2010 Care First Frederick Running Festival

May 1 – 2, 2010

Thank God I Only Ran the Half…

Springtime can be an “iffy at best” deal for many runners and unpredictable heat and humidity can and will destroy one’s goal of a 1:48 half even after she trained oh-so-hard to improve her speed and endurance and made sure to properly hydrate and replenish her electrolytes which a lack of had caused issues with calf strains and pulled Achilles tendons. She was pumped! She was ready to go! She was going to crush this race! She was dripping with sweat 1.5 miles into the race and wondering why she could actually see heat waves on the horizon…

Dagger.

2,627 half-marathoners and 1,038 (728 finishers) marathoners were signed up to participate in the 2010 Frederick Running Festival. Weather reports called for temperatures in the low- to mid-90s on race weekend. The staff of the Frederick Running Festival made sure to have plenty of water and Power Ade at each aid station (wait, wasn’t there supposed to be GU at the stops??). The sky was overcast for the first part of the run but the humidity was brutal. Less than two miles in I realized just how difficult completing this race would be.

I stuck with the 3:40 marathon pace group for the first 3 miles but slowly backed off after realizing that a pace of 8:15 was not in the cards today (note: I realized this before the race began but “just wanted to see what I could do”). I wasn’t able to even stick with an 8:30 pace. Ugh, God, 8:57??

It was a rough going for a majority of the runners; the medical tents had lines forming and quite a few people being carried off of the course on stretchers to waiting ambulances. One runner that I was pacing at mile 11 on Gas House Pike simply collapsed on the course and rolled into a ditch (mind you, I made sure he was OK and not, in fact, well, dead). No less than three ambulances screamed by me as crossed the finish line. A reported eight runners were taken to the Frederick Memorial Hospital for leg cramps and heat exhaustion.

My official time was 1:57:40 due to a pit stop and my actual time was 1:56:42. Honestly, I was glad simply to finish but was disappointed in my time. While I set a PR for myself, I only ran 2 minutes faster than the National Half Marathon where I was nursing a popped Achilles. Therefore, I was not all to impressed with my new record.

I would tell you where I placed but, frankly, I have no idea! I received an email from the race directors with one set of standings while the race website gives me two different sets of standings. I’ll stick with the rankings that make me look the best! Thus (as per the email from the race directors):

1:57:40 (unofficial 1:56:42)

Overall --> 570/2,267
Female 25-29 Age Group --> 37/276
Female Division --> 198/1,451

Aside from the humidity I did enjoy this race. The course is beautiful, the aid stations were well-manned and the people of Frederick were all out rooting us on. I will be back next year and I will get that 1:48 PR.