Race Report

It's been a little over a week since the Hospital Hill Half-Marathon. Any race that contains the words "hospital" and "hill" can seem rather ominous, and yet this one is near and dear to my heart. Known as the "granddaddy" of all the Kansas City races, Hospital Hill was the one that transformed me from casual to avid runner. Prior to my first HHR, the longest race I had ever completed was a 5 mile race in Junior High. Since that first 13.1, I've run several more half-marathons and am currently training for my 8th full marathon.

I missed last year's race due to injury. Actually, I missed an entire year of racing due to a shoulder dislocation and a subsequent stress fracture in my foot. (By racing, I mean paying an entrance fee and pinning a bib number to my shirt.) HHR was my second half-marathon this year. I used both races to gauge where I am physically as I prepare to make my way back to the Twin Cities Marathon in October. I'm pleased to report that I'm back on track!

In addition the hills (did I mention that the Hospital Hill Run has hills?), the weather the first weekend in June is often hot and humid. Perhaps that's part of the sadistic appeal that this race has for me. This year, race day was unusually cool and wet. Really wet. Typhoon wet. I arrived at Crown Center 75 minutes prior to start time in the midst of a torrential downpour. I sat in my car, ate a banana and sipped on my coffee as I waited for a break in the rain that showed no signs of arriving any time soon. Eventually I slipped on a trash bag in a feeble attempt to stay as dry as long as possible and made my way to my starting corral. As soon as I got there, there was an announcement that the race had been delayed at least 30 minutes. We were to seek shelter while the storm cell passed. The trash bag was a good call because it kept me dry and prevented me from getting chilled during the delay.

When the "all clear" was given, we made our way back to our corrals. The rain had stopped and I ditched my trash bag. However, the rain and the wait didn't allow me to get adequately warmed up. When the gun sounded, I resisted the urge to get caught up in the excitement and take off at a fast pace. I wasn't going to push myself to achieve a PR on this day, so I held back making sure my body got properly warmed up for the first couple of miles.

Thirty minutes into the race, I felt the first drops of the fairly heavy rain that would fall for the remainder of the race. Surprisingly, the rain added an element of playfulness for me. How often do you ever allow yourself to play in the rain and splash around in puddles? My hat goes off to all of the volunteers who endured the wet weather as they worked the aid stations!

It was great to be back on the streets of Kansas City. I think that I had a smile on my face the whole way. My split times for the second half of the race were faster than than the first. In fact, when I crossed the finish line, there was still plenty of gas left in the tank. I didn't record my fastest time ever, but that wasn't my intention. This was a day to simply run and enjoy.

I now turn my attention toward the Twin Cities Marathon. I think I'd like to keep that same spirit of playfulness and enjoyment going as I train. Instead of being hyper-focussed on the training plan, maybe I'll pay more attention to the puddles and the opportunity to splash around.