Shade Never Lasts on a Hot April Morning

We trained for almost four months in weather ranging from just above freezing to low 50s. I lost track of how many Saturdays and Sundays our little running crew suffered through brutal winds to build up to half-marathon strength again.

For the cold, we were prepared. In response, Mother Nature served up the hottest Country Music 1/2 Marathon in its 10-year history. The high passed 86 degrees yesterday and without hardly any cloud cover, a blistering path laid ahead.

The forecast was a source of consternation all week. Until our corral broke away from the starting line 10 minutes after the first starting gun, butterflies harassed my stomach.

Soon we heard our gun, the nervousness faded, and for the second straight year, I moved to running speed to strains of Almost Ready by Dinosaur Jr.

I wasn’t close to ready, but I could fake it for 13.1 miles.

While not the hottest race I ever ran – I think anything during August in Tennessee beat it by 10-15 degrees – but like most racers, I never had to cover such distance in the heat.

Friends helped Bryan and Dan promoted the gym just before the Mile 3 marker, offering a few high-fives. Heidi and Karen in the Belmont area, somewhere around Mile 7. My financial guy passed me not long after. Past Mile 11, a few good Samaritans offered small cups of beer for runners within sight of the Tennessee State Capitol. I took a swig and soldiered on, the split between the half-marathon and full marathon infusing a little inspiration into tired legs.

Those little moments got me moving again when I had to stop, which put the long months of Spinning to good use. Without intervals, I might not have made it in such good condition.

Water served twin purposes every mile on Saturday – one to drink, one to wear. Every dousing with water contributed to my crimson complexion.

As for my Ultra-sweat-proof sunscreen, it sloughed off my face and forehead within the first two miles, burning my eyes so badly I had to wipe my face clear to just to see without pain.

My friend’s old fraternity brother ran the full marathon, and looked off upon finishing the 26.2-miles journey, which had virtually no shade past the 18-mile mark.

I felt surprisingly good once I rehydrated. The bulky knee brace from 2008 got retired midway through 2009, and I hit the finish without a trace of knee pain. Spasming muscles were a different story. I stood for an hour after the race knowing the charley horses that awaited me if I dared to sit.

What resulted from running without pain? I finished about two minutes better than last year, well short of the 15 I hoped for. Granted, the weather came in 15 degrees better than last year (the 2009 start temperature was the same as the finishing temperature for 2008), but I wanted to improve, and the heat wouldn’t allow it.

As for a new personal best on the course, I have no choice but to hope for fairer weather in 2010. I had every intention of calling this my last Country Music Half Marathon, but the weather made it feel like a completely different course than last year. So I have to expect that for next year, and find a way to meet the challenge.