wet and windy, but okay. Miles 2-5 were a VERY different story! They were ALL UPHILL and into the 30MPH winds! Coupled with the rain, it felt as if I were getting pelted in the face constantly and it STUNG!!! If the course was marked, it wasn't anymore as I'm sure it all got washed and blown away! I worry a little that I didn't pay attention well enought to the instructions that Big Al gave us and that I'd get lost. But I figure I'd just follow others who were running also. I trudged on beside Mac, all the while shaking my head. I hear her tell me that this one is my fault, and that we're even from the Resolutions Run. Then I hear her tell me that, "It's all about the adventure." We pass my hubby who's running the 10K at mile 2. I give him my hat that is doing me absolutely no good, and we say goodbye. I feel bad for him as he's not dressed appropriately wearing a cotton pullover hoodie, but it's too late now ...

At around mile 2.5 I'm thinking that I'm done. I'm done. I don't want to do this anymore. It's cold, it's wet, I can't lift my head up, and I'm getting blown all over the road. Nope, I'm done. This will be my first DNF. Then I think, "Well, how am I going to tell Mac?" So I just keep running as I try to come up with something. I see Mac almost get blown over the cliff, and I keep plugging away, trying to think of a good excuse to tell her that I'm going to quit. Mile 3, nothing. I'm tired of the rain pelting me in the face! It's a good thing it's raining 'cause I can't tell if I'm crying or not. Mile 4, still pissed and no good excuse comes to mind. Mile 5, I'm thinking, "Com'mon, I'm soooo done!" By this time we're already soaked, tired, and I'm frustrated as hell. But what's that up ahead?!? Can it be the light at the end of the tunnel? Hahahaha! It's the turn-around!!! Hallejuah, Glory Be! I've never been soooo happy to see anything in all of my life!

Once we turned around, my attitude totally shifted. The rain was now at our backs, as was the wind, AND we were now travelling DOWNHILL!!! Yeee Hawww! =) Just as I wanted to give up, God heard my prayers and turned me around! Finally, I could hold my head up and breathe without feeling as if I were taking in more water than air! Mile 6 was probably the best mile. At around Mile 7, Mac calls Bryan and asks him to pick up her wet garmets! It's around this time that we are directed onto another road ... again goind up hill, through a canyon. Mac quickly calls Bryan and redirects him so he can find us on this road, and we head up. We're having a good time ... talking, and enjoying the scenery. We pass people up and try to encourage them. Bryan finds us, throws us some lines of encouragement and motivation, and takes our cheesy picture! =) And we're off again. Mile 8 ish or maybe mile 9, we get to the end of the canyon road and turn around and head back toward the finish and Big Al. Gone are the thoughts of self-doubt, and of being pissed off. Washed away once the rain was at my back.

The rest of the race is "easy" compared to the beginning. I'm enjoying running beside Mac who, even though I told her to leave me and go, would not. "We're in this together," she reminded me, "And besides, it's like Mile 11.5." Thank God for Mac. She has been a God send in my running life. She has done nothing but encourage me and motivate me to be better.

I tell Mac that I'm turning off Roxanne once she hits 13.1! Thank God I did, because the race course was off by about a half mile. Finish line? There was no finish line in sight, just Big Al standing at the side of the Legion Hall absentmindedly congratulating people! And, how could I forget, there were cars whose drivers paid no mind to the incomming runners as one lady almost backs into me! I see my son laugh as he hears me yell out to the driver, "Heeellooo? What the hell?" But we're done, and that driver is quickly forgotten as we head up the stairs of the Native Sons Hall to get our well deserved medals and more artichokes!



After a taking more cheesy pictures, and a quick change in the Hall's kitchen, we say our goodbyes and both head for home. We're tired, but the feeling of accomplishment was a nice feeling. In retrospect, I really didn't believe that I would finish that race. It was difficult to keep talking to myself to stay in the race, but I also didn't want to let Mac down. I had gotten her into that mess, and I worked hard to see it through.

I know Mac wouldn't want to run that again, but I believe that I may. The course was actually beautiful, but I could hardly enjoy it at the time because I couldn't see much. Maybe I'll suggest to Big Al that they move the date to July as the weather wouldn't be so horrendous and we could actualy enjoy the run.